Multiple camera views, playback speed and video navigation are offered. A replay feature allowed the player to view a saved race. In the special edition, completing the tournaments (or entering a cheat) unlocks the "rally" mode, where car dynamics are changed to make for a faster 'arcade' experience, as well as the "Warrior PTO E/2", a fictional jet-powered sports car.Įxcept for the aforementioned Warrior, each car in the game comes with detailed specifications, history, audio commentaries and real-life videos, which would also be featured in subsequent games in the series, though this was omitted in later games. Players are arrested if they receive a third police ticket (or a second ticket in the Sega Saturn version). Police pursuits are also a key gameplay mechanic, with the player ticketed or arrested if a police car succeeds in catching up with them. Traffic vehicles appear in races, and may be avoided by the player. The Saturn and PlayStation versions include an additional three tracks. The original 3DO version includes three point-to-point tracks, each divided into three stages subsequent ports feature both the point-to-point tracks and new closed circuits. The premise of The Need for Speed involves racing in sport cars, including several exotic models and Japanese imports. The player driving a Chevrolet Corvette on Coastal It was also sold in Japan known as Overdrivin' DX.
It is the first installment released in the Need for Speed series, which has influenced several racing games.
Video game publications praised the incorporation of realism into the gameplay and graphics, as well as the inclusion of full motion videos. The Need for Speed was a commercial success. The game also contained precise vehicle data with spoken commentary, several "magazine-style" images of each car interior and exterior and short video clips highlighting the vehicles set to music. Electronic Arts collaborated with automotive magazine Road & Track to match vehicle behavior, including the mimicking of the sounds made by the vehicles' gear control levers. The game was noted for its realism and audio and video commentaries. Checkpoints, traffic vehicles, and police pursuits commonly appear in the races. Subsequent ports of the game normally include an additional ninth car and have more tracks, including closed circuits. The original 3DO version offers eight sport cars, including several exotic models and Japanese imports, and tasks the player with racing in three realistic point-to-point tracks either with or without a computer opponent. Another version of the game, The Need for Speed: Special Edition, was released in 1996 for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation and Sega Saturn platforms. Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed is a racing video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts, initially released on the 3DO in 1994, and ported to MS-DOS in 1995.