History VideoGame / Burnout

** Amazingly [[NintendoHard for what it is]], the original Burnout had one: crashing would often respawn you further up the track from when you crashed.

** Starting from 3: Takedown, players who aren't very proficient in combat but are very good drivers will have the option to intimidate AI opponents by staying close to them by tailgating them, causing the AI opponent to panic and end up crashing or causing an accident involving multiple opponents. This is known as a Psyche Out Takedown. (Interesingly, a couple of other racing games that are from other companies and franchises entirely that don't have combat mechanics have a similiar feature, for example, most Creator/{{Codemasters}} racing games, including ''[[VideoGame/{{GRID}} Race Driver GRID]]'', feature this as the AI opponents will panic and end up causing an accident involving multiple opponents or simply taking themselves out of the race if the player tailgates them long enough)

* BackgroundMusicOverride: In ''Burnout 1'', if the player crashes more than four times in a given race, the normal BGM is replaced by a far more dramatic-sounding "tragic" counterpart tune, sounding more akin to an action film soundtrack.

* ContinuityNod: All the place names in ''Burnout Paradise'' are taken from earlier games in the series, right up to the original!

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The AI rivaling cars love to smash into big rigs and the like while ''completely scratch free'', while you still have to maneuver your way carefully. See LuckBasedMission below.

--> ''You are 15 seconds behind!''

* CoolCar: It goes without saying that a game like this would have tons of Cool Cars -- unlicensed cars, mind you, but still cool nevertheless.

* DeathFromAbove: One of the most difficult, but arguably most epic ways to take down your opponents is by jumping off a ramp and landing on top of your opponent, dubbed the Vertical Takedown.

* DenserAndWackier: ''Revenge'' manages to combine this with DarkerAndEdgier from above. In addition to the fire-bathed, oil-soaked aesthetic and soundtrack, the game introduces the rather ludicrous idea of Traffic Checking that shunts same-way traffic forward like pinballs, as well as being able to blow up your car in mid-race and ''multiple times'' in Crash junctions.
** To a certain extend, ''CRASH!'', with it's more surreal and cartoony inclusions to the gameplay.

** Starting from 3: Takedown, players who aren't very proficient in combat but are very good drivers will have the option to intimidate AI opponents by staying close to them by tailgating them, causing the AI opponent to panic and end up crashing or causing an accident involving multiple opponents. This is known as a Psyche Out Takedown. (Interesingly, a couple of other racing games that are from other companies and franchises entirely that don't have combat mechanics have a similiar feature, for example, most Codemasters racing games, including Race Driver GRID, feature this as the AI opponents will panic and end up causing an accident involving multiple opponents or simply taking themselves out of the race if the player tailgates them long enough)
** In Burnout Revenge, activating Aftertouch would point the camera backwards down the track, allowing the player to see if there are any oncoming racers. This is because in the game before it, ''3'', the camera would just be the normal crash cinematic camera, which often made it next to impossible to tell if any racers were coming to aim for, let along judge the depth needed reach them.

** '''''Burnout Paradise Remastered'' (2018):''' A complete remaster of the game for Xbox One, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and Windows with 4K/60FPS support on Xbox One X and [=PS4=] Pro (native 1080p on older Xbox One and [=PS4=] models) and all DLC included (except the Time Savers Pack). While a few textures were replaced and a song or two removed for licensing reasons, this is considered to be the definitive edition of ''Burnout Paradise'', especially for PC players who can ''finally'' enjoy the Cops and Robbers mode and (officially and in full) [[BeachEpisode Big Surf Island]].[[note]]A mod for the original Windows version of ''Paradise'' added the cop cars of the Cops and Robbers mode and the map and cars of Big Surf Island, but with several limitations.[[/note]] In particular, improvements to online gaming in the intervening decade means that online co-op challenges are much more feasible to complete. A UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch port is planned for June 2020 release, making ''Paradise Remastered'' the first Nintendo-platform ''Burnout'' game in 15 years since ''Legends''.

