We spoke with Marchiii, currently ranked 2nd on NFS.onl and the winner of the recent RRP tournament that ended just a few days ago.
He shares insights into his driving style, motivation, and experience playing NFS Underground.

General

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself. When did you start playing NFS Underground, and what made it special to you?

I started playing NFSU in 2007, when I was around five years old when I found the game in my dad's PC, then I kept playing it on my PS2 till 2024.
This game has a special place in my heart because it was the first racing game that I have ever played.

2. You joined the RRP Discord in early 2024. What changed for you after that?

Honestly a lot. Until then I was playing this game casually and pretty rarely since there was no real competition.
Once I found out that this game still has players, I decided to give it a more serious try and see how fast I am compared to the rest of the world.
I finally had something to chase in a racing game.

3. You became one of the fastest players very quickly. Was it talent, hard work - or both?

Mostly motivation. Once I learned how to DS I wanted to see how much I can close the gap to the big guys.
Some records took some time, some took less than 30 minutes. I prefer to leave the answer to the public's opinion.

Driving Style and Setup

4. You're known for mastering the Integra. What makes it strong in your hands - and how did you develop your driving style?

I think lap consistency is one of my strong sides while driving this car. Developing this driving style wasn't easy - there was no reference point for driving this car with DS.
I experimented with wallbounces, brake levels, stability control and input degrees until the car did what I wanted.

5. Many players copy your Integra technique. How do you feel about influencing the meta like that?

It feels really good knowing that I was able to change the meta after the 21 years of this game's existence.
But knowing that what I did will pave the way for the future players to play this game in new ways gives me the most satisfaction.

6. You play with a gamepad that's detected as a wheel. What's the biggest difference compared to a normal gamepad or keyboard?

Mostly comfort and precision. Moving a joystick instead of turning a wheel from left to right feels way easier to me and has the same precision in my opinion.
A keyboard could never be as precise as a controller or a wheel and repetitively pressing on keys makes a noise and that really gets on my nerves.

Cars and Strategy

7. Are there tracks where the Integra or other cars give you a real advantage in Multiplayer?

Definitely Port Royal and Stadium. Nothing can beat Integra in speed and consistency on PR,
and on Stadium as long as you stay in the slipstream, it is really hard to lose a race.

8. Before jumping into competitive play on NFS.onl, which cars did you usually pick in NFS Underground?

Miata, RX7, Integra and 206 were always a top for me.
I really liked the way they looked and handled, without knowing that those were actually meta cars.

9. Your NFS.onl lap times are impressive. How many laps do you often run to push your times down a little on a track?

Usually between 100 and 200 laps. At the current level of NFS.onl, you actually need a perfect lap in order to set a new record.

Motivation and Experience

10. You won the last NFS.onl tournament. What was the most difficult moment in that event?

The whole final against ScorpioNNN for sure.
After coming back from the loser bracket, finding out that I actually needed 2 best of 5's in order to win was a tough moment for me.

11. What keeps you motivated to keep pushing yourself in Free Run and multiplayer events?

Honestly the banter between me, ScorpioNNN and GTB.
I love the friendly competition between us and the way we always push ourselves to find that .01 in a lap so we can brag about it :)

12. You also race real go-karts. Do you think that experience helps you in the game - or is it a completely different skill?

I think that real racing is completely different from arcade racing.
But karting helped me in developing new racing lines for this game in Free Run and in keeping my composure when I'm under pressure in multiplayer.

NFS.onl and Community

13. What's your opinion on the NFS.onl platform and how it ranks players?

I think it's great. There's no better way to rank someone in a racing game other than overall time.

14. Is there anything you'd like to see improved or added to the site?

Maybe a player profile where you can pin your achievements and customise it to your own liking.

15. You often help other players set up their old PCs for better performance. What's the most common problem people have - and how do you fix it?

All low-end PCs/laptops lack CPU and GPU optimisations.
They are not pushed to their maximum potential. I usually fix it through some commands in Powershell, Windows settings and modifying the registries.

16. What advice would you give to someone who wants to get faster in NFS Underground?

Keep practising and don't give up. Look up all our videos and practice until you get it done.
There are no more secrets left in this game, so as long as you're motivated there's no excuse.

Many thanks to Marchiii for taking the time to share his story and thoughts.
Good luck with the next time attacks.