First Need for Speed game with police chase.
The game was released in 1998, just a year after Need for Speed II. The difference is significant. First, the game modes: Knockout, Tournament, and, of course, Hot Pursuit, where multiple police cars try to ruin the race for you. Of course, there was also the classic single race mode.
The maps are very interesting; they usually give you opportunities for speeding, along with some tricky corners that test your car control. I think the most recognisable one is Hometown—you’ll see it in most YouTube videos. The car selection is unfortunately limited. Not all cars are available at the beginning, as there’s an unlock system where you win races and tournaments to get more cars. I understand they were trying to add a sense of progression, but I find it an unnecessary limitation. I think being able to select any car from the start and then upgrading it after winning races would have been a better approach, but hey, it was 1998!
Now let’s talk about the “title” feature: Hot Pursuit. This is the mode where you get chased by the police. Their main tactic is to ram you into a corner and give you a ticket. Personally, I don’t find this fun. Often, when I’m doing great in a race, I get rammed by a random police car, which ends up costing me the win. Then I have to restart, which I find boring. In theory, it sounds like a good idea, and I’m sure many people enjoy it, but it’s just not for me.
The graphics and weather effects are excellent. You can clearly see the upgrade from NFS II SE. I played the game with a Voodoo 2 card and a Pentium II 450, and the framerate was stable.
NFS III is a good game with interesting maps, decent cars, and multiple gameplay options. The police chases could be fun if that’s your thing. I wish there were a way to test the multiplayer and see if it’s any good, but unfortunately, I don’t have a way to try it unless I magically clone myself. Overall, I’d recommend giving this game a try if you’re looking for a fun racing game without too many fiddly bits.
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Hardware Specs used in the video:
Gigabyte GA-6BXC
Intel Pentium II MMX 450mhz
128MB SDRam
S3 Trio3D/2X
3DFX Voodoo II
Creative SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 (SB0100)
40GB Seagate HDD (IDE)
Microsoft Sidewinder Gamepad