** '''''Burnout Paradise Remastered'' (2018):''' A complete remaster of the game for Xbox One, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and Windows with 4K/60FPS support on Xbox One X and [=PS4=] Pro (native 1080p on older Xbox One and [=PS4=] models) and all DLC included (except the Time Savers Pack). While a few textures were replaced and a song or two removed for licensing reasons, this is considered to be the definitive edition of ''Burnout Paradise'', especially for PC players who can ''finally'' enjoy the Cops and Robbers mode and (officially and in full) [[BeachEpisode Big Surf Island]].[[note]]A mod for the original Windows version of ''Paradise'' added the cop cars of the Cops and Robbers mode and the map and cars of Big Surf Island, but with several limitations.[[/note]] In particular, improvements to online gaming in the intervening decade means that online co-op challenges are much more feasible to complete.

*** Difficulty is determined by the starting position of the AI drivers, meaning thst the AI driver that starts in last place will be the Easy/worst driver of the race, while the AI driver that starts in first place will be the Hard/best driver of the race, meaning that, while it's a good idea to be driving a good car in the first place, you could end up with the AI driver that started the race in first place driving a crappy car, meaning that even the AI will struggle to stay in 1st Place, if not end up crashing alarmingly often, sometimes end up crashing in front of the Player, while the driver that started in last place to end up driving the best car in that class or range but end up dead last anyway due to being prone to crashing all the time. This feature can be found in the first game and onwards.

** "Burning Laps"; which focus on [[RaceAgainstTheClock finishing a lap as quickly as possible]], often have reduced traffic and accelerated boost gain.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Most of the games developed by Three Fields Entertainment, which were founded by Criterion Games co-founders Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry. Their ''Danger Zone'' games are a spiritual successor to the classic Crash Mode feature of ''Burnout'', ''Dangerous Driving'' is a spiritual successor to ''Burnout'' high-speed destructive racing aspects, and their recently-announced ''Dangerous Driving 2'' will be [[WideOpenSandbox open world]] like with ''Burnout Paradise''.

* TechnicolorFire: With the Boost meters. In ''Dominator'', the normal boost meter is the usual orange, however once it's filled it turns blue, meaning you can try for a Burnout. In ''Paradise'' the meters are coloured for their type: Speed is yellow, Stunt is green, Aggro is red, Locked is cyan and Boostless is grey (Showtime only).

** ''Point of Impact'' had a two-stage music mix-- a quieter, less-complex mix while off the booster and a louder, more rockin'/thumpin' mix while using the booster. Another, slightly-different mix of the level's theme played in replays-- these were the mixes carried over to [[VideoGame/BurnoutParadise Paradise]]'s soundtrack.

-->-- {{Tagline}} from ''Revenge'' and'' Dominator ''in some regions

** The cover to the original Burnout shows a Corvette-looking car that isn't available in the game.

* ArtificalBrilliance: At least in ''Takedown'', opponents will almost never crash unless provoked by other racers.

** ''Revenge'': for the Revenge mechanic, which while present in ''3'' is greatly emphasized here. In particular, the game will keep track of your Revenge Rivals online.

-->-- ''{{Tagline}} from ''Revenge'' and'' Dominator ''in some regions''.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Burnout 1 oh-so-much. There's no Takedowns (that came in 3), races operate on a timed Checkpoint system (went away in 2), you have to fill the boost meter completely before you can use it, there's no licensed music (again, 3), there's a slim selection of vehicles, and there's no Crash Mode whatsover. On a positive note, this is the only game featuring Burnouts where you ''aren't'' punished for disengaging the Boost by having to fill it up again.

** '''''Burnout Revenge'' [360] (2006)''': The UpdatedRerelease of Burnout Revenge released a few months after the original with several extra features, and is the first Burnout game on UsefulNotes/Xbox360. The menus were given various visual tweaks and the maps for each track removed, while the visuals were given a visual upgrade to 720p HD with better textures, blooming effects and crash particles. Probably the most trademark of these upgrades was the paint being able to scrape off the body of the car. The game also featured online tracking of Revenge Rivals (racers who took you down), as well as a Clips system that saw the one-time return of the replay feature that could now be shared online. It also included ten bonus Crash junctions and removed the [[ScrappyMechanic Boost Launch]] system from the original. This is also the first Burnout game to feature DLC in the form of sponsor cars. This version of Revenge was ported to UsefulNotes/XboxOne in May 2018.

