Need for Speed: ProStreet / Characters

The characters of the Need for Speed game Need for Speed: ProStreet.

Shifting from illicit street racing to sanctioned track-day racing, ProStreet has the player take on the role of Ryan Cooper against a set of Street Kings, each with their own characteristics.

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Player character

Ryan Cooper

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryan_6.jpg

Some say that he is always seen wearing a helmet and never talks at all. All we know is, he's called Ryan Cooper.

Car: Nissan 240SX (S13) (during his debut), player's choice, OTHERS^*

"..."

The main protagonist in ProStreet.

Ryan is a former street racer who then participated in sanctioned races. He's a newcomer that first entered the "D-day" event at the Chicago Airfield to gain attention from the crowd and make a name for himself.

Upon being mocked by the recently crowned Ryo Watanabe, becoming the Showdown King has become Ryan's ultimate and motive desire.

Ascended Fanboy: He went from being a street racer to participating in professional racing leagues.
Badass Driver: He's already noted to have significant driving experience from his time as an illegal street racer, and is viewed quite favorably by all the announcers, especially if you are about to be invited to an elite organization, about to face off against a King, or just defeated one.
Can't Drop the Hero: Not his character since you play as him, but averted for his car. He can sell his 240SX or change its mode so it runs in a different discipline.
Continuity Nod:
- In Undercover, leaving one's car idle long enough during free roam triggers an exchange on police chatter in which the cops talk about arresting someone who refuses to take off their racing helmet, "surname "Cooper", first name "Ryan", seemingly in reference to how Ryan is described as having been a street racer before competing in legal racing.
  Police: Dispatch I... [Beat] I got a guy resisting arrest here, he's in the backseat in my cruiser. He... [Beat] he's not talking, and... [Beat] he refuses to take off his racing helmet. [Beat] I got his ID here. Surname "Cooper", first name "Ryan". Please run checks for priors. I don't know, something's not right about this guy.
  Dispatch: Roger that.
- In Payback, when Aki Kimura boasts that nobody has beaten him for the crown of Drift King, Mac will mention having heard that someone named Ryan did so, to which Aki Kimura replies that it happened a long time ago; and someone named "Cooper" (which might possibly be him) is one of the participants of the Outlaw's Rush. The Curator also talks during the Outlaw's Rush about the one who "Stumped the Speed King" as a candidate to participate in the Rush.
Experienced Protagonist: Given that he already has driving skills from illegal street racing before.
The Faceless: He's always wearing his Cool Helmet, a la The Stig. In Undercover, the police lampshades this by stating that he refuses to take off his helmet.
Heroic Mime: He is the voiceless protagonist of the game, a street racer who receives praise and props from the crowd, the DJ and the announcers, dominates race days, winning Showdown events and/or defeating Street Kings.
Legendary in the Sequel: His exploits in ProStreet apparently became Famed In-Story enough that by the time Payback rolls around, Mac knows that someone named Ryan beat Aki Kimura years ago, plus The Curator talks about the one who "Stumped the Speed King" as a candidate to participate in the Outlaw's Rush.
Loved by All: The DJ, announcers, and the crowd are cheering, rooting, and making some noise for Ryan like there's no tomorrow. They think that he has what it takes to win and dominate the race day, as well as becoming a Street King.
Reformed Criminal: He was a former street racer before deciding to go legal and jump into professional racing leagues.
Renaissance Man: Ryan is a capable contender for all four disciplines: Grip, Drift, Drag, and Speed.
Starter Mon: Ryan's 240SX, which you get to start of with after his debut, though you can sell it for another car.
What a Piece of Junk: Ryan's 240SX when he enters his maiden sanctioned race. It has mismatched wheels and body panels painted in different colours, which was one reason why Ryo mocked him. With enough upgrades, however, it becomes surprisingly competitive in any discipline.

Street Kings

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/untitled_1_975.jpg

A collective term for the Elite Four in ProStreet, who specializes in certain types of race events.

