Need for Speed (NFS) is a series of famous racing games developed by EA and several studios like Canadian Black Box, including 14 generations and 15 products from 1994 to 2010 (NFS World Online is the tenth generation not the thirteenth). Need for Speed has established irreplaceable position in the hearts of global sports car fans.
After the comprehensive demo of Need for Speed：Hot Pursuit in E3 2010, many gamers expect more from this game. Today, let’s review the development history of Need for Speed in the past 16 years.
1994: The Need for Speed
1997: Need for Speed Ⅱ
1998: Need for Speed Ⅲ： Hot Pursuit
1999: Need for Speed： High Stakes
2000: Need for Speed： Porsche
2002: Need for Speed： Hot Pursuit 2
2003: Need for Speed： Underground
2004: Need for Speed： Underground 2
2005: Need for Speed： Most Wanted
2006: Need for Speed： Carbon
2007: Need for Speed： Pro Street
2008: Need for Speed： Undercover
2009: Need for Speed：Shift
2010: Need for Speed： Hot Pursuit
● Earliest Product——The Need for Speed (1994)
The first generation Need for Speed was corporately launched by EA and American automotive magazine Road/Track, embodying the top class sports cars from the US, Japan and Europe with the selling points of providing realistic popular car handling experience. The Need for Speed first released in 3DO and PlayStation game console, shotly afterwards in SegaSaturn and PC (DOS).
Many racing games existed before Need for Speed, but all the cars have the same simple and single physical system. However, Need for Speed design team allowed each car own different driving feeling by unique physical system with the help of Road/Track magazine professional racing vehicle data.
The original Need for Speed has outstanding picture effects, including beautiful interface, abundant scene even picture in picture to show gear shift. But limited by hardware capability, the racing track doesn’t allow gamers to drive in the reverse direction, and longer point-to-point track can not be completed at one time unless divided into subsection racing. The Need for Speed launched Special Edition which added a racing track with LAN online function on Aug 15, 1996.
● Develop Originality——Need for Speed Ⅱ (1997)
Regarding to the adjustment of simulation, Need for Speed 2 makes a innovation, and is also divided into three kinds of modes: imitation, arcade and wild. In imitation mode, it’s not difficult to drive the car, and gamers should remember basic racing car knowledge like braking to suitable speed before entering to the bend; arcade mode with simpler operation stresses more on the delight of high speed than former; as to wild mode, gamers only needs to push down accelerator and match up with left and right button to enjoy high speed.
Without the police chasing stunt, another new play method turns out: the flying car. Gamers can draw support from some big ramp to fly, and it even flies for very long time before landing in road.
On account of VooDoo graphics support, SE2, launched in the same year, with the most wonderful image quality. Even the word came that buying VooDoo was for Need for Speed SE 2. From then on, the online Need for Speed became popular.
● Classical Product——Need for Speed Ⅲ：Hot Pursuit (1998)
In 1998，most computer has Pentium Ⅱ processor, and Microsoft D3D graphical interface has become mature gradually. Hot Pursuit was in the technological leading edge, and brought most advanced image and sound effect. What attracted us most is the environment mapping result, which may be considered as a rough environmental map in the modern eyes, but it made Hot Pursuit amazing. Besides, Hot Pursuit also added rare firing effect of racing cars; Even the gorgeous flame push many flying car fans hit each other continuously. Of course, the hardware requirement was risen: at least Pentium Ⅱ，64MB memory, DD3D/Voodoo graphic card configuration can fully provide the exciting experience of Hot Pursuit. What’s more, it also supported force feedback steering wheel, force feedback stick, Virtual Dolby Surround technology and innovative EAX environmental sound effect technology, etc.
As to racing simulation, Need for Speed Ⅲ : Hot Pursuit was still in the search and developing stage. One obvious change was the sliding. When the wheel is over operated, the racing car can not grip the ground or lost the grip. Furthermore, EngineBrake effect is very big, and gamers can handle most turning easily just by loosing the accelerator, and exquisite control skills is not necessary.●Need for Speed：High Stakes (1999)
This was a summarized product. Game developing team got over with generation thing, and 4 did not appear in this game title. Although Need for Speed: High Stakes launched only a half year after Need for Speed 3, the game quality still ranked at the top class.
Need for Speed：High Stakes inherited Hot Pursuit game mode and racing track, but introduced car damage mode as well as career mode and new track. And then the PlayStation version of NFS with better gameplay also launched.
● Porsche——Need for Speed：Porsche Unleashed (2000)
Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed tried to be different by featuring Porsche as its topic. We can see Porsche in the previous Need for Speed, but game development team tried to design a thematic game to show Porsche remarkable performancem comprehensively.
All the cars in this game are corporately made with Porsche, so vehicle handling is realistic besides brand-new physical model. Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed unique physical system precisely imitate vehicle weight transform effect. The vehicle react truly whatever gamers push down accelerator, stop or turn teh steering wheel, which offers gamers pleasant sensation of driving in the urban streets and beach town on Porsche. Compared with previous version, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed made biggest innovation on game mode and physical features.
