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[AeonGaidenRaiden]

We are all aware about EA of today and their similar push like COD titles but to be honest, I have such fond memories of this franchise growing up and even up to today. I think all of us that played since day one had periods of burnout when you thought the franchise was going to die a slow death or some obvious stinkers. But at the same time I love how polarizing it is that everyone has a different taste. Theres titles that I thought were a disaster yet others thought they were brilliant and vice versa. Heres to one of the rare arcade racers still kicking it:

27 Years of Need for Speed

Be the first to cross the finish line. Second is the first to lose, as the great Ayrton Senna would say. Over the years car fanatics have...

www.techspot.com

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Utterly loved the first one, couldnt get enough. The 2nd was a bit tripe and 3 had great cop chases, the rest is a blur really

Underground 2 was brilliant.

 

[amigastar]

Strange, but never really played any of the NFS games.

 

[Dural]

We would go to breakfast in a shopping center after church most Sundays as a kid and Media Play was right next door. They had a 3DO set up with Need for Speed and Road Rash, I couldn't get enough of them, it was the highlight of the week for me. When I got a Playstation it was one of the first games I bought and I played the shit out of it.

 

[Aion002]

Hot Pursuit 2 on the Ps2...

I can close my eyes and see the game playing in front of me.


Probably my fondest memories of a racing game ever! Every new Need for Speed released I ended up trying it out in the hopes of getting something at least close to it, while some were able to maintain the quality... Present EA worked fast in killing all the fun Need For Speed had...

 

[mansoor1980]

black box studios made the best NFS games ever

 

[hlm666]

I bought a 3do because of nfs and road rash. Probably not the best call for just 2 games, but then return fire and way of the warrior came along and I have no regrets

 

[TheGodfather07]

undergorund 2 was so good. i remember playing it until 5am when i had to be up for school just a couple hours later. i didnt give a damn!

 

[N0S]

I want oldskool NFS. No open world, just racing.

 

[drotahorror]

I want oldskool NFS. No open world, just racing.

Driveclub is the closest we've got since like, Hot Pursuit 2 on PS2.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

I had an itch and I started playing again the NFSs from PS4 generation starting with Rivals. Its amazing how good Rivals and especially 2015 look to this day. I think they will never drop open world as they are too deep into it now but as much as I like Rivals (i know many dont) and 2015, Id say Hot Pursuit 2010 felt the freshest. Beautiful map, cars and OST. Funny enough going through Rivals all over again, I was getting this Deja Vu moment when passing through some areas and thinking this should of been my memory from HP 2010 but I went online and was surprised to find out how much stuff they reused again for Rivals, even some shortcuts in the canyon are the same. Lighthouse as well and some highway parts too. Tho cops in Rivals are just on brutality mode.

 

[Nico_D]

I liked Most Wanted a lot. The WiiU port was excellent and the online component was really well executed. Played some Rivals a year ago, fun for a bit not much more.

 

[xrnzaaas]

I still remember picking up NfS 1 as a kid and rewatching showcase videos most times I've launched the game. Unfortunately I haven't liked any of the NfS games from the last 10 years or so even though I've played most of them.

 

[TGO]

The 27 years part in the title triggered me.
Thanks I feel old now

 

[lem0n]

When I was a kid, my grandfather kept his computer souped-up for me, just for when I would visit on weekends. He liked the occasional Wolfenstein 3D or a slot machine game, but it was really so that I could play Need For Speed 2 SE. I have such fond memories of sitting at his desk on a Friday night playing that game.

 

[jaysius]

Very few of those years were good, they even took Criterion and made them produce a shitty NFS.

 

[Kuranghi]

I loved the early original games and some of the early new generation titles, but after that there were only like two games I thought were really worth playing, such a shame.

 

[Bulletbrain]

So many good memories. Really liked Nfs2, High Stakes, Underground 1 and 2. However, my personal favourites are Porche Unleashed and Most Wanted (2005). Didn't really like Criterion stuff at all.

 

[RayBoy]

My favorite of the saga.

 

[YCoCg]

BEST RACING OST TO THIS DAY!

 

[Md Ray]

NFS Most Wanted 2005. Great memories.

 

[R6Rider]

Underground 2 is still my favorite, but Underground 1 had the better soundtrack overall.

