THE NEED FOR SPEED & SPECIAL EDITION

 

Drive all your dream cars... at over 150 MPH!

The 3DO smash hit hits your PC with the scenario you've only dreamed of... YOU drive the world's most exotic cars of all time, at breakneck speeds, on some of the fastest roads and tracks imaginable! The Need for Speed is the first game to deliver the adrenaline rush of pushing real high-performance cars to the limit, through real hazards on photo-realistic roads.

Beautiful high-resolution graphics, super fast 3D graphics engine, supremely accurate physics models and 16-bit digitised audio will leave you panting for more as you develop... The Need for Speed.

• Drive eight of the world's fastest cars - Ferrari 512TR, Lamborghini Diablo VT, Mazda RX7 Turbo, Acura NSX, Toyota Supra Turbo, Porsche 911 Carrera,  Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, DodgeViper RT/10
• State of the art physics models with spectacular collisions and wipeouts.
• Four driving views plus cinematic replay with eight replay cameras
• Two player modem and serial-link support in head to head and single race modes
• Superb full motion video footage of all cars on the skidpad and the open road
• 3D enhanced sound
• Four game modes - Head to head, time trials or race against eight opponents in single races and tournament modes
• Secen unique tracks with over 100Km of photo-realistic road including four closed circuit race tracks

~ from the back of the box

For those not in the know, Electronic Arts long-running racing game, The Need for Speed, originally included the phrase 'Road & Track presents...' in its title. I've always glanced at my copy and wondered what this Road & Track was and why were they presenting this game. Well, as a result of my research for this review, I finally know. It's a popular American car magazine that wouldn't ever have crossed my path. The more you know...

In actuality, that partnership was important for the fledgeling arcade racer to get permission for a slew of high-performance penis-envy cars. Generally speaking, whether actual cars appear in a racing game doesn't bother me if the game is good, but I can imagine it's a major selling point for those interested in such things. All I care about is if the game is actually good. Luckily for me, The Need for Speed is very good.

Your first impression won't be so positive. The main menu is incredibly poorly designed, leaving you to figure out what each square image means. It's not a major issue as the manual does detail everything you need to know, but if you don't want to reach for that stapled piece of paper, expect a little trial and error before you begin racing for the first time.

In the options menu, you can choose your game mode. Head to head pits you against one other pro-driver, single race and tournament sees you compete with eight other cars in one or multiple tracks and time trial has you driving for the best score. Head to head was the sole mode in the original 3DO version so it's nice to have more options here. What does remain is traffic. Computer-controlled commuters act as obstacles on the urban city streets while cop cars will even try to arrest you for dangerous driving. You will be warned if you're approaching a patrolling car with an ever-quickening beeping sound. Pass the police, and sirens will wail until you either outrun it, or it outruns you. In the latter case, you will be hauled over and cited for speeding causing serious harm to your chances of winning. It's a nice concept but a little unnecessary to be honest. It does keep things interesting in what would otherwise be a fairly standard if technically impressive racing game.

Since this first game, 25 original sequels have been released in the series (I'm not including V-Rally which isn't really part of the family - EA have been lying to you!). The quality of each has varied wildly over the years, as has the style of play, but time has not diminished the first time we discovered our Need for Speed.

** UPDATE! **

The Need for Speed has a Special Edition! Released a year after the original, this version adds a new car and 2 new tracks. You also get some time of day options and the ability to play the 8 tracks backwards. Not only this, but you can now to listen to music during a race too!

You can select a race course options by viewing its details page though the only times of day are only Midday and Evening. Midday is the same as what came before, though Evening adds the purple hue of the twilight sun. It looks good for it time, but brings nothing new.

The biggest draw are the new tracks. Burnt Sienna is a journey through the Wild West, complete with an underground gold mine and some scenic views. Transtroplis is a joyride around an insustrial city with airports, power plants and car parks to add variety. Both are worthy editions.

*** Alas, the Special Edition download has been removed due to forces outside my control. It will not be re-uploaded.

To download The Need for Speed, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Manual and Technical Reference Card included. Tested on and Windows 10.

File Size: 555 Mb.  Install Size: 682 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download

To download the Special Edition, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses the DOSBox-X build of DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Reference Card included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 447 Mb.  Install Size: 718 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download Removed... sorry

THE NEED FOR SPEED

SPECIAL EDITION

Road & Track presents... The Need for Speed  &  The Need for Speed: Special Edition is © Electronic Arts
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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