Additionally, Porsche Unleashed picture style is quite characteristic. The force feedback is very fine and smooth; a slight road change can be reacted by force feedback. Porsche Unleashed provids strongest driving handling, whichcan not be surpassed by the following products.
● Deeply Pursuit——Need For Speed：Hot Pursuit 2 (2002)
Need for Speed 6：Hot Pursuit 2 came back with great passion in Hot Pursuit mode after two years, bringing 49 authorized vehicle and ten cop cars. In challenge mode, gamers can act as the police to set roadblock or manage helicopters to intercept over speed criminals.
In Need for Speed 5：Porsche Unleashed, gamers should control car damage. However, in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, gamers should pay more attention to it. DX8 graphical interface image effects bring a variety of visual attack, which can show design team’s effort; the powder barrels that helicopters throw adopt advanced particles flame effect; dazzled metal luster is reflected from the car body; the car rendering is also excellent. The sound effect makes more obvious progress than before.
NFS also were avaiable in various platforms, including Xbox, GameCube, PC and PS2.
● Speed and Passion —Need For Speed：Underground (2003)
Game development team gave up the game style of world famous car and beautiful scene, and changed to a underground racing. It first features a story telling a underground driver who continue racing to become famous.
Due to limitation of story theme, Need for Speed：Underground time was fixed in the midnight. Gamers can modify their vehicle inside and out, which can be realized via reward of match victory. DX9 graphic interface reached a new height in visual video game image.
●Midnight Speeding——Need For Speed：Underground 2 (2004)
Need for Speed pursuit high simulation as well as speed, which began to get close to GT racing car. More detailed options of car modification provide gmaers deeper recognition of vehicle knowledge. Corresponding reaction can be reflected in every kind of road status and driving situation. Each operation has influence on the following driving.
Due to DX9c many improved effect, Need for Speed：Underground 2 realizes more glaring image effect, and modifies the vague image in Underground. More abundant and dazzled modified accessories, even the NOS atomizing performance appears with SnoopyDog exciting background sond—It’s quit awesome. Need for Speed: Underground was the first NFS game for PSP, and then Underground 2 was also released in this platform.
●Ultimate Revolution——Need For Speed：Most Wanted (2005)
It can be told that Need for Speed: Most Wanted stressed on the high speed of chasing and anti-chasing. However from the title. However, when entering the game, we found out that it was a modified vehicle racing match coated with the chasing, which was also the summit combination product of Underground and Hot Pursuit.
●Need for Speed： Need for Speed 10：Carbon (2006)
Need for Speed：Carbon is made by Larry LaPierre and his EA Black Box development team. New Cabon is not the continuation of Most wanted. Carbon added new racing concept to this game. It’s believed that gorge and mountain pass would allow gamers feel more exciting Need for Speed.
●Need for Speed ：ProStreet (2007)
ProStreet adopts totally-enclosed racing track, and adds vehicle damage, physical and smoke system. Every can lead to vehicle ruin. A high repair fee is needed if the car is ruined. With more damage, the speed would be slower. The biggest vehicle ruin would cause game ending. Need for Speed: ProStreet collector’s Edition for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 has five new cars.
●Need for Speed：Undercover (2008)
Need for Speed：Undercover came back the running from the cops mode. But at this time, the gamer is a undercover driver, who not only has to sneak on the illegal fast car group to collect criminal evidence, but also needs to solve these bastard without identity exposed.
Game image also has been improved, and vehicle gloss is more gorgeous. Vechile also can be destroyed by hitting or scratching. The headlamps are most easily broken, others like bumper, spoiler and engine cover can also be knocked down or fallen off.
● Need for Speed：Shift (2009)
Shift is the next generation version after Need for Speed series transformation, inheriting previous product features. Photo-level excellent image and realistic driving handling were the major selling points as usual.
Need for Speed: Shift provided actual driver experience in world famous track, including English Brands Hatch track. Besides, Shift also embodied most enormous high performance vehicle group, like Pagani Zonda, Porsche 911 GT2 and Lotus Elise.
● Need for Speed：Hot Pursuit (2010)
Need for Speed： Hot Pursuit is confirmed as the continuous hot pursuit game by Criterion Games studio, and returns to cop chasing mode which allows gamers to compete via global network on luxury sports cars. New sports car, weapon, equipment and brand-new open map will be unlocked in the game processes.
● Career Mode
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) has the career mode, which gamers can experience cop or racing driver professional career. NFS perfectly combines single career mode with innovative multi-player mode together. Whatever friends or we are playing, gamers can gain reward to unlock new sports care, weapon and equipment.
● Autolog System
In Need for Speed：Hot Pursuit (2010), your friends play a very important role. Creative Autolog system connects gamers with their friend to share mutual game experience, images and challenge.
● Weapon and Equipment
Buying and using various weapon increase game nervousness and excitement. Whatever you are police to intercept fast car or you want to escape from cop chasing, you always have methods to get away.
● Racing
By deepening of Hot Pursuit, the racing becomes more and more exciting. You can feel the most wonderful racing delight of highest speed. You can drive on power-enlarged Lamborghini Reventon to intercept fast car, or you can act as fast car driver on Pagani Zonda Cinque to challenge law authority.
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