Before Nucleus Co-Op, players used "Sandboxie" or virtualization to run two copies of the game and connect them via the built-in .
If you want the authentic, original split-screen experience as it appeared on consoles, the most reliable method is to use a PlayStation 2 emulator like need for speed underground 2 pc split screen
on Windows 10 or 11 usually requires a few tweaks for stability: Before Nucleus Co-Op
If you have a powerful PC, you can run two instances of the game using virtual machines. need for speed underground 2 pc split screen