Need for Speed (abbreviation: NFS) is a multiplatform racing video game series with the first game The Need for Speed being released on August 31, 1994.
On October 21, 2009, Electronic Arts announced the franchise had sold over 100 million units, making Need for Speed the most commercially successful racing game series at the time, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted being the best selling game in the series with 16 million copies sold.[1]
Games
| Game | Release | Meta | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed | Aug 31, 1994 | - | 3DO, PC, PS1, Saturn |
| Need for Speed II | Apr 30, 1997 | 71 | PC, PS1 |
| Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit | Mar 25, 1998 | 88 | PC, PS1 |
| Need for Speed: High Stakes | Mar 1, 1999 | 86 | PC, PS1 |
| Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed | Feb 29, 2000 | 78 | GBA, PC, PS1 |
| Motor City Online | Oct 29, 2001 | 73 | PC |
| Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 | Sep 30, 2002 | 89 | GC, PC, PS2, Xbox |
| Need for Speed: Underground | Nov 17, 2003 | 85 | Arcade, GBA, GC, PC, PS2, Xbox |
| Need for Speed: Underground 2 | Nov 9, 2004 | 82 | DS, GBA, GC, Phone, PC, PS2, Xbox |
| Need for Speed: Underground Rivals | Feb 24, 2005 | 74 | PSP |
| Need for Speed: Most Wanted | Nov 11, 2005 | 83 | 360, DS, GBA, GC, PC, Phone, PS2, Xbox |
| Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0 | Nov 15, 2005 | 72 | PSP |
| Need for Speed: Carbon | Oct 31, 2006 | 78 | 360, Arcade, GC, Mac, Phone, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox |
| Need for Speed: Carbon - Own The City | Oct 31, 2006 | 73 | DS, GBA, PSP, Zeebo |
| Need for Speed: ProStreet | Nov 13, 2007 | 74 | 360, DS, Phone, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii |
| Need for Speed: Undercover | Nov 17, 2008 | 65 | 360, BB, DS, iOS, Phone, N-Gage, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox |
| Need for Speed: Shift | Sep 15, 2009 | 84 | 360, And, BB, iOS, Phone, PC, PS3, PSP |
| Need for Speed: Nitro | Nov 2, 2009 | 70 | DS, Wii |
| Need for Speed: World | Jul 27, 2010 | 62 | PC |
| Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) | Nov 16, 2010 | 89 | 360, And, iOS, PC, PS3, Win Phone |
| Shift 2: Unleashed | Mar 29, 2011 | 84 | 360, iOS, PC, PS3 |
| Need for Speed: The Run | Nov 15, 2011 | 69 | 360, 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii |
| Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) | Oct 30, 2012 | 86 | 360, And, iOS, PC, PS3, Wii U |
| Need for Speed: Rivals | Nov 15, 2013 | 80 | 360, PC, PS3, PS4, X1 |
| Need for Speed: No Limits | Sep 30, 2015 | 67 | And, iOS |
| Need for Speed (2015) | Nov 3, 2015 | 68 | PC, PS4, X1 |
| Need for Speed: Payback | Nov 10, 2017 | 68 | PC, PS4, X1 |
| Need for Speed: Edge | Dec 14, 2017 | 62 | PC |
| Need for Speed: Heat | Nov 8, 2019 | 74 | PC, PS4, X1 |
| Need for Speed Mobile | Q32022 | And, iOS | |
| Need for Speed (2022) | FY23 | PC, PS5, XSX/S |
Remasters
Remastered entries in the Need for Speed series are re-releases of games that had been previously released at an earlier date or for an earlier console generation. Their content is generally towards utilising as much of the original game as possible as well as including quality of life additions or alterations.
| Game | Release | Meta | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered | Nov 6, 2020 | 77 | PC, PS4, Switch, X1 |
Special Releases
Special Editions (Boxed)
Some entries in the Need for Speed series were sold through retail as boxed products with a unique edition alongside its regular boxed counterpart or re-released as a boxed unique special edition that included additional content.