Duel Boss: In most races, you are pitted against four or eight racers depending on versions. But when facing a Street King, it's a one-on-one race each.
Elite Four: They are the four Street Kings who are specialists, before you can face Showdown King.
Extremity Extremist: Each Street King (aside from Showdown King) is assigned to specific race types.
- Ray Krieger specializes in Grip, which is a more-traditional approach to circuit racing.
- Nate Denver specializes in Speed, which puts particular emphasis on consistent high speeds and stability on winding, dangerous highways.
- Karol Monroe specializes in Drag, which focuses on acceleration along short drag strips, and where the fastest time wins.
- Aki Kimura specializes in Drift, which focuses on scoring as much as possible through fast, deep-angle drifting.
- Ryo Watanabe, as the Showdown King, does all fours, but his main speciality is Grip, the discipline his car belongs to after you receive it.
He Who Must Not Be Seen: None of the four Street Kings ^note have face reveals, and are always wearing helmets for safety measures. Ryo is the sole exception.
Pimped-Out Car: Each of the Street Kings not only has a Cool Car, but also shows artistic creativity by overloading their cars with vinyls and decals, befitting their name and representation of themselves.

Nate Denver

Nate Denver's '65 Pontiac GTO

^{Click here to see Nate from the PSP version of Shift.}

Car: Pontiac GTO (1965), OTHERS^*

Affiliation: Boxcut, Nitrocide, OTHERS^Grip Enemy (Shift*, PSP version)

"Hey! Oh yeah! I knew it's gonna happen, the Speed King himself is challenging Ryan Cooper. They're gonna settle who's fastest once and for all, folks. This is gonna be good!"

–JMac

The Speed King and the leader of Boxcut crew who specializes in high speed challenges. He drives a classic green 1965 Pontiac GTO with black and white tribal decals.

Completing all of the Nitrocide events will permit Ryan to face Nate Denver in three rounds at the Nevada Highway for the title as the new Speed King. ^note

Artificial Stupidity: His A.I is quite underwhelming compared to the other racers in Nitrocide, including his own Boxcut crew members (one of whom runs a Zonda F supercar with 1000+ horsepower). It's not uncommon for Nate Denver to struggle to reach 300 km/h in the Top Speed Runs against him, while his teammates commonly break 330-340 km/h.
Awesome, but Impractical: His 1965 Pontiac GTO, once you win it. It's easy to reach the speed cap of 400 km/h in it, but it is ridiculously twitchy and prone to oversteer at high speeds, as well as bouncing and losing control from the slightest imperfection in the road.
Drives Like Crazy: Since his Speed races take place entirely on highways instead of racetracks, Nate certainly counts. His bio in the PSP version of Shift describes him as "always [driving] on the edge, as if he has something to prove."
Farm Boy: His bio in the PSP version of Shift stated that he grew up in a pig farm.
Leitmotif: In the PSP version of Shift, his theme is "I Dread The Night" by Gallows.
Mythology Gag:
- Nate Denver also appears in the PC/console main versions of Need for Speed: Shift. Unlike his Reformulated PSP counterparts, he's just a regular opponent driver instead.
- Someone named "Denver" (who might be him) appears in Need for Speed Payback, as one of the racers in the Outlaw's Rush.
The Prankster: His bio in the PSP version of Shift describes him as "the circuit joker", and that Nate is only tolerated as he means no harm.
Running Away to Cry: Winning against the Speed King has this line said by JMac in regards to him.
JMac: Oh, big Nate's gonna be crying himself to sleep tonight 'cause he lost that crown, and that classic GTO!
Weak, but Skilled: In a similar vein to the above. His classic Pontiac GTO isn't actually that fast compared to what his team members use (a Zonda F, a JZA80 Supra, and a C6 Corvette), but he's (supposed to be) an extremely skilled driver at high speeds, which is why he's the Speed King.
Wearing a Flag on Your Head: His counterpart in the PSP version of Shift wears a cap with the Confederate battle flag on it◊. In fact, his Dodge Viper SRT-10 in said game, being red with a blue stripe with stars on it, resembles its "Stars and Bars" design.
What a Piece of Junk: His Pontiac GTO is old, but he's able to keep control of it at blazing speeds, to the point of being appointed leader over his team members. His A.I might be of questionable quality otherwise, but Nate is living proof that old cars aren't always left behind.

