The Need for Speed 2

Download The Need for Speed 2 and experience the intense racing action that started it all! Customize your cars, race through breathtaking tracks, and leave your competition in the dust. Unleash your need for speed and play now!
a game by Electronic Arts, and EA Games
Genre: Racing
Platforms: PC, Playstation
Editor Rating: 8.4/10, based on 5 reviews, 7 reviews are shown
User Rating: 6.4/10 - 56 votes
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See also: Download Racing Games, Games Like Blur, Need For Speed Series, Games like GTA

I've been a fan of the first The Need For Speed game for considerably longer than most. How so? I'll tell you was one of the eight stupid people who shelled out % for a 3D0 console in 1994. Prat? W Yes, I know. And I continue to be a W prat, because I now own a Saturn 1 rather than a PlayStation.

But that's a different story, so back to The Need For Speed, and just for those who never even got to see the original game (even on the pc), maybe a brief outline would be in order... Six tracks: The Need For Speed contained six tracks, which doesn't sound like a particularly big deal until I tell you that three of these weren't 'closed circuits', but were in fact proper open roads. Eight vehicles: Or eight 'flash motors', of which could be bought - if rich enough - from real-life car showrooms: a Porsche 911, for example: a Ferrari something-or-other; a Lamborghini Diablo: and so on. All the cars, incidentally (or so they said), handled in a realistic manner. I can't vouch for that, but I can add that they certainly differed greatly from one to another. (My fave was the Porsche, 'cos the back end was twitchy.) Traffic: The selling point! Two way traffic! Cars to overtake on a blind corner at isomph, and, more importantly, oncoming cars to smash into on that same blind corner. Some of the crashes were stunning, and there was a comprehensive replay mode. Filth: Overtake a cop car at over ssmph and a car chase ensued, with you, obviously, as the chasee. More: And there was more, but I want to end this paragraph and tell you what was crap about the game. Cue the next paragraph...

The next paragraph...

Crap things about The Need For Speed... Okay, due to the design of the game engine the roads could only be viewed from one direction. It was possible to drive Cthe wrong way', but in doing so you could only access the exterior car view, meaning you were constantly driving towards yourself, your joystick, and your monitor screen, with not a clue as to what bend or road vehicle was coming up next. Poo!

Another slightly crap thing about the game engine was that it tended, occasionally, to give you that Cstreamed straight from cd' feeling. You know? Like when you're confined to a small lateral area, and the scenery is being shoved at you?

Onto the artificial intelligence of the computer-controlled road users, then, and it wasn't brilliant. The general two-way traffic had pretty much no ai whatsoever, although oncoming cars would beep at you when you Cscared' them (just like real-life ones do, ho ho). Oh, and the coppers weren't overly bright either... but then again you could call that realism, I suppose. And as for the computer-controlled competitors, probably the best word to use here would be Cpredictable'. They'd block and they'd shunt, but you tended to know where and when to expect this behaviour.

Er, but apart from that little lot, the original The Need For Speed was (and still is) one of the best car games about, so one can only assume the sequel will be /naff American accent) Cawesome, and will kick ass'.

So what's the score?

I've got an incredibly unfinished version of the game which contains a couple of courses, but with no trackside scenery: just roads suspended in space, in other words. No Ctraffic' in it, either, but I was able to do the main thing you couldn't do in the original - namely drive the wrong way round the track. So, an all-new game engine then, I bet. Let me just check the press release for details. (Reads for five minutes.) Yes, I was right, it's an all-new rendering engine. I'll paraphrase some of the other just-gleaned nuggets of info before I forget them. Righto, firstly is the fact that there's going to be a hell of a lot of Coffroad freedom' this time. I've already said that you can drive the wrong way, but apparently this is as nothing: there are to be short-cuts and alternative routes, some obvious, some harder to find. Ramps, too, and also loads of unusual terrain, plus interactive roadside objects. Add to this the Call new revamped instant replay system' and things are beginning to sound very groovy indeed (what with the proper 360 degree view of the track allowing for panning cameras rather than just Cbehind the car' jobs).

But what about the actual track visuals? Where's the game set? Well, it sounds as if things are a bit more cosmopolitan this time around, not to mention surreal (or naff - time will tell). No longer are we confined to the States, because the programmers, and I quote: have taken areas of the world that they believe would provide a captivating driving experience, and have compressed all the distinctive characteristics of these regions - much like a caricature - into the courses. In other words, they've done stuff like take Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the desert roads of the outback and spliced them into the Australian track. Likewise they've taken twisty mountain roads, ice caves, Tibetan villages, swinging rope bridges and scrunched them all into the Himalayan Track. (If England's in there, I bet you a zillion pounds that Big Ben will feature.)