** '''''Burnout Paradise Remastered'' (2018):''' A complete remaster of the game for UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and Windows with 4K/60FPS support on Xbox One X and [=PS4=] Pro (native 1080p on older Xbox One and [=PS4=] models) and all DLC included (except the Time Savers Pack). While a few textures were replaced and a song or two removed for licensing reasons, this is considered to be the definitive edition of Burnout Paradise, especially for PC players who can ''finally'' enjoy the Cops and Robbers mode and [[BeachEpisode Big Surf Island]]. In particular, improvements to online gaming in the intervening decade means that online co-op challenges are much more feasible to complete.

** If you are approaching an obstacle during a takedown cutscene, the AI that briefly takes control of your car will prioritise moving out of the way. The game also gives you temporarily invulnerability during and shortly after the cutscene, so even if you do hit something you can shrug it off.

** The AI is also happy to subtly help you get a takedown against them. If you smash into them then they may drive into a wall themselves, most noticeable if you are approaching an obstacle in the middle of the track such as a column.

* BoringButPractical: Thanks to slippery handling, high traffic density and easy crashes of the original game, many of the faster, more sporty cars are impractical to use. Ironically the slower speed and grippier handling of the starting Supermini.

* BackgroundMusicOverride: In Burnout 1, if the player crashes more than four times in a given race, the normal BGM is replaced by a far more dramatic-sounding "tragic" counterpart tune, sounding more akin to an action film soundtrack.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Burnout 1 oh-so-much. There's no Takedowns (that came in 3), races operate on a timed Checkpoint system (went away in 2), you have to fill the boost meter completely before you can use it, there's no licensed music (again, 3), there's a slim selection of vehicles, and there's no Crash Mode whatsover.
** Burnout 2 isn't even able to escape this: the high production values and licensed soundtracks didn't show up until 3 when Criterion were snapped up by EA and thus had the budget to increase the graphical fidelity. Crash mode is also much trickier as you cannot use Crashbreakers and Aftertouch to move your car to a different part of the intersection after the initial crash. And while they are more lenient, it also still has the timed Checkpoint system from the original.

* ExplosionPropulsion: In the Crash modes off ''Takedown'' and ''Revenge'', as well as the races off the latter and ''Dominator''. Not only are Crashbreakers useful for causing massive destruction, they frequently launch the car into the air, allowing you to use Aftertouch to move your car to a new area. Many Gold medals in ''Revenge'' Crash juctions can only be achieved by moving to a new part of the junctions, for example blowing your car off an overpass onto the freeway below.

** In Paradise, this is the fine line between a Driveaway and an outright crash. You can mess up the body all you want, but if the chassis warps or a wheel pops off, it's counted as

* ShootTheFuelTank: Of sorts. If an oil tanker shows up in a Crash event, your best bet is to head directly towards it as fast as possible to blow it up and cause as much carnage as you can (or get next to it in ''Revenge'' for your Crashbreaker). Not only is this shown rather plainly in the ''Takedown'' Crash junction "Marina Mayhem" (an oil tanker is the first vehicle you can collide with), it's shown at the end of the game's intro!.

* '''''Burnout Revenge'' (2005):''' Arguably the most combat-oriented game in the series, ''Revenge'' introduced traffic checking, which allowed you to ram through traffic and send it flying at rival racers and other vehicles. Instead of a World Tour, the game had you progress through ranks by earning Rating Stars for your racing (Single Event mode was also removed). The game also kept track of Revenge Rivals who took you down either during a single offline event or for all-time in an online event, hence the name. Also introduced was Traffic Attack mode, where you must use traffic checking to cause as much damage as possible, and Crashbreaker event variants let you use it in non-Crash events. Tracks are also much wider and have many more ramps than before to take advantage of the new Vertical Takedown. Crash Mode meanwhile removes the tokens from 3, but this time your car has a Crashbreaker meter that fills with each car that crashes (and it can fill multiple times), as well as a Target Car to nail worth a serious amount of cash. This is the last game in the series for the original UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, but it was also the first for the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 -- the Xbox 360 version was released in early 2006, with many graphical improvements and the removal of the [[ScrappyMechanic Launch Meter]] from the Crash Mode.

* Character Tiers: With the exception of ''Point of Impact'', vehicles are sorted into various classes that determine how fast they are (with the exception of Crash/Heavyweights, which are intended for the Crash mode). Paradise lacks abject categories for cars, but most can be sorted this way based on which license they're unlocked in.
** ''Burnout'': Easy, Medium, Hard, Special
** ''Takedown''/''Legends'': Compact, Muscle, Coupe, Sports, Super, Special, Heavyweights
** ''Revenge'': ST, DX, GT, Special (Race) + Lite, Mid, HVY, Super (Crash)
** ''Dominator'': Classic, Factory, Tuned, Hotrod, Super, Race Specials, Dominator
** ''Paradise'': Learner's, Class D, Class C, Class B, Class A, Burnout, Burnout Elite

* ContinuityNod: All the place names in ''Burnout Paradise'' are taken from earlier games in the series.

