In the Need For Madness series, there is a meter on top right hand corner of the gameplay screen that shows the players current damage. Damage is how 'hurt' the car is. When the damage meter reaches the maximum, the player's car will burst into flames. Thus, it is considered as being Wasted and is one of the methods of losing the game.
Fixing your car[]
Players can simply fix their car by going through an electrified hoop (fixing hoop) whether it would be suspended in the air (which then must be accessed by taking off from a ramp) or low enough on the ground that cars can simply go through it. Once fixed, the car will exit out fresh before gameplay and the damage bar resets to zero.
Damage meter[]
The damage meter is divided into different colors. At certain percentages, the meter changes color. The meter fills as more damage is received; the color will change from yellow to orange. Further damage will turn the damage meter to a darker shade orange, and it will begin to flash. The flashing warns the player of their damage level and that they should repair. Once enough damage is dealt, the meter turns bright red and flashes urgently to warn the player that they are on the verge of being Wasted.
Usually, the amount of damage a car can take (seen as Endurance in the car selection screen) is easily identified by looking at the size of the car. Nimi, for example, is very small, and cannot stand many hits from other "small" cars. Mighty Eight, while being larger, is a racing car. Racing cars aren't very durable, either. Waster cars (such as the ones in the Big 3) can Waste them in a few hits, if not one. M A S H E E N, on the other hand, has a special type of damage resistance. It does not take damage from hazards, or ramming from smaller cars. Instead, only immense levels of damage can damage M A S H E E N.
In Multiplayer, as custom cars can be modified to deal more damage, M A S H E E N can be easily dethroned. Smaller cars can also deal damage to M A S H E E N, albeit at a costly price. This most likely turns into a (failed) Kamikaze.
Taking Damage[]
Damage is taken via the following methods:
- Colliding into other cars.
- Colliding into Hazards.
- Crashing into the wrong sides of a ramp.
- Improperly landing after stunting
- Colliding onto the walls (especially in a very fast velocity)
The damage meter's color[]
The damage meter changes its color depending on how high the damage meter is.
Translucent (0%) - No Damage
Yellow (1%-20%) - Low Damage
Yellow-Orange (21-40%) - Low to Moderate Damage
Orange (41-59%) - Moderate Damage
Flashing Orange (60-89%) - Moderate to High Damage
Flashing Red (90-100%) - Critical Damage
100% - Wasted
Sparks[]
Sparks were implemented during the graphical update of Need For Madness Multiplayer. While not exactly an indicator of damage, they often fly out from the player's car (along with other players in the game and the AI) when rubbing/grinding against asphalt or metallic structures. (e.g. walls, railings, hazards) These indicate situations where it might be possible to gain damage.