"Who's Who" by Dilated Peoples brings back those memories of many hours spent customizing cars.

 

[SirKicksalot]

Where's the damn remake or remaster of Underground through Carbon?

 

[Spukc]

Underground 2 was brilliant.

 

[N0S]

 

[SpongebobSquaredance]

at the end of the xbox 360 generation and with the start of the PS4 generation the series became weird:

The Run,
a sequel named after Most Wanted being a sequel to Burnout Paradise,
and three mediocre racing games in a row that felt like a shell of what they were trying to resemble

Not to mention that some of the more recent games are really faulty on the technical side of things.


how the mighty has fallen...

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Oh C'mon, there wernt much at the time..



..Or was there. I cant remember :/

 

[TheMan]

I remember being jealous of 3do owners when this came out. Luckily it was eventually released for the PSX and it was rad. Never really got into the sequels though for some reason, just rented them.

 

[Dash Man 3D]

Sadly only the first game in the series tried to be an immersive racing sim with emphasis on promoting the cars themselves.

After that each NFS can be summed as fast and furious before fast and furious came out.

 

[Phase]

I haven't played many of the newer ones, but I used to love this series. I'm gonna fire up Hot Pursuit for nostalgia's sake later today.

 

[ACESHIGH]

Top 5 NFS games in no particular order

- Porsche Unleashed
- Underground 2
- Hot Pursuit (2010)
- Hot Pursuit (1998)
- Underground

 

[Unknown?]

My favorite of the saga.

Best one still IMO! Have it on my PSTV.

 

[Scotty W]

Underground ruined the franchise.

 

[Phase]

I haven't played many of the newer ones, but I used to love this series. I'm gonna fire up Hot Pursuit for nostalgia's sake later today.

I played a few races on each side (cop and not) but that's good. It's decently fun now but it's aged a bit.

 

[Unknown?]

Underground ruined the franchise.

This is my opinion too. It went from a series about cool performance cars to lame civics just because of Fast and Furious.

 

[SpongebobSquaredance]

Underground ruined the franchise.

It definitely divided the fanbase. Each time when someone says Need for Speed should go back to the roots they either mean back to Underground or back to to the days of Hot Pursuit. In some cases even going back to the original Need for Speed. You can't even have a Need for Speed game without open world and advanced tuning options without certain people complaining.

I for one always liked Most Wanted much much more then Underground. The blacklist concept is cool (the story is pretty cringe though) and the cop chases are among the best in any game with cops in it.

 

[Scotty W]

It definitely divided the fanbase. Each time when someone says Need for Speed should go back to the roots they either mean back to Underground or back to to the days of Hot Pursuit. In some cases even going back to the original Need for Speed. You can't even have a Need for Speed game without open world and advanced tuning options without certain people complaining.

I for one always liked Most Wanted much much more then Underground. The blacklist concept is cool (the story is pretty cringe though) and the cop chases are among the best in any game with cops in it.

I know people love Underground, but I HATE tuning and achievements. Could they split the series in 2?

 

[Marty-McFly]

Literally bought the first one listed in the video here, 27 (twenty seven) years ago

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I like undercover because Maggie Q is so Hot

 

[UnNamed]

NFS lost its identity pretty early. It was born as a simulation, an ideal sequel to Test Drive, but it shifted to arcade in the second episode.

 

[Shai-Tan]

lol, I remember thinking the graphics in NFS1 looked amazing.

The only entries I liked are NFS Original, NFS Porsche Unleashed (2000), and NFS Most Wanted (the 2012 one made by Criterion people).

 

[Tunned]

I bought The Need For Speed on the ps1 based on the box art (view my avatar), what an epic purchase that was, and the games that followed, NFSIII, NFS High Stakes, Porsche Unleashed, Hot Pursuit 2 PS2...
Unfortunately as people said, NFS started to go down hill with the Underground series, I enjoyed it up to 2005's Most Wanted, and then Criterion happened. But I have to say that the last three releases by Ghost were kind of enjoyable, Rivals was a great call back to the original Hot Pursuit, and Heat was quite fun too.