** Burnout 2 isn't even able to escape this: the high production values and licensed soundtracks didn't show up until 3 when Criterion were snapped up by EA and thus had the budget to increase the graphical fidelity. Crash mode is also much trickier as you cannot use Crashbreakers and Aftertouch to move your car to a different part of the intersection after the initial crash.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Averted regarding the original game. When ''Legends'' made an effort to mix the original two games into the third for handhelds, the only part of the first game that made it through was a single track, Twilight Harbour. It is also considered the least favourable game (second only to [[TheScrappy CRASH!]]), with most fans arguing over ''Takedown'', ''Revenge'' or ''Paradise''.
* FollowTheLeader:
** The ''VideoGame/FlatOut'' series, which feels a bit like ShoddyKnockoffProduct due to its name, but it plays more like the Playstation classic Destruction Derby, with no cut-off cutscene if a destruction happened. Their distinguishing feature was "windshield cannons" -- that is, if you get in a big crash, you go ''flying through the windshield''. (Wear seatbelts, kids.) There were even {{mini game}}s where you took advantage of this, throwing your hapless driver at giant bowling pins or trying to hit a target.
** The ''VideoGame/MotorStorm'' games are basically ''Burnout'' [[AC:[[RecycledInSpace off-road!]] And with NintendoHard difficulty!]]
** ''VideoGame/SplitSecond'' is ''Burnout'' meets a Creator/MichaelBay movie.
** ''Burnout'' itself is ''Destruction Derby'' with intersections and traffic instead of demolition derbies.
** ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed: Hot Pursuit'' is basically ''Burnout'' with licensed cars and a major emphasis on police chases. Justified, as it was developed by Criterion. Taken a step further with the 2012 ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'', which is ''Burnout Paradise'' with licensed cars (including a singular DLC-expanded part of the map!).
** ''VideoGame/{{Driver}}: [[VideoGame/DriverSanFrancisco San Francisco]]'' incorporates a near-copy of Burnout's boosting system, event types, and event selection, worked into more standard ''Driver''-style gameplay and missions. (It was also the first well-received ''Driver'' game in years, as they seem to have moved on from unsuccessfully trying to emulate the ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto GTA]]'' series.)
** While Criterion Games abandons the racing genre to aid other EA studios for the Star Wars games, the game's creators are still not done with Burnout. Now they were migrated, along with some of the Criterion staff (technically following the leaders) to their own studio named ''Three Fields Entertainment'' and made 2 games that has a Burnout influence:
*** ''Dangerous Golf'' is Burnout's Crash mode but creating a giant mess using a golfball.
*** ''Danger Zone'' is a SpiritualSuccessor to Burnout 3's Crash mode.

* GlassCannon: If you're driving an open-wheel car like an F1 or Indy car, expect it to perform like this. They'll crash incredibly easily (even on curbs!) and won't last long if chosen for Road Rage or Marked Man events.
* HaveANiceDeath: Well, Crash: Whenever you crash, you're treated to a clip of your car spiraling gracefully through the air, shedding metal shards everywhere, frequently in slow motion.
* LuckBasedMission: The heavy traffic can appear almost anywhere, and there's sometimes not enough time to react before your car and the traffic vehicle collide.
** This is made even worse when you realize TheComputerIsACheatingBastard.

* NintendoHard: The original Burnout. Unlike later games, crashing is a SEVERE penalty as not only do you lose a lot of ground, but you have to make it through Checkpoints before the clock runs out (something which your opponents aren't obliged to do). On top of that, Championships have a credit limit that locks you to three retrys for the ''entire event''. Boosting is also not as useful because you have a high likelihood of crashing, which often loses you so much time it's better to just ''not Boost at all''. Winning is often a matter of driving carefully rather than dangerously!

