Need for Speed: Carbon is a 2006 racing video game and the tenth installment in the Need for Speed series. Developed by EA Canada, Rovio Mobile, and EA Black Box, and published by Electronic Arts, it was released on October 30, 2006, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, Windows, and Mac OS X, and on November 19, 2006 as a launch title for the Wii and in 2008 for arcade cabinets.
The game sees players conducting illegal street races within the
fictional city of Palmont City, with the game's main story taking place
after the events of Need for Speed: Most Wanted
and focusing on the player's character taking control of the city from
various street-racing gangs. While the gameplay is similar to its
predecessor, Carbon introduced a number of new features, including crews and racing wingmen, Touge-styled racing events, and greater customization options.
Alongside console, home computer, and arcade versions, the game also received portable editions for the PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS,[9] and Zeebo,[10] titled Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City.
While the portable games featured similar gameplay to the console
version, they included new/modified gameplay elements, a different
setting and storyline, and a different selection of AI teammates.
Upon the release of
Carbon, the game received positive
reviews from critics, though it faced some criticism over elements of
its gameplay mechanics, including a lack of emphasis on police chases
compared to its