Need for Speed III (Hot Pursuit)

My first introduction into the "Need for Speed" series was way back with their first effort on the 3DO. The game "Need for Speed" could've more properly been dubbed "Need some Speed".  Needless to say, the game was pitifully slow. Despite this fact, the game was still highly sucessful, and was considered to be on of the best racing games available at the time.

Even with the slow pace, I too began to like "Need for Speed".  I was overjoyed to see it released on the Sega Saturn some time later. That game, which was only marginally faster then the 3DO version, quickly became one of my favorite games.

Somehow, I managed to skip a few games in the series, and didn't get back to it until now. Imagine my surprise when I first began to play NSFIII on my Playstation. The game has undergone a complete overhaul! They took a decent, but not stellar game, and turned it into one of the best, and fastest racing games on the market! I couldn't believe how good this game is. Matter of fact, had not Test Drive 5 been released just this month (10/98), I would've said "Need For Speed III" was the greatest racing game ever released on the Playstation. 

Since I already mentioned the "T" word (Test Drive 5). I will make comments on both games in this review. Both games are so similar, and so good, that I feel one cannot be mentioned without bringing up the other. I won't however turn this review into a "shootout" so to speak.

First, some facts: "Need for Speed III" features real licensed cars, that actually look and feel, like the cars they are being modeled after. There are multiple real-world tracks, options to race mirrored tracks or night races. There are varied weather conditions. There is a cop chase mode, called Hot Pursuit, as well as Single races, Tournaments, Knockout racing and Practice. Split screen racing, tire spikes, and road blocks too. The tracks aren't short either. All are long, and will take some time to remember.  With a few exceptions, these options are all very similar to the options available in Test Drive 5. 

NFSIII licensed cars include: Ferrari 550 Maranello, Ferrari 355 F1, Lamborghini  Diablo SV, Lamborghini Countach 25th, Mercedes CLK-GTR, 98 Corvette C5, Jaguar Sport XJR-15, and Italdesign Nazca C2. Not all are available at first. You must place first in the "tournaments" to unlock hidden cars (Get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd to move to next race). As you open tracks at the tournament level, they becomes available at the track selection screen. If you win the tournament at the "expert" setting, all cars and tracks become available.

There is a decent selection of tracks too. As I said before, they can be raced mirrored, or even backwards. This adds much replayability to the game. The tracks include: Hometown, Redrock Ridge, Atlantica, Rocky Pass, Country Woods, Lost Canyons, Aquatica, and The Summit. The first 4 of these are immediatly available, the others must be opened up. There are even some shortcuts, to keep the game from getting stale. 

Two seperate modes are available too. Arcade, or Simulation (Both in TD5). This makes a world of difference. Now, anyone, with any skill level can play this game and have a good time.

Graphically, the game is top notch. Lots of shadows, and other light sourcing really set this game apart. At times, you actually feel as if you are driving down these country roads. I couldn't believe the first time I raced the Hometown track. The leaves actually looked like real leaves lying on the track! There aren't any problems with pop-up, or driving through things (like cars) either. Definetely a good looking game.

One of the best things about this game is the cop mode. They will chase you, ram you, or whatever it takes to get you pulled over (spikes, roadblocks). It's not like some other games where you immediatly pull over once you see a cop. The AI is near perfect! This mode is literally a blast to play.

The game is very fast, and tightly programmed. It is strong and consistant. It all just blends right from start to finish. Crash recovery is quick, and racing is tight. The computer AI is dead right. Analog compatibility makes it all the better too. No more sloppy digital pads to deal with.

So is it better then Test Drive 5, you ask? Well, I think this is better left for personal opinion. I personally perfer Test Drive 5 slightly over Need For Speed III.  I will say this though. Need for speed is more solid in what it does. It is always fast, no graphic flaws, and never annoying. There are none of the flaws present I find in TD5. Namely: Cheap computer shots (ramming cars), Slow crash recovery, Graphic flaws, and the problem of feeling extremely fast most of the time but slow as snot at others. My main feeling is this, NFSIII is the better game for what it has. It's just that Test Drive 5 has so much more. More tracks, more cars, more variations, ect...  Truth is though, you can't go wrong with either!
 

RATINGS
GRAPHICS 97%
SOUND 95%
GAMEPLAY 98%
ORIGINALITY 96%
REPLAY VALUE 95%
OVERALL 96%