Need for Speed, also known by its initials NFS, is a series of racing video games published by Electronic Arts (EA) and developed by several studios including the Canadian company EA Black Box and the British companies Criterion Games and Ghost Games.
The series released its first title, The Need for Speed in 1994. Initially, it was designed exclusively for use on fifth generation video game consoles, but later on was reworked to be able to be used on all seventh generation consoles by 2008. The title comes from a quote from character Maverick in the film Top Gun. All members of the series consist of racing cars on various tracks, with some titles including police pursuits in races. Since Need for Speed: High Stakes, the series has integrated car body customization into gameplay.
Need for Speed is the most successful racing video game series in the world, and one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. Over 150 million copies of games in the series have been sold to date. In June 2012, following Black Box’s restructuring, British developer Criterion Games announced that it was in full control of the Need for Speed franchise. However, in August 2013, Swedish and British developers Ghost Games, Ghost Games UK and Criterion Games joined forces for the foreseeable future of the Need for Speed series. At the time, Ghost Games UK staff consisted of 80% of former Criterion Games employees.
So here is the list of top 10 best NFS games of all time.
I’m pretty sure a majority of the group will say the Underground games, or Most Wanted(2005), but I say otherwise. I would like to see your opinions though.
- Need for Speed Rivals(2013, Ghost Games)
Need for Speed: Rivals was developed by Ghost Games (formerly EA Gothenburg) in association with Criterion Games, and was released on November 15, 2013 for thePlayStation 4,on November 19, 2013 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on November 22, 2013 for the Xbox One. It runs on DICE‘s Frostbite 3Engine. It has the same basic concept as Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, but with new features like the AllDrive system, and several pursuit techs.
- Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (2010, Criterion Games)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit was developed by British games developer Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts on November 16, 2010. It focuses on racing and police chases rather than car customization.The game won many awards at the E3 2010, including “Best Racing Game”, becoming the first game in the NFS series since the original Hot Pursuit to win an E3 award. There were over 60 cars, most available to both racers and cops, but a few were exclusive to either side. Unlike previous NFS titles, there was no customization, and the game takes place in a fictional rural area called Seacrest County, which the “free roam” feature lets you explore. Hot Pursuit allows play as either police or racer.The game also features many weapons, with some exclusive to the cops or racers. The biggest feature introduced in was the Need for Speed Autolog, which tracked player progressions and recommended events to play. In addition to its statistical system, Autolog also features Facebook-like speedwalls where players can post their comments and photos while in the game. Hot Pursuit has received some of the best reviews of the series.The Limited Edition gives players exclusive access to the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and Ford Shelby GT500. Various downloadable content was released for the game.
- Shift 2 Unleashed (2011, Slightly Mad Studios)
The sequel to Need for Speed: Shift, Shift 2: Unleashed was developed by Slightly Mad Studios, and released on March 29, 2011. Shift 2 includes the Autolog feature introduced in Hot Pursuit. It also includes features such as night racing, an in-helmet camera, and a more in-depth career mode. Shift 2 features more than 140 vehicles available for racing and tuning, a smaller number compared with other racing games such as Forza Motorsport 3 and Gran Turismo 5. There are also 40 real-world locations including Bathurst, Spa-Francorchamps and Suzuka as well as fictional circuits. The Limited Edition features 3 unlocked cars, and an additional 37 career race events. Two downloadable contents were released for Shift 2.
- Need for Speed Hot Pursuit II (2002, Black Box)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 was the debut NFS title from EA Black Box, and the first NFS for the sixth generation consoles. Different versions of the game were produced for each game platform; the Xbox, GameCube and PC versions were developed in EA Seattle, while the PS2 version was developed by Black Box Games in Vancouver.
Hot Pursuit 2 draws primarily from the gameplay and style of NFS III; its emphasis on evading the police and over-the-top tracks. Although the game allowed players to play as the police, the pursuit mode was less realistic than preceding versions of NFS; players merely needed to “tap” a speeder to arrest them, as opposed to using simulated police tactics to immobilize a speeding vehicle.
This was the first version since the start of the series not to feature an “in the driving seat” camera view, transitioning EA from realistic racing to arcade street racing. It was the last game in the series for the PC version to feature the split-screen two player mode introduced in Need for Speed II. For the multiplayer mode of the PC version, GameSpy’s internet matchmaking system was used in place of Local Area Network (LAN) play. Hot Pursuit 2 was also the first NFS game to use songs sung by licensed artists under the EA Trax label.
- Need for Speed High Stakes (1999, EA Canada)
High Stakes (North American and Australian title), also known as Road Challenge (European and Brazilian title), Conduite en état de liberté (French title) and Brennender Asphalt(German title), was released in the summer of 1999.
High Stakes introduced several new types of gameplay: High Stakes, Getaway, Time Trap, and Career. High Stakes was a racing mode; Getaway required the player to outrun numerous pursuing police vehicles; Time Trap was a time lap trial; and Career was a tournament mode which incorporated a monetary reward system. Another innovation was the introduction of damage models, where after a race the player is given the option to purchase repairs. The mode also allows players, for the first time, to upgrade cars.