Ray Krieger

Ray Kreiger's BMW M3 (E92)

^{Click here to see Ray from the PSP version of Shift.}

Car: BMW M3 (E92), OTHERS^Acura NSX (NA2) (Shift*, PSP version)

Affiliation: Grip Runners, G Effect, OTHERS^Nitrocide (Shift*, PSP version)

"Well, that was quite an effort. Oh what's this? Oh, I don't believe it, that's Ray Krieger! Now the Grip King can only be here for more race, ladies and gentleman. And that is to challenge Ryan Cooper. Oh, battle is imminent!"

–Roger Evans

The Grip King and the leader of Grip Runners who specializes in standard, GT racer-style driving. He drives a white BMW M3 E92 with yellow and black arrow-shaped decals.

Completing all of the G-Effect events will permit Ryan to face Ray Kreiger in three rounds at Willow Springs for the title as the new Grip King. ^note

Action Dad: Implied in the PSP version of Shift. His bio there doesn't explicitly describe him as being a father, but it states that after an injury, "Ray is a more cautious driver now [that] he's a family man."
Adaptational Job Change: Ray is instead assigned as an affiliate of Nitrocide in the PSP version of Shift.
Artificial Stupidity: His pace is positively pedestrian. It's even possible to lap him or even beat his personal best by a huge margin.
Berserk Button: G-Effect announcer Roger Evans implies this during the first race of the challenge for the title of the Grip King. It seems Krieger wasn't too happy about being challenged to battle.
Roger Evans: It seems Cooper has really made the Grip King a wee bit angry!
Drives Like Crazy: His boss race cinematic intro has him in his M3 speeding crazily close to many bystanders, scaring them. He also nearly hit the race model Sayoko Ohashi, freaking her out, just before she starts the race.
Roger Evans: Oh! Hey, hey, there's no call for that, Krieger!
Film the Hand: In the Alternate Universe PSP version of Shift, his bio states that he hates being filmed on camera or having photos of him taken by fans, and in fact, at one point he sticks his hand out on the lens◊ when he's shown.^note
Game-Breaking Injury: In the PSP version of Shift, his bio states that Krieger "was struck down by injury at the peak of his career", and that "now recovered, Ray is back to prove he's still got it."
Joke Character: Ray Krieger's M3 E92 has the lowest stats among the Street Kings' cars, with only Level 2 Power and Handling, and very underwhelming performance on the track. ^note
Leitmotif: In the PSP version of Shift, his theme is the original instrumental mix of "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" by deadmau5.
Meaningful Name: "Krieger" means "warrior" in German, which is fitting since Ray is one of the best racing drivers around.
Mythology Gag:
- In Burnout Paradise, another EA-released game, there just happens to exist a fictional German car brand named "Krieger".
- Although Ray doesn't appear in Shift 2: Unleashed, his Grip Runners crew sticker can be used by the player for vehicle customizations. Perhaps Ray Krieger and his Grip Runners crew have taken part in FIA-sanctioned GT series?
Wearing a Flag on Your Head: Well, more like Wearing a Flag on Your Cool Car, but in the Alternate Universe PSP version of Need for Speed: Shift, being implied of German origin, Ray mounts a German flag on the bonnet of his Acura NSX.

Karol Monroe

Karol Monroe's Ford Mustang GT

^{Click here to see Karol from the PSP version of Shift.}

Car: Ford Mustang GT (Gen. 5, 2005), OTHERS^Honda S2000 (AP1) (Shift*, PSP version)

Affiliation: After Mix, Rogue Speed

"Well, well, well! Looks like Karol Monroe has come to play! She has no choice either, 'cause Ryan Cooper has been torching the strip here at Rogue Speed. Looks like the Drag King is ready to throwdown right now. Oh! We are in for a treat!"

–JMac

The Drag King (actually Drag Queen) and the leader of After Mix crew who specializes in drag racing. She drives a black and white fifth-gen Ford Mustang GT, built for drag racing.

Completing all of the Rogue Speed events will permit Ryan to face Karol Monroe in three rounds at Infineon ^note for the title as the new Drag King. ^note

Adaptational Job Change: While in ProStreet Karol is the Drag King— er.... Queen, whose forte is in Drag races, in the PSP version of Shift, she's instead assigned as one of the Drift Kings.

