Need For Speed Underground 2 is 18 and fans are still demanding a remake

It is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions that Need For Speed Underground 2 has yet to be remastered. Publisher Electronic Arts is usually only too happy to take our cash with both hands, yet the goldmine of remaking one of the most popular video games of a generation remains untapped.

It's not like EA doesn't do remasters, either. The Mass Effect trilogy was given a new lick of paint and some smart gameplay tweaks in 2021. We've also seen a number of Need For Speed games remastered, including 2010's Hot Pursuit.

So why, 18 years on from the beloved games launch, are fans still clamouring for a remaster that will probably never happen? Is it because of the game’s unrivalled soundtrack, stylish world, and slick controls? Well, yes, obviously it’s all of those things.

18 years on, the fans are still putting together their own remakes, imagining what Underground 2 would look like on a new-gen console. They’re still making petitions, and fighting for EA to hear them.

I mean, could you imagine Need For Speed Underground 2 getting a remake in the style of Tony Hawk's Pro Skate 1 + 2 Remastered? Keep everything that made the original such a hit, but add modern bells and whistles to make it look and feel all shiny and new. It seems so simple... Doesn't it?

As I write these words, a quick look at Google throws up dozens of petitions, social media campaigns, and cries on social media to remake or remaster Need For Speed Underground 2. Some are years old, and died quietly with just a few hundred signatures. Others are more recent, and gained enough traction to get thousands of supporters. Ultimately, these petitions and campaigns will do nothing in the grand scheme of things. They rarely do. But after nearly two decades, it’s incredible to see the impact Need For Speed Underground 2 still has on a generation of fans.