** Starting in the third game, the boost is also refilled through Takedowns.

** Well, maybe not reversing into an unmoving bus at 20 mph...
** If you look hard enough, you'll notice that there actually isn't anyone driving at all.
** No hard looking required, almost every post-crash camera angle is placed in such a way to make it obvious no one is in the car to keep the game at an E10+ rating.
*** Even if you're riding a bike in ''Paradise'', which is the only time you get to see a human helmet, the rider disappears the moment it goes into 'crash mode'- no ragdolls here.
** Not true in the original, ''Takedown'' and ''Legends''. All the cars have drivers equipped with safety gear in them. Even the traffic cars have helmeted drivers wearing fire suits!

* OddballInTheSeries: ''Burnout CRASH!''

* OlderThanTheyThink:
** Those who stick to the more famous EA-backed titles might be surprised to learn just how far back the lineage goes. Crash mode originates in the second game, the Stephen Root tracks in ''Paradise'' actually come from the first three games, and some cars date back all the way to the original ''Burnout''. Tracks across Europe and the USA, Face Offs and Championships also date back as far as the first title.
** ''Paradise''[='s=] Stunt Run mode works very similarly to ''Dominator''[='s=] Maniac Mode a year earlier. Both involve gaining points by drifting, oncoming, near-misses and airtime, and include ways to multiply your current combo (Burnouts in ''Dominator'', Barrel Rolls and Billboards in ''Paradise'').

* RammingAlwaysWorks: The most common form of Takedowns.

* RealSongThemeTune: Somehow, the last two ''Burnout'' games are titled from the game's theme song. ''Paradise'' has the fitting [[Music/GunsNRoses "Paradise]] [[Music/AppetiteForDestruction City"]], while ''CRASH!'' has ''The Primitives''' "Crash", which also names this game's location.

* StuffBlowingUp: Starting with ''3'', which introduced the Crashbreaker for Crash Mode, as well as oil tankers and just cars exploding if you drove into a bus hard enough. In ''Revenge'' you got the ability to blow up your car ''multiple times'', and it would gradually introduce Crashbreaker events where, after crashing, you could use your remaining boost to fuel an explosion to take out other racers (''Dominator would make this standard for ''all'' racers).

* TakingYouWithMe: Aftertouch Takedowns.

** Burnout had a loud heartbeat sound which slowly faded the BGM out the faster the player drove while boosting.
** Burnout 2 had a two-stage music mix-- a quieter, less-complex mix while off the booster and a louder, more rockin'/thumpin' mix while using the booster. Another, slightly-different mix of the level's theme played in replays-- these were the mixes carried over to [[VideoGame/BurnoutParadise Paradise]]'s soundtrack.

* WackyRacing: We can't emphazise the ''Wacky'' part enough.

* AntiFrustrationFeature: In Burnout Revenge, activating Aftertouch would point the camera backwards down the track, allowing the player to see if there are any oncoming racers. This is because in the game before it, ''3'', the camera would just be the normal crash cinematic camera, which often made it next to impossible to tell if any racers were coming to aim for, let along judge the depth needed reach them.

* Character Tiers: Starting with ''Burnout 3'', vehicles are sorted into various classes that determine how fast they are (with the exception of Crash/Heavyweights, which are intended for the Crash mode). Paradise lacks abject categories for cars, but most can be sorted this way based on which license they're unlocked in.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Burnout 1 oh-so-much. There's no Takedowns (that came in 3), races operate on the Checkpoint system (went away in 2), you have to fill the boost meter by about a third before you can use it, there's no licensed music (again, 3), there's a slim selection of vehicles, and there's no Crash Mode whatsover.

* NitroBoost: You earn this for dangerous driving (drifting, passing close by traffic, driving on the wrong side of the road, etc). Starting in the third game, the boost is also refilled through Takedowns.

** Not true in ''Takedown'' and ''Legends''. All the cars have drivers equipped with safety gear in them. Even the traffic cars have helmeted drivers wearing fire suits!

* OlderThanTheyThink: ''Paradise''[='s=] Stunt Run mode works very similarly to ''Dominator''[='s=] Maniac Mode a year earlier. Both involve gaining points by drifting, oncoming, near-misses and airtime, and include ways to multiply your current combo (Burnouts in ''Dominator'', Barrel Rolls and Billboards in ''Paradise'').
** Those who stick to the more famous EA-backed titles might be surprised to learn just how far back the lineage goes. Crash mode originates in the second game, the Stephen Root tracks in ''Paradise'' actually come from the first three games, and some cars date back all the way to the original ''Burnout''.