The NFS series has a special place in my heart, and I am always hopeful with every new release that I will get to experience an old school, pre Underground NFS. Although with Criterion back on the job with the new game, we are probably going to get another garbage Most Wanted 2012

 

[SpongebobSquaredance]

But I have to say that the last three releases by Ghost were kind of enjoyable, Rivals was a great call back to the original Hot Pursuit, and Heat was quite fun too.

Criterion's Hot Pursuit literally shits on the the games by Ghost Games. It's the best in the series since Hot Pursuit 2 by far.

Now Most Wanted 2012 is one of the weirdest releases of all time. Named after Need for Speed and marketed as a sequel to the 2005 game, it is actually neither.
It's Burnout Paradise 2. Literally. But as a game it's quite good. The controls are nice and the races are fun. You just have to cope with the insanity that is the naming.
In the end it was EA's fault either way, because originally they wanted to make a legit sequel to the 2005 game:



Rivals is okay, but the three games that followed are easily the worst in the entire series. Wacky controls and physics. The cop chases are horrid in those games. The progression in Payback is tied to in game purchases and Heat literally has the worst progression I've ever seen in a game. Not to mention how wack those characters are.
The original Most Wanted was cringe, but compared the last three games it may deserve an Oscar. There isn't one likable character in those games.
These three games are just shells of what they trying to be (Underground 2, Carbon, Most Wanted).

 

[Tunned]

Criterion's Hot Pursuit literally shits on the the games by Ghost Games. It's the best in the series since Hot Pursuit 2 by far.

Now Most Wanted 2012 is one of the weirdest releases of all time. Named after Need for Speed and marketed as a sequel to the 2005 game, it is actually neither.
It's Burnout Paradise 2. Literally. But as a game it's quite good. The controls are nice and the races are fun. You just have to cope with the insanity that is the naming.
In the end it was EA's fault either way, because originally they wanted to make a legit sequel to the 2005 game:



Rivals is okay, but the three games that followed are easily the worst in the entire series. Wacky controls and physics. The cop chases are horrid in those games. The progression in Payback is tied to in game purchases and Heat literally has the worst progression I've ever seen in a game. Not to mention how wack those characters are.
The original Most Wanted was cringe, but compared the last three games it may deserve an Oscar. There isn't one likable character in those games.
These three games are just shells of what they trying to be (Underground 2, Carbon, Most Wanted).

Criterion's HP was literally Ridge Racer with licensed cars and weapons, I hated the game when it came out, and nothing changed with me giving it another shot with the remastered.

I know what Most Wanted 2012 was supposed to be a direct sequel to MW 2005, but then EA intervened. I 100% Burnout Paradise on the PS3 and am now playing it again on the Switch, the game is amazing, but Most Wanted 2012 although a sort of a direct sequel to Paradise, it is nowhere near as good, as with HP, I gave it another chance last year and put the game down after a couple of hours, it just so, shallow...

Idk, I play racing games for the racing and not for their story, I guess I just want another good NFS a la High Stakes or HP2, and Rivals onward sort of filled that void for me, but the Ghost games are still quite far off from being great.

 

[WitchHunter]

EA, the destroyer of franchises.

 

[Umbasaborne]

I hope the new one is good, i mean they got an entire extra year to work on it. Criterions need for speed hot pursuit is still one of the greatest racing games ever made. Im close to the platinum on ps5

 

[drganon]

I still have alot of fond memories of need for speed 2. When I first saw the game over twenty years ago, I was blown away by the graphics. It was pretty much the reason I got a ps1.

The last nfs game I liked was hot pursuit 2. Starting with underground, I lost interest in the series.

 

[SkylineRKR]

I really liked Hot Pursuit 2010 when it launched on PS3. I also enjoyed Most Wanted 2012 but it was a bit lifeless. Then I had a surprisingly lot of fun with that PS4 launch title, Rivals?

Concering the classics, NFS 3 was good on PC but the gameplay wasn't my thing really. High Stakes was actually really cool, I think its underrated. But it looks like trash on PS1 now probably.

 

[Wonko_C]

Remake this game with the same track layouts, car handling, and career progression. Just overhaul the graphics but maintaining the dreamlike beauty of the scenery.

 

[Zero7]

I Loved Hot pursuit, High stakes and Porsche on the PS1, the Chav car modding scene was never really my thing, so I skipped over the PS2 versions. I had a lot of fun with HP '10 though.