Break the Cutie: Her bio in Shift for the PSP states that Wade Johnson (#3 Race King) was her boyfriend but broke up with her, leaving her heartbroken. Might also count as an example of Sad Clown, considering her cheerful pictures in her bio.
Dark and Troubled Past: Implied by her bio in the PSP version of Shift, which states that "after a tough upbringing, the racing scene is now her family", but no further details are given.
Hidden Depths: Implied by her bio in the PSP version of Shift. It states that Karol was one of the Pit Girls before becoming a racer, and that as a result she "works hard to prove her worth". Oddly enough, Ryo Watanabe's intro in said version appears to show Karol among the girls flanking him◊ (second from the right).
Hot Paint Job: Befitting an American muscle drag car, Karol's Mustang comes with a black and white body flame pattern.
Leitmotif: In the PSP version of Shift, her theme is "Baditude" by Spoon, Harris & Obernik.
Mythology Gag: She also appears in the console/PC versions of Shift. Unlike the reformulated PSP version, she's just a random opponent driver instead.
Pit Girls: In the PSP version of Shift, Karol is described as having used to be one of the pit girls before entering her racing career.
Samus Is a Girl: The only indications that Karol is a woman in ProStreet are that, if you listen carefully to the announcer, they'll refer to Karol as "she", and that one of the decals on her car reads "Race Queen" (which is highly stylized, and thus not that quite easy to read at first glance).
JMac: Oh, is she ready!
She Is the King: She is called the "Drag King" despite being a woman.
The Smurfette Principle: The only female of the four Kings.

Aki Kimura

Aki Kimura's cars.
Top: His Mazda RX-7 (FD) from ProStreet.
Bottom: His Nissan Silvia Spec-R Aero (S15) from Payback.

Car: Mazda RX-7 (FD, Series 6) (ProStreet), Nissan Silvia Spec-R Aero (S15) (Payback)

Affiliation: Touge Union (ProStreet), Noise Bomb (ProStreet and Payback)

Voiced by: Akie Kotabe (Payback)

"Oh no! What do we have here? Aww yeah! Aki Kimura, ladies and gents, a.k.a. the Drift King himself. Aki had to come defend his crown, 'cause Ryan Cooper, he's been so hot going sideways!"

–BigJ

The Drift King and the leader of Touge Union who specializes in drifting. He returns in Need for Speed Payback as the leader of Noise Bomb. His car is a red Mazda RX-7 (FD) in ProStreet, and a green Nissan S15 Silvia in Payback, both of which are tuned for drifting.

In ProStreet, completing all of the Noise Bomb events will permit Ryan to face Aki Kimura in three rounds at Autopolis for the title as the new Drift King.

The Bus Came Back: He reappears in Payback throwing a Friendly Rivalry on Mac and later supporting his crew during the Outlaw Rush.
Continuity Nod: His crew in Payback is named after the drift event organizer in ProStreet, whom he is affiliated of. Here, he represents as the crew's leader.
Graceful Loser: He takes Mac beating him in stride.
Aki Kimura: You did it Mac. You took my crown fair and square.
He Who Must Not Be Seen: In both ProStreet and Payback, the only one that is seen is his car. Even in the Alternate Universe PSP version of Need for Speed: Shift, Aki is the only character among the other Street Kings from ProStreet to not be featured among the 10 Race Kings, whom they all have faces. He is only listed as a normal driver.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Subverted. Though in ProStreet he has no set personality, in Payback he is depicted as somewhat of a little egoistic and sarcastic Jerk Jock regarding who takes his crown as the top drifter in Fortune Valley. After Mac beat his record, though, this aspect of his personality is dropped entirely.
Not Even Bothering with the Accent: He is Japanese but speaks in a perfect American accent.
Pimped-Out Car: Both his RX-7 and Silvia have some artistic decals.
Suddenly Voiced: He doesn't speak during the events of ProStreet, but he speaks a lot in Payback.

Ryo Watanabe

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nfs_prostreet_ryo.jpg

^{Click here to see Ryo from the PSP version of Shift.}

Car: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, OTHERS^Koenigsegg CCX (Shift*, PSP version)

Affiliation: Apex Glide, Showdown, OTHERS^Super Promotion (Shift*, PSP version)

Portrayed by: Darren Dahl (likeness), Joseph May (voice, credited as Joe May)

"Okay the guy [Ryan Cooper] won, he did not look pretty behind the wheel."