* OlderThanTheyThink: ''Paradise''[='s=] Stunt Run mode works very similarly to ''Dominator''[='s=] Maniac Mode two years earlier. Both involve gaining points by drifting, oncoming, near-misses and airtime, and include ways to multiply your current combo (Burnouts in ''Dominator'', Barrel Rolls and Billboards in ''Paradise'').

* SignatureMove: In ''Takedown'' and ''Revenge'', there are special areas that grant the player a "Signature Takedown". Some notable examples are ''Tram Ram'', ''Rumble in the Jungle'', and ''[[RuleOfFun Tuk-down]]''. In ''Dominator'' these are Signature Shortcuts which unlock quicker routes.

* '''''Burnout Dominator'' (2007):''' Released for UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, this game was meant to tide fans over before the release of the series' next-gen debut. It returned to the series' roots by bringing back Burnouts (which had disappeared starting with the third game), and improved them by having a dedicated meter showing you how close you were to earning another Burnout. There is less verticality this time around and tracks are not as wide as in ''Revenge'', but the Signature Takedown feature from ''Takedown'' and ''Revenge'' was reworked into Signature Shortcuts, yellow barriers in the track that would be knocked down by forcing a rival to crash into it. While the Crash Mode was gone, the Crashbreaker is now featured in every single event in the game. ''Dominator'', alongside ''Legends'', is the only game in the series that was not developed by Criterion, as they were busy working on...

* PunBasedTitle: The Crash events in ''Revenge''. ("Forest Bump", "Mighty Docks", "Van-Fire Strikes Back").

* RealIsBrown: Played so very, ''very'' straight in ''Burnout Revenge'': more than half the tracks are bathed in orange light with brown being the predominant texture colour (many cars feature orange as a paint colour, which only Revenge does). The Xbox 360 port takes this UpToEleven: being a launch-window next-gen title, the tracks are ''bathed'' in blooming effects that seem to distract more than they awe-inspire.

* '''''Burnout'' (2001):''' The original. An innovative racer at the time, ''Burnout'' placed a focus on stunts and extreme driving (much like ''VideoGame/ProjectGothamRacing'', which was released around the same time), and became known for its high speed and its spectacular crashes. The name came from the game's system of NitroBoost -- you can only use boost when your boost bar is filled, and you can chain boost bars together by performing stunts while boosting. Released on UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, UsefulNotes/XBox, and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]], and published by Acclaim Entertainment.
* '''''Burnout 2: Point of Impact'' (2002):''' The second game in the series. This game introduced Crash mode, a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin self-explanatory]] mode where the entire objective can be seen from the initial camera: a) you, b) a short stretch of road, possibly with jumps, and c) a crowded intersection, usually with a tanker truck passing along for additional fun. Simply run in and cause as much damage as possible. Released on the same systems as the original.
* '''''Burnout 3: Takedown'' (2004):''' This game saw the introduction of the Takedown, which allows you to check other racers into walls or traffic to earn boost and get them out of your way. Along with Takedowns came Road Rage mode, where you have to wreck as many opposing cars as possible before a) the time ran out, or b) you took too much damage. Crash mode was also improved, adding power ups that increased (or decrease) money gained, and added Crashbreakers, which allowed you to blow up your car to do some extra damage. This game was originally planned to be released in 2003, but it was delayed for a year when Acclaim went bankrupt, finally getting picked up by Creator/ElectronicArts in 2004. EA would eventually buy Criterion outright, making ''Burnout'' a permanent staple of EA for the future. It was a smart move on their part -- this game won widespread praise from critics, and it became a major hit, turning ''Burnout'' into a CashCowFranchise for EA and Criterion into their premier developer of racing games, including at least two installments in the ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed'' series.[[note]]As an aside, Criterion's ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' in 2012 was [[FanNickname affectionately referred to]] by some as ''[[SpiritualAdaptation Need for Speed: Burnout]]'' due to its similarities to this series.[[/note]] Released on [=PlayStation=] 2 and Xbox ([=GameCube=] owners weren't so lucky this time around due to its lack of online capabilities).
* '''''Burnout Revenge'' (2005):''' Arguably the most combat-oriented game in the series, ''Revenge'' introduced traffic checking, which allowed you to ram through traffic and send it flying at rival racers. Also introduced were Traffic Attack mode, where you must use traffic checking to cause as much damage as possible, and Crashbreakers were carried over to all non-Crash events. Last game in the series for the original UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, first game in the series for the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 -- the Xbox 360 version was released in early 2006.
* '''''Burnout Legends'' (2005):''' A game released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable and the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. It is basically a "best of" collection, featuring tracks from the first three games.
* '''''Burnout Dominator'' (2007):''' Released for UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, this game was meant to tide fans over before the release of the series' next-gen debut. It returned to the series' roots, bringing back Burnouts (which had disappeared starting with the third game) and getting rid of many modes and features from later games. It was the only game in the series that was not developed by Criterion, as they were busy working on...

