What makes games like NFSMW 2005 so great apart from nostalgia factor?

[o000o]

Which is the only reason NFSMW 2012 got so much hate (apart from reviews). Probably won't if it has different name than Most Wanted.
NOTE: I also played NFSMW 2005 and completed it.

 

[NLxAROSA]

I enjoyed NFSMW 2012 with a lot of GTP folks on PS3. MW2005 was a rubberband fest IMO. So for me it's completely reversed.

 

[T0MMY3688]

The focus on cops is one of the reason I keep going back, the cops are satisfying to be chased and wrecking them is a joy. Also, the gameplay loop on doing races then cop chases to climb the blacklist is good fun.

 

[Anonanon]

1. Extremely strong visual direction, everything from the graffiti to the blackletter font and intentional piss filter (think tFnF daytime vibes)
2. Typical EA Trax for teens but it all had a distinct style to reinforce the above, a lot of rock and rap combo, drum & bass, angsty sounding stuff which were all catchy enough (you might start to appreciate this after hearing Heat's trash soundtrack)
3. Exotics made a comeback, with customization
4. Cops made a comeback, and not just 3-4 on screen like Hot Pursuit 2, but as many as 20 or so
5. NFSU2 wasn't that great since it didn't really use free roam to its advantage other than Outrun races which you would cheese to death anyway, however MW2005 turned it into a full playground for said 20+ cops with pursuit breakers and big rigs for some strategy, love the golf course
6. The addiction from the gameplay hook of fighting for survival in a heat 5 pursuit is similar to playing Burnout 3 Takedown's Road Rage races
7. Essentially took Midnight Club 2's "hookman" bosses and amped it up to 11, the presentation really wants to make every boss iconic with their own stylized portraits, FMV cutscene, pre-race cinematic cutscene, and specially tuned car that you can win with pink slips
8. Pink slips!
9. Story is cheesy but the right amount of cheese unlike NFS 2015 which is just a bunch of pointless social media generation "bro" banter, lines are memorable enough to quote, all major characters are likeable, and again cool visual gimmick that somehow worked
10. Hero car possibly more iconic than Eddy's Skyline

 

[Sage Ages]

It fills an extremely specific niche that other games never quite got down right: Pursuits.