The PlayStation version of the game, released some months before the PC version, featured improved gameplay. The AI in the game was more advanced: the five AIs known as Nemesis, Bullit, Frost, Ranger, and Chump featured different driving characteristics. In the PlayStation version, the McLaren F1 GTR was based on the 1997 Long Tail, while the PC version was based on the original 95/96 version.
- Need for Speed Most Wanted (2005, Black Box)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted was developed by EA Canada, released on November 16, 2005, and was one of the first games released for the Xbox 360. It was released on theNintendo GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo DS. The PlayStation Portable port of Most Wanted is called Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0.
Police chases represent a significant body of the gameplay, and include the free-roaming aspect of Underground 2, but with less extensive vehicle customization features. The story mode is a different style from Underground, with CGI effects mixed with live action. The game featured the Blacklist, a crew consisting of 15 racers that the player must beat one-by-one to unlock parts, cars, tracks, and to complete career mode. The player had to meet certain requirements before they could take on the next Blacklist rival, such as races completed, bounty earned, etc.
A special Black Edition of Most Wanted was also released, featuring additional races, challenges, and a few bonus cars; it also included a behind-the-scenes DVD. Both versions were available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, and Windows-based PCs, while only the standard edition was available for GameCube and Xbox 360. Black Edition was made for the tenth anniversary of the Need for Speed series.
Most Wanted had extremely positive reviews and received universal acclaim from reviewers in many gaming websites and magazines, praising the graphics, sound effects and general gameplay. With 16 million copies sold worldwide, it’s the best-selling game in the franchise. A reboot of the game, also named Need for Speed: Most Wanted, was announced in 2012 with British developer Criterion Games responsible for the development.
- Need for Speed Porsche Unleashed (2000, EA Canada)
Porsche Unleashed (North America and Latin America title), Porsche 2000 (European title) or simply Porsche (in Germany) is different from the previous versions, because it featured only Porsches.
The vehicle handling in the PC version was said to be the most realistic in any NFS game, but like the PS1 version had very simplified arcade handling that fell woefully short of the Hallmark handling offered in the first game. The player had to win races to unlock cars in chronological order from 1950 to 2000. Porsche Unleashed also featured a Factory Driver mode, where the player had to test Porsches to move forward in the game, and did not feature a split screen mode.
- Need for Speed Underground 2 (2004, Black Box)
Need for Speed: Underground 2, was released on November 15, 2004. A demo of the game was placed as a bonus in finished copies of NFSU2, as well as the EA/Criterioncollaboration Burnout 3: Takedown.
In Underground 2, the story mode continued, but there were new racing modes such as Underground Racing League and Street X, more tuning options, and a new method of selecting races. Also included was an “outrun” mode where a player can challenge random opponents on the road (similar to Tokyo Xtreme Racer). Underground 2 also introduced several SUVs, used to race against other SUVs.
The customization features were significantly expanded on modifications which did not affect vehicle performance. Players were required to customize their car to a certain numerical value in order to be offered DVD and magazine covers, the only way to advance to higher game levels. The game featured more extensive product placement for companies with no connection to auto racing. This game also had extensive customization options in the form of suspension upgrades, nitrous systems and engine mods.
Need for Speed: Underground Rivals was the first Need for Speed game released on the PlayStation Portable. Different from Need for Speed: Underground 2 as it had no free roam and the cars were very limited, it was released on February 24, 2005 in Japan, March 14, 2005 in North America, and September 1, 2005 in Europe. The title went Platinum in Europe on June 30, 2006.
- Need for Speed Most Wanted (2012, Criterion Games)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted was developed by British games developer Criterion Games, and released on October 30, 2012. The game picked up on the Most Wanted IP, as opposed to the Hot Pursuit extension. This was the first game made subsequent to Criterion Games taking over the NFS series from Black Box.
It features open world racing, and most of the cars in the game are available from the start, hidden in different locations. It also features a blacklist of 10 instead of 15, and there is no story for the game. It is powered by Autolog 2.0. Performance upgrades are available for all the cars in the game, such as chassis, tires, nitrous, and bodywork. Milestones and achievements are unlocked through a variety of ways, e.g. completion of races and breaking through billboards.
- Need for Speed Carbon (2006, Black Box)
Need for Speed: Carbon was developed by EA Black Box and released on October 31, 2006. It was the first NFS game for the PlayStation 3 and the Wii and the last NFS game for the Nintendo GameCube, the Game Boy Advance, and the Xbox. Carbon’s handheld port is known as Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City. The Wii port lacked online, but made full use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
NFS: Carbon continued the story from Most Wanted, however, the game has far less emphasis on the police. Carbon saw the return of nighttime-only racing, with a selection of cars similar to that of Most Wanted. Carbon introduced a new feature wherein the player is allowed to form a “crew” that aids the player in races. Drift events returned to the series in Carbon.
Drag racing was removed from the series, but a new type of race called “Canyon Duel” was added, where the closer the player is to the leader, the more points they accrue. If the player overtakes the leader and remains in front for 10 seconds, they win automatically. Another new feature is “Autosculpt”, which allows players to custom-fabricate their own auto parts.
The Collector’s Edition Featuring three new cars, ten specially tuned cars, six new races, and a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage on the making of the game.