What about the cars?

The original The Need For Speed had the Road & Track licence. Road & Track have now been ditched in favour of real car manufacturers in an effort to get closer to the engineers and what have you: more feedback, more realism. And the cars themselves? Eight supercars, some of which are actual production vehicles, some of which are Cconcept' cars. If you want a list, then here it is: the McLaren Fl, the Lotus Esprit v8, the Ital Design Cala, the Ford GT90, the Lotus gti, the Ford Indigo, the Isdera Commendatore 1121 and the Jaguar XJ220.

If the early code we've seen is anything to go by, TNFS2 looks to be shaping up very nicely indeed. Not only will it sport all of the playability of the first game, but the developers claim that it'll run around 30 per cent faster in glorious hi-res and will also feature extensive multi-player and Internet modes. I can see those pile-ups now.

Download The Need for Speed 2

PC

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Playstation

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

Overview

The Need for Speed 2 is the follow-up to perhaps the best arcade racing game to come along in several years. In order to fully understand this review, you must separate in your mind arcade racers like this one from racing simulations. Racing sims are aiming to provide the most realistic driving experience imaginable. Some -- like Papyrus' NASCAR 2 -- are so detailed that you may spend as much time configuring your car as racing. Not so with the Need for Speed games. The main point here is to drive ... and win. The true test of this sequel, then, will be a direct comparison to its predecessor. And trying to improve upon a great game is a daunting task indeed.

Gameplay

The best thing about the original Need for Speed is its wildness. How exhilarating it is to whip around a corner and smash into an RV head-on, flipping bumper-over-bumper ten times before you come to a rest (then having the option to watch the whole thing on your replay video). Of course, it's better when your friend passes you first -- then you watch him get thrashed and flip over your head as you continue on to win the race. But either way you end up laughing your guts out at the sheer craziness and excitement of the whole experience.

Unfortunately, Need for Speed 2 tones down the fun recklessness. It's harder to flip your car in NFS 2, and when you do manage it, you'll maybe flip once or twice and then start over with a fresh set of wheels. Remember in Need for Speed when you crashed head-on and you got a great side view camera shot of your car flipping and flipping off into the sunset? You'll miss it here, no doubt about that. It seems like the designers of Need for Speed 2 went for a little more realism, but the result is a little less fun.

The feel of driving the cars is fairly similar to that in the original, with a few notable exceptions. The handling of the cars in general is more touchy, and it's frustratingly easy to spin out (and then spin out again trying to correct yourself). I don't like to spin out, especially in a close race. Not to say this wasn't an issue with NFS, but there it was more a matter of getting back on the road and out of the rough, not figuring out which way you should be going. Granted, NFS 2 includes a warning light that blinks if you head the wrong way, but why should you need it?

Yet perhaps my biggest disappointment with NFS 2 was its complete lack of road courses. In the original, you had a few tracks, and then you had the roads (Alpine, City, Coast). I had a lot more fun driving the roads, especially in a head-to-head match with oncoming traffic. You can choose to have oncoming traffic in the NFS 2 tracks, but it's not the same. Another great thing about the roads was that the race developed over three stages, giving you a chance to take a breather and/or plot a strategy or means of revenge in between stages. You can't do that in a track race.

Graphics

Enhanced, no doubt about it. This is really the only major revision that stood out enough to get my attention. Of course, the graphics in the original NFS were outstanding for its day (two years ago!), but NFS 2 benefits from technological advances since that time. The overall look is crisper, the animation smoother, the colors richer, and the details more noticeable, even on my lowly Diamond Stealth 64. The only bad part is that there are no pixelated deer standing by the side of the road for you to try to turn into roadkill (didn't anyone ever make a patch that would allow you to hit those deer in the NFS Alpine track?!).

Audio

This is EA we're talking about, so as you can guess, the sound is outstanding. Great quality, rocking music, and I swear that when I was driving the Isedra, the squeals from my tires were eerily in harmony with the ethereal background music...

Documentation

Nice illustrations, a fairly thorough description of game options, but nothing else worth mentioning.

System Requirements

90 MHz Pentium™ class processor (Intel, Cyrix 6x86), 16 MB RAM, Windows® 95, Direct X 3.0 (included on game CD), 4X CD-ROM drive (600KB/second transfer rate), Hi Color (65,535 color) capable 1 MB PCI video card with DirectDraw 3.0 compatible driver, hard disk -- 10 MB plus space for save games (additional space required for DirectX 3.0 installation), keyboard.

