Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed

Review

by Shawn Sackenheim

Debuting on the PlayStation in 1996, The Need for Speed had already appeared on 3DO, rife with problems and limited tracks and cars. Pioneer Productions and Electronic Arts had the foresight to add all new features, fix the speed and gameplay, and add more tracks to make this PlayStation version the best around!

The big selling point that this series has always had over other racers is the traffic and cops. Since these races are set on real roads and not closed circuits, pedestrian traffic constantly floods the courses. Cops also sit roadside, waiting for speeders to track down. Of course, there's also the tournament and single race modes that allow you to race a whole pack of computer opponents without that bothersome traffic. You can even race with a friend against the pack via split screen or link cable.

The control is a bit sluggish but it really feels right. It takes control and power to move these vehicles around the tracks and a thorough understanding of how the brake and hand brake work to win the tournament. On the other end of the spectrum, however, is grabbing a friend and heading out into the races deliberately aiming for traffic, causing spectacular wrecks! The physics engine in this game is probably the best of the whole series, causing realistic spin outs, collisions, and flips. Perfect for killing a few hours just plowing into oncoming traffic.

The game has aged though since 1996 and the graphics are a bit bland. The cars and shadows are fairly boxy, though the game is still highly entertaining and nice to watch. The frame rate never drops and each course has a morning, afternoon, and evening mode that changes the lighting. Still, those wrecks look mighty impressive despite the boxy cars!

There are seven courses in all (one being hidden and an extra option to play various versions of the original six). Three of the courses are based on public roads, where the traffic is, that you race from start to finish in three segments. The remaining four courses are closed circuits and require you to race up to 12 laps per race.

As a whole package, Need for Speed is a great racing title! While it doesn't have all the whistles and bells of more modern racers, it still offers long courses, some great jumps, and hour upon hour of wrecks and collisions!