The following FPS limits are allowed: 60 (default and recommended) and 144 FPS. Additionally, the game must run smoothly with the same FPS as the limit; otherwise, the result will be invalid. Only valid results are accepted by the NFS.onl database, and kickStart in version 2.4 or greater is required.

In-game, only up to three unique upgrades from TJ can be used, and only those combinations that are genuinely possible to obtain in the career mode.

Trainers or any other cheating tools and mods affecting gameplay or physics are not allowed, regardless of whether kickStart detects it. Car geometry must be original, or from the latest "smol model fix" for 206 and Lancer by AJ_Lethal.

Multiple accounts are not allowed.

Competition results are considered part of the commons, accessible to all for sharing and discussion.

Drift techniques like Double Tapping (aka DT, for digital controllers) and Double Steering (aka DS, for analog controllers) are allowed. However, the game itself activates some kind of driving assistance for joypad users (steer smoothing). So, DS will only work, if the game identifies the controller as a wheel. In order to disable this assistance, you can modify the Windows registry entry for the device so that the game will recognize it as a wheel. Check the following link for a guide how to do this.

Download kickStart and extract the .zip file into your NFS Underground game folder. It's recommended to use a portable installation under something like C:\Games due to writing permissions. If not, you may need to run it with administrator rights, although this is not recommended. However, if your game runs as admin, kickStart needs to run as admin, too.

Next, run kickStart.exe and ensure that collisions are turned on (no ghost-mode!), then start the game. In the game, navigate to "Quick Race" and then select "Free Run". Choose your car and track, and begin your cruise.

If you need a high-performance ride, check out the "Saved game files" tab under the settings in kickStart, where you can create a new profile, import a 100% savegame and swap unique upgrade parts.

Once you've completed your first lap, you'll find your data in kickStart under "My Free Run records". There, you'll also find a button to upload your data to the online database. Click it, and if it's your first upload, you'll be prompted to register your nickname. Once that's done, you can enable "Automated synchronization" on the "Track records" tab in the settings.

That's it! Every lap record will now appear in the online database almost instantly. Happy hotlapping!

Please note that kickStart must be running in the background for recording (in the settings, on tab "Main configuration": "Keep open during game" and/or "Close to tray" must be enabled under "Options"), and this feature only works with the US version 1.4 for now.

In case you experience invalid results (red font in overlay and an asterisk behind lap times) or if the recorder isn't working, click on the button "Open settings" and (at the bottom) navigate to the tab "Track records" where you should find a button to set the basics to the defaults. Click on it and start the game again. If it's still not working, double-check if cars are original and have allowed TJ combinations, then restart kickStart.

For more detailed information, press the F1 key while in kickStart.

ReShade, when used in combination with the DirectX 9 Overlay, will cause the game to crash. Additionally, DX9 won't work with dgVoodoo. So, you have two options: either remove ReShade (or dgVoodoo, respectively) or switch to the Classic overlay, or play without any overlay at all. Essentially, any program that includes its own overlay, such as Rivatuner/MSI Afterburner, can potentially conflict with the DX9 overlay. If you're a Linux user, neither of the overlays will work, so it's best to play without any overlay. Additional mods are not supported, but if it's only visual, like improving texture quality, it's alright. Extra Options is also allowed, but keep in mind that any mod can cause unexpected behavior; therefore, it's always recommended to play as original as possible.

Especially with new updates, false positive detections and file deletions by antivirus programs can occur, which can lead to functional problems and error messages. To avoid this, you can specify the entire game folder as an exclusion. Instructions on how to do this are described in the following link.

This site, including the help section, is still under construction. If you require additional assistance and information, we recommend joining the Retro Racing Point Discord server. There, under #nfs-underground, you'll find a dedicated thread for kickStart where you can get the help you need. Don't forget to check the pinned messages!

First, open settings in kickStart and navigate to "Track records" (tabs at the bottom). Then push the "Update profile" button and log in. On your profile, click "Edit," and then under "#nfs_onl" you will see two symbols: one for YouTube and one for Twitch. Enter your channel(s) there, then submit the changes.

Next, ensure your YouTube Uploads or Twitch Highlights contain at least the following information in the title or description: track name, in-game time, and car model. If NOS was used, mention that as well. The hashtag #nfs_onl can be used to trigger a post in the video channel/thread on Discord, but this is optional.

Done. Now, you just need a little patience while everything is correctly assigned. This can take a while.

https://cadence.moe/video-games/need-for-speed-underground
An online map browser for Olympic City by Cadence

https://nfs.onl/trackmap
Track-Map, an online map browser made with Flash by radicalSpeed

https://nfsu.fun/ or https://nfs-online.ru/
Monitoring and stats from online multiplayer game servers by webair

https://nfs.fandom.com/wiki/Need_for_Speed:_Underground
Need for Speed Wiki on Fandom

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Need_for_Speed:_Underground
NFSU section on PCGamingWiki

http://nfsa.ca/f5881 or https://nfsmods.xyz/mod/2720
The smol model fix by AJ_Lethal

https://youtu.be/usj29yiTIF0
Craft tutorial for DIY analog stick precision rings

https://tinyurl.com/nfsu-keyboard-records
Google Sheets: World Records on Keyboard (and other devices)

https://retroachievements.org/game/3114
Retro Achievements for the PS2 version

https://www.speedrun.com/nfsu
NFS Underground on Speedrun.com

https://virtuallenge.com/games/racing/nfsu1
Comprehensive telemetry tools by Aleksandr Tropakov
Link points to the last snapshot on archive.org as the website seems down.
The software can be downloaded from here.