The second Need for Speed game to be made available on the PlayStation Portable (PSP) is called Most Wanted 5-1-0. The numerals in the title relate to the police code for street racing. Much like Need for Speed: Most Wanted, the game revolves around a career mode and a feature called Blacklist 15, in which the player must advance in the rankings by winning races against several other players. However, there is no backstory, and all of the cutscenes have also been taken out.
To make progress, one must complete several events, sometimes milestones. There are the typical races, in addition to the heat challenges, in which you have to escape from the pursuit of the police or overcome barriers. You can evade law enforcement, but each level also features pursuit breakers, unique occurrences that can slow the police’s pursuit of you. The PSP version includes additional game modes, such as Tuner Takedown, in which the player competes as a law enforcement officer and attempts to stop street racers within a set time. Another option is Double Down, which requires winning races while the heat meter is filled. You are restricted in your ability to look for events throughout the city, in contrast to the game’s console versions. Instead, you go directly from one occurrence to the next rapidly.
Although there is much variation in cars and the customization options available, the overall selection has been reduced. Through Wi-Fi Ad Hoc or Infrastructure, gamers can participate in multiplayer games with a maximum of four others.
