Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

Xzibit: This is the X-to-the-Z coming at ya from Rockstar San Diego. Today on Pimp My Ride we have a studio whose Midnight Club series is in some desperate need of fixing. With the success of EA's Need for Speed Underground 2, the MC ride ain't what it used to be. But we here at West Coast Customs are gonna transform the ol' Midnight Club into Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition (Rockstar San Diego, Rockstar Games, Xbox/PS2), aight?

Q (manager): We've got one busted ride X. In the last MC game, there were no licensed cars or parts. The rides looked ugly, but we're gonna hook them up with fully licensed cars, rims, grills - the works. We'll make everything customizable, so you can use your race winnings to build some dope-ass looking cars, trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, muscle cars and exotics.

Big Dane (accessories): What's the biggest problem with midnight street racing? Traffic. We're gonna implement a whole bunch of new features for getting rid of downtown gridlock. The "roar" feature will send other cars flying, opening a nice gap for ya. We'll also create the ability to slow down time or to become indestructible. Not that it really matters in this game, since head-on collisions barely even slow you down. Don't worry boy, nitrous speed boosts are still kicking.

Mad Mike (electronics): That old soundtrack, nuttin' but pretty white boy techno. This time we have a soundtrack with 50 Cent, the Game, Twista, Nine Inch Nails and even M.I.A. Don't like that music? Wanna be riding with Phil Collins? You've got the option to customize your soundtrack on the Xbox version too.

Xzibit: Phil Collins? (Xzibit gives look of disdain)

Ish (interiors): I want to make the game ultra-stylish, but man, there's no way MC can compete with that framerate. This ain't no Burnout 3 (EA), you know? So I'm gonna add some tricks to make the game SEEM fast. When it's raining, the race will look like it's running at 15-fps, but otherwise, we'll put a lot of lights on the buildings and cars so they make a cool effect when you drive fast.

Xzibit: Kinda like the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey! (Xzibit laughs profusely)

Ish: The camera will also shake every time you use your speed boost. If it worked for Star Trek...

After days of work, Xzibit finally brings in the Rockstar San Diego team to get a look at their new Midnight Club game.

Xzibit: Rockstar, when you brought in this racing game series, it looked like it had partied at one too many clubs, know what I mean? But thanks to the West Coast we put some DUB in your BRAND NEW Midnight Club!

Rockstar: Dude!

Mad Mike: Check it out! Not only did we put in a career mode lasting over 25 hours, now you can play over system link on Xbox and online on the Xbox and PS2.

Alex: And we pimped these rides with crazy driving physics, so you know this isn't a sim.

Rockstar: Thanks, now we can finally compete with EA's street racers, without making our game one big cell-phone advertisement. I think we'll take MC3: DUB Edition for a spin.

Helpful note: At no time did the members of West Coast Customs say these things or have any involvement in the game.

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