Reviewed on: P-120, 32 MB RAM, 16X CD-ROM drive, Diamond Stealth 64 video

Bottom Line

The crisp graphics and excellent sound make Need for Speed 2 a solid game by anybody's standards. Nevertheless, prepare to be a little disappointed with the gameplay if you're a big fan of the original Need for Speed. If you've never played the original and are looking for a fun head-to-head arcade racer, you may want to start with Need for Speed and wait a while on the sequel.

Overview

Last year's smash hit racing game now has a sequel: 8 new cars, new international tracks, new graphics, arcade and simulation modes, and car customization are all highlights of this second generation title. But does this game live up to the reputation of the orginal Need for Speed, or will it leave you wanting more?

Gameplay

The first Need for Speed was solid. It had cool tracks, cars that were available to the general public, and decent gameplay. The graphics were decent and the game was downright fun. With Need For Speed II, I was really excited about the possibilities. All they needed to do for this game to be a success was to add a few new cars, some new tracks, clean up the graphics a tad, and tighten the controls. No problem, right? Apparently not. In fact, the sequel falls far short of the strengths of the original game.

Let's start off with the cars. The thing I liked about the original game was that the cars were not untouchable. Sure, they were all big dollars, but I had seen every one of the cars on the road at least once. Then there are the cars in NFSII. You can choose between a McLaren F1, Ferrari F50, Lotus GT1, Italdesign Cala, Isdera Commendatore 112i, Jaguar XJ220, Ford GT90, and Lotus Esprit V8. Not only have I never seen any of these cars, I have never even heard of half of them. I guess it does not matter whether I have seen these cars in everyday life or not. That adds to the fantasy of video gaming. But I thought it was neat to be able to identify with the cars in the orginal Need for Speed.

Since you are probably not familiar with the cars, you can watch a video of the car in action or view still shots of the vehicle. Unfortunately, this was also done better in the original game. The videos are short and didn't really show the cars very much. They reminded me of the little MTV commercials that are 15-30 seconds long and don't really show much of anything. The still shots were better. You did get a good view of the car from different angles.

The best part about NFS2 is the different tracks. They ranged from oval raceways to longer tracks taking you through small towns or desert scenes. The tracks had a good variety of straight-aways and turns, and most were also quite lengthy so your laps would take some time to complete. Also, on some tracks, there were bumps placed strategically in the road that would let you catch some serious air. This was cool at first, but became rather annoying when this started happening around corners. If you are in the process of turning and hit one of these, it is almost guaranteed that your car will spin through the air like a helicopter blade.

On the negative side, I found the control to be completely lacking. The game has two modes of gameplay. They are Arcade and Simulation. Arcade mode allows for power sliding and your car sticks to the road better. Simulation mode is more true to the capabilities and handling of the cars. While there was a difference in some area between the two modes, one area shared a common problem: braking. In Arcade mode, if you used either your brake or hand brake, your car would violently jerk in the direction you are turning, almost as if you had a tire blow out. You spent more time trying to correct the car and that almost inevitably would cause you to overcompensate. Once you were overcompensating, it took everything you had to get going in the right direction. In Simulation mode, this problem only occurs when using the hand brake. If you use the regular brake, you will keep heading in the direction you are facing. I did find that the best way to compensate for the braking was to use walls, buildings, and guardrails to help me corner. Sure, it slowed me down, but it was no worse than trying to pull out of a fish tail.

Despite all the problems I had braking, I will say that the steering control was tight. The car would go where you told it to on straight-aways which was vital'you do a lot of passing at high speed. There were times that I passed within centimeters of other vehicles and did not hit them. If the steering were as bad as the braking, the game would be almost unplayable.

The game was not all that bad. Once you did get the hang of things and made adjustments, like using walls to help you turn, you could actually find some of the fun that made the first game a success. The AI of the computer-controlled cars was not bad, and they were definitely competitive on the Advanced setting. More than once, I had a competitor car give me a tap that would send me spinning. The computer was definitely no push over.

Need for Speed II offered three modes of play, and I found one to be quite enjoyable. The modes are Single Race, which is just a race on the track of your choice. The second was the Tournament. This was a collection of all of the tracks, in which you have to finish first on the first track before you can advance to the second and so on. Third, and the one I liked best, was the Knockout mode. All you had to do was not come in last to advance to the next race. Sounds easy enough. But at the end of each race, the loser drops out so the number of cars is reduced by one. This reduces your odds until it comes down to you against the computer. If you win, you open up a bonus track.

One last thing: I found that I would still only use a few of the same higher-end cars. The lower end cars were so inferior, almost by 50 MPH, it was difficult to stay competitive while using these.