The Showdown King and the final opponent to face in ProStreet. He's a cocky and ambitious racer who seeks to reach and maintain his top status and frequently mocks Ryan Cooper. He is the leader of Apex Glide crew, and he drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

Completing all of the three Showdown events (Battle Machine, React Team Sessions and Super Promotion) will permit Ryan to face Ryo in a final showdown, with five rounds (Speed and Drag) at the Nevada Highway, and another five rounds (Drift and Grip) at the Tokyo Dockyard, for the title as the new Showdown King. ^note

Animal Motif: He has a Japanese dragon motif on his car, fitting for his Japanese heritage.
Big Bad: While he's just a really arrogant racer rather than a criminal, he is the main antagonist of Prostreet, and the Final Boss.
Boss Subtitles: Ryo was introduced with this along with his "Showdown King" status.
But Not Too Foreign: He is Japanese-American, which is the reason why he speaks in an American accent.
Drives Like Crazy: Ryo loves to show off his ride. During his introduction cutscene, Ryo was performing donuts with his car... while sticking out half of his body out of the window.
Face of a Thug: He dresses up like a typical delinquent with a hooded jacket, but the only "evil" thing he does is constantly mock Ryan, and he's a perfectly sane person who engages in legal racing otherwise.
Final Boss: The last Street King you face against for the title as the new Showdown King.
How the Mighty Have Fallen: JMac says this word for word when you beat Ryo in all 10 races:
JMac: Oh, how the mighty have fallen- Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Come on, you gotta make some noise, people! Ryan Cooper has come all the way from winning late night street races, to become our new Showdown King!
Humiliation Conga: After Ryo loses his title and his car to Ryan Cooper, the icing on the cake was Ryo's fellow Apex Glide drivers abandoning him by simply driving away, humiliating Ryo even further. It is implied they saw him as a disappointment and shame, or that he brought Apex Glide's name down by losing to someone he constantly mocked as a nobody who just got lucky.
I Shall Taunt You: Ryo loves mocking Ryan, and does it throughout the game.
Japanese Delinquents: Downplayed. While he engages in legal racing, Ryo also does illegal races on the side, and is constantly mocking Ryan. He's also a Japanese-American, or at least of Japanese descent.
Jerk Jock: He is a cocky racer who looks down on other opponents he faces.
A Lady on Each Arm: In the PSP version of Shift, he sees fellow Race King Wade Johnson being flanked by two women in his intro and raises him being flanked by four women, two on each side◊ (which for some reason appears to include fellow female Race Kings Karol Monroe and Aya Vasquez).
Leitmotif: In the PSP version of Shift, his theme is "Electro 411" by Shinichi Osawa.
Marathon Boss: The Showdown King's battles includes all four disciplines combined. Unlike the previous four Street Kings where you battle in 3 events, the battle takes you in 10 different events.
Master of All: He's called the Showdown King because he masters all four racing disciplines.
My Rules Are Not Your Rules: In drift events, he uses an all-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, which is otherwise only usable in other race types. Maybe he takes some techniques from World Rally Championship ^note or he applied a RWD conversion to his Evo. ^note Same applies when he uses said car for wheelie competitions; although FWD and 4WD cars can enter Wheelie Competitions, they can't pull wheelies and thus score zero compared to RWD cars. His Drift, Drag and Speed tuned Evo 10s are unobtainable; the one players obtain upon defeating him is tuned for Grip
Mythology Gag:
- Although Ryo doesn't appear as a random opponent in the console/PC versions of Shift, his Apex Glide crew sticker can be used by the player for vehicle customizations.
- Ryo's car was also available for purchase in World with nearly all the decals that were in ProStreet.
Pimped-Out Car: Not only his decals on his car, but also sprays red smoke from the tires during the cinematic cutscene (which later becomes vanity items for Payback and beyond.)
Race Lift: In the Alternate Universe PSP version of Need for Speed: Shift, he is depicted more of an actual Japanese and looking much less arrogant, but rather depicting as The Stoic.
Reformed Criminal: Like Ryan, Ryo used to be street racer before settling into sanctioned events.
Ryo: Yeah, y'know. I ran a lot of street races too. So I went some like this. It was my ticket to the big time. Still, nice to get back to see small races.
Renaissance Man: Like Ryan, Ryo is a capable contender for all four disciplines: Grip, Drift, Drag, and Speed.
The Rival: To Ryan Cooper.
Sore Loser: Ryo does not take well to himself, or his team, losing.
Villainy-Free Villain: He's not a criminal, just a really arrogant racer.