** '''''Burnout Paradise Remastered'' (2018):''' A complete remaster of the game for UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and Windows with 4K/60FPS support on Xbox One X and [=PS4=] Pro (native 1080p on older Xbox One and [=PS4=] models) and all DLC included (except the Time Savers Pack).

* ArtifactTitle: The "Burnout" gameplay mechanic isn't available in ''Takedown'', ''Revenge'', and ''Legends'' due to a modified boost system. Gets "de-artifacted" with ''Dominator'' and ''Paradise''.

* BulletTime: Starting with ''Burnout 3: Takedown'', the player can activate Crash Aftertouch to steer their wreck after crashing. In Single Player, this activates the slow-motion Impact Time. The PS2 and PSP titles are also the only ones to use Bullet Time for when you Takedown an opponent.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Burnout 1 oh-so-much. There's no Takedowns (that came in 3), races operate on the Checkpoint system (went away in 2), you have to fill the boost meter by about a third before you can use it, there's no licensed music (again, 3), there's a slim selection of vehicles, and there's no Crash Mode whatsover. Burnout 2 isn't even able to escape this: the high production values and licensed soundtracks didn't show up until 3 when Criterion were snapped up by EA and thus had the budget to increase the graphical fidelity.
* EveryCarIsAPinto: In Crash mode, to facilitate gameplay. The ambulance is [[http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2011/09/30 especially delicate]].

* {{Expy}}: A great range of the cars on offer in every single game either modifies elements of an exiting real-world car or combines those of several, whilst still maintaining the general appearance. For example, the Custom Coupe Ultimate is based off of a Honda Civic, the Roadster looks like a Lotus Elise, the Carson GT looks like the 2007 Camaro, and ''Dominator's'' Super Prototype looks like a Bugatti Veyron.

* LuckBasedMission: The heavy traffic can appear almost anywhere, and there's not enough time to react before your car and the traffic vehicle collide.

** ''Burnout 2'', ''3'' and ''Revenge'' are available on PS2 and Xbox, with ''Revenge'' also appearing on 360 and ''2'' on Gamecube.

** Averted with the original ''Burnout'', which was exclusive to [=PS2=].

** Not true in ''Takedown''. All the cars have drivers equipped with safety gear in them. Even the traffic cars have helmeted drivers wearing fire suits!

* '''''Burnout'' (2001):''' The original. An innovative racer at the time, ''Burnout'' placed a focus on stunts and extreme driving (much like ''VidoeGame/ProjectGothamRacing'', which was released around the same time), and became known for its high speed and its spectacular crashes. The name came from the game's system of NitroBoost -- you can only use boost when your boost bar is filled, and you can chain boost bars together by performing stunts while boosting. Released on UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, UsefulNotes/XBox, and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]], and published by Acclaim Entertainment.

* BulletTime: After every crash.

--> ''You are 9 seconds behind!''

* DarkerAndEdgier / BloodierAndGorier: ''Burnout Revenge''. The levels are much more "industrial" and dirty, with more dark colors compared to ''Burnout 3'', and the soundtrack is much harder and raw compared to the rest of the series, in addition to the tracks being more combat oriented and the introduction of Traffic Checking.

* MultiPlatform

* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: The crashes. ''All of them.''

* RevengeOfTheSequel: The fourth game, titled ''Burnout Revenge''.
* SignatureMove: In ''Takedown'', there are special areas that grant the player a "Signature Takedown". Some notable examples are ''Tram Ram'', ''Rumble in the Jungle'', and ''[[RuleOfFun Tuk-down]]''.
** ''Dominator'' and ''Revenge'' also share this trope.
* StuffBlowingUp