Graphics

Is it possible to actually make graphics look worse in a sequel? Let me answer that question for you. Yes, it is possible, as evidenced in this game. I was really disappointed. It looked like the scenery was moving around you instead of you moving through it. This took away any feeling of speed at all. Also, the car graphics while you were racing were pitiful-looking. They all looked similar and bland. In the original game, the cars were all pretty decent, but NFSII is almost embarrassing.

The tracks all looked good even though the scenery was a bit bland. Going through tunnels and the forests was actually decent-looking. I just had such high expectations since this was a second generation game, and it was just not what I expected.

Bottom Line

This game is one of those instances where the original is better than the sequel. The difficult cornering really made the game frustrating to play and left me wanting more. The tracks were all so well-designed that if the control was better, it would have overshadowed the poor graphics and the pitiful-looking cars. This game will disappoint even hardcore Need for Speed fans.

Dwarfing the exotic cars that made Need for Speed so alluring, Need M's gunning its engines with an eye-pop-ping lineup of million-dollar supercars. Drivers can redline their engines at speeds over 230 mph in beauties like the McLaren F1, ItalDesign Cala, Lotus Espirit, Lotus Elite GT, and Isdera Commendatore. The action goes down on eight circuits across the world, and all the courses sport much more 3D interaction, such as cutting corners down mountain switchbacks. Topping it all off, a major graphical facelift gives the cars and tracks much greater detail and realism. Need M's already lookin' awesome....

Electronic Arts racing title based on the Knowledge of the experts from Road & Track returns for a second course in Need for Speed 2 for the Sony PlayStation. In this second version, players are given more courses in which to use their driving talents. It is also expected to contain updated versions of the exotic cars seeing that many from the first release are no longer even in production. Willi the fandom that Need for Speed created for itself with its realistic control anti car movements, it's no wonder this one has had a tight lid on its production. We'll have more information for you as it becomes available to EGM.

  • MANUFACTURER - Electronic Arts
  • THEME - Racing

If your mouth waters at the thought of peeling out in those rare dream machines you see only at car shows, Need for Speed ll's gonna rev your engines. This racer's strictly sim-style gameplay, however, severely limits its appeal.

Car buffs will revel in the jaw-dropping lineup of miilion-dollar cars, which includes the McLaren FI, Ford CT90, Italdesign Cala, Jaguar XJ220, and five others. A solid menu of modes gives you plenty of opportunity to redline these babies on seven fantasy tracks packed with brutal jumps and wicked turns.

Redraw and speed problems ruin the two-player split-screen game, but the one-player action delivers some white-knuckle technical gameplay that'll rivet fans of realistic racing. If you loved challenging racers like Formula 1 and the original Need for Speed, Need It's a perfect fit. But arcade racers hooked on the Daytona experience will bail out of this race after a few laps.

ProTips:

  • Approach the crest of hills with caution. Unless you line up precisely, most jumps send you blasting straight into a collision.
  • Avoid power slides as they kill too much speed in most of the cars. Instead, brake before the turn, then lay off the gas if you start sliding out of your line.
  • To beat the Outback course, maintain a speed of around 200 mph through tiie two tunnels so that you maximize the subsequent straightaway.

Graphics

Need II blows a flat with disappointing graphics. The grainy tracks suffer in comparison with the original's, while the average cars could've been sleeker and more realistic. Worst of all, the game never re-creates the rush of high speed, even when zooming along at 230 mph.

Sound

Need ll's sounds never draw you into the race. The decent but lackluster effects don't make you feel like you're behind the wheel of an exotic supercar, and most gamers will turn off the forgettable tunes.

Control

If you delight in memorizing the course, braking before turns, and setting up tight lines, these responsive controls reward you with realistic handling. Just don't expect to be able to pick up a controller and drive without some major time behind the wheel.

Fun Factor

Patient racers who enjoy technical driving will thrill at piloting Need Il's glamorous supercars through its varied, challenging courses. The tough sim-style gameplay and lousy two-player game will scare off the Ridge Racer crowd, though, so renting first is wise.

Dwarfing the exotic cars that made Need for Speed so alluring, Need M's gunning its engines with an eye-pop-ping lineup of million-dollar supercars. Drivers can redline their engines at speeds over 230 mph in beauties like the McLaren F1, ItalDesign Cala, Lotus Espirit, Lotus Elite GT, and Isdera Commendatore. The action goes down on eight circuits across the world, and all the courses sport much more 3D interaction, such as cutting corners down mountain switchbacks. Topping it all off, a major graphical facelift gives the cars and tracks much greater detail and realism. Need M's already lookin' awesome....

Snapshots and Media

PC Screenshots

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