Other characters

The PA Announcers

Portrayed by: Jarod de Anda (BigJ), J. Bird (JMac), John Hindhaugh (Roger Evans)

"Give it up for RY-AN COOOOOOPEEEEEER!!!"

The announcers of the events of the game.

There are 3 announcers in the game depending on the race organization: BigJ (Battle Machine and Noise Bomb), JMac (Super Promotion, Nitrocide and Rogue Speed) and Roger Evans (G-Effect and React Team Sessions).

Aerith and Bob: BigJ and JMac are the 2 announcers with an Awesome Mc Cool Name, whereas Roger Evans is the only one to rather use his real name.
Announcer Chatter: These three announcers go on and on about Ryan Cooper (the player character) with undiminished enthusiasm from the first to the last race. It went to the point a few people were venting their anger on forums after having to listen to the race commentator chatter on and on. In fact, these voices lines are worth 6 hours worth of race day hype.
Exposition Fairy: They fill the player in on elements of the game's interface and their abilities before the first race in each discipline of the game.
Fan of the Underdog: A majority of their lines are mainly for hyping up and cheering mostly for Ryan Cooper. They're even rather Easily Impressed on what car Ryan is bringing during the race day.
I Am Very British: Roger Evans, on a bunch of occasions would sound like Richard Hammond as he speaks in an English accent.
Large-Ham Announcer: These announcers speak out at the top of their lungs, mostly in relation to Ryan Cooper, hyping him up like there's no tomorrow.
Nice Guy: They are all cheerful and in high spirits without a fail throughout the game. Even when one of them has to chastise Ray Krieger for nearly hitting Sayoko during the entrance for his challenge, his tone of voice makes it sound as if he's passing it off as just a lark.

Flag Girls

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2022_01_21_at_113159_am.png

Krystal Forscutt (left) and Sayoko Ohashi (right)

Portrayed by: Krystal Forscutt & Sayoko Ohashi

The two promotional models that appear during races and in-game cutscenes.

They're often seen launching the race at the starting line.

Adapted Out: Downplayed. The 6th-gen consoles (PS2 and Wii) has the duo omitted during gameplay, other than during FMV cutscenes, possible due to technical limitations.
Hood Ornament Hottie: During Nate Denver's intro, Krystal Forscutt is seen sitting on top of the bonnet of his's GTO. While moving.
Living Prop: Their only role in the plot of the game is to start the races (and occasionally wave at some racers). That is all.
Male Gaze: Blink it and you'll miss it. There is a cutscene where Ryan becomes either the Drift King or Grip King. While Sayoko hands Ryan the crown title, you can easily see a clear view of her rear.
Ms. Fanservice: The duo are no slouch when it comes to the source of eye-candy. Both are seen wearing skimpy clothes that give a lot of Leg Focus. Krystal Forscutt and Sayoko Ohashi are Real Life models from Australia and Japan respectively.
No Name Given: They're credited as Flag Girl 1 and Flag Girl 2 respectively.
Pit Girls: Both are fanservice race queens, who are also seen starting the race.
The Voiceless: Neither were voiced, which is justifiable since they're minor characters.

Race Official

Portrayed by: Rod Chong

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nfsprostreet_official.jpg

The Race Day's official that appear during races (mostly during Grip or Speed races).

He's often seen launching the race at the starting line, usually by holding and waving his flag.

Living Prop: His only role in-game is starting the races, usually by waving his flag.
No Name Given: He's only credited as the Race Official.
The Voiceless: He is not given a voice, which is justifiable since he's a minor character.

Characters / Need for Speed: ProStreet

Player character

Car: Nissan 240SX (S13) (during his debut), player's choice, OTHERS^*