Special Editions (Downloadable)
Some entries in the Need for Speed series were sold with downloadable content available through online stores that would include additional content for a regular edition of a game.
| Game | Release | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Need for Speed: Carbon Collector's Edition Upgrade | Nov 2, 2006 | 360, PC, PS3 |
| Need for Speed: Carbon EA Downloader Edition | Nov 1, 2006 | PC |
| Need for Speed: ProStreet Collector's Edition Upgrade | Nov 13, 2007 | 360, PC, PS3 |
| Need for Speed: Undercover Collector's Edition Upgrade | Nov 17, 2008 | 360, PS3 |
| Need for Speed: Nitro-X | Nov 15, 2010 | DSi |
| Need for Speed: The Run - Heroes and Villains Plus Limited Edition Upgrade | Feb 28, 2012 | 360, PS3 |
| Need for Speed (2015) Deluxe Edition Upgrade | Nov 3, 2015 | PC, PS4, X1 |
| Need for Speed: Payback Deluxe Edition Upgrade | Nov 7, 2017 | PC, PS4, X1 |
| Need for Speed: Heat Deluxe Edition Upgrade | Nov 8, 2019 | PC, PS4, X1 |
Unique Localisations
Many games in the Need for Speed series are localised for multiple languages, but some unique localisations are re-releases that include altered content for promotional purposes in the region, are released only for a specific region, or have been edited into a region specific product.
| Game | Release | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Road & Track Presents: Over Drivin' DX - Rally Edition | March 13, 1996 | PS1 (JP) |
| Road & Track Presents: Over Drivin' DX | April 19, 1996 | PS1 (JP) |
| Nissan Presents: Over Drivin' GT-R | Dec 20, 1996 | Sega Saturn (JP) |
| Nissan Presents: Over Drivin' Skyline Memorial | Oct 2, 1997 | PS1 (JP) |
| Need for Speed: Underground J-Tune | Jun 24, 2004 | PS2 (JP) |
| Need for Speed: Underground 2 Sha_Do | Jul 14, 2005 | PS2 (JP) |
| Need for Speed: Duel | Aug 24, 2016 | Android (CH) |
| Need for Speed: Online | 2017 | PC (CH) |
Arcade Cabinets
Multiple games in the Need for Speed series have been adapted into coin operated arcade cabinets by Global VR.
| Game | Release | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Need for Speed (Arcade) | Sep 30, 2003 | Arcade Cabinet (USA) |
| Need for Speed: GT | Mar, 2004 | Arcade Cabinet (USA) |
| Need for Speed: Underground (Arcade) | Spring 2005 | Arcade Cabinet (USA) |
| Need for Speed: Carbon (Arcade) | June, 2008 | Arcade Cabinet (USA) |
Virtual Reality
Some games in the Need for Speed series have been re-released for platform specific virtual reality hardware.
| Game | Release | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Need for Speed: No Limits VR | Dec 15, 2015 | Android (Daydream) |
Compilations
Various games in the Need for Speed series have been bundled together and re-released as a single bundled product for specific regions and platforms.
| Game | Release | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| The Need for Speed Collection | Oct 14, 2003 | PC |
| The World of Need for Speed | Jun 21, 2005 | PC |
| Need for Speed: Collector's Series | Nov 14, 2006 | PC, PS2 |
| Need for Speed: Deluxe Bundle | Dec 1, 2016 | PC |
| Need for Speed: Ultimate Bundle | Dec 21, 2017 | PC, PS4, X1 |
Web Browser
Browser games were developed as promotional tie-ins for films such as Top Speed or as exclusive games for Electronic Arts' EA Platinum subscription service.
| Game | Release | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Need for Speed: Web Racing | 2001 | PC |
| Need for Speed: Top Speed | Oct 1, 2002 | PC |
Films
| Film | Release | Formats |
|---|---|---|
| Need for Speed | Mar 12, 2014 | Anamorphic (2D, 3D), IMAX (2D, 3D) |
| Need for Speed 2 | TBA | TBA |
Card Games
| Game | Release | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Need for Speed Trading Card Game | 2007 | Card Game |
| Need for Speed Trading Card Game: Beach Blitz | 2007 | Card Game Expansion |
| Need for Speed Trading Card Game: Canyon Rush | 2007 | Card Game Expansion |
| Need for Speed Trading Card Game: Downtown Rush | 2007 | Card Game Expansion |
Gallery
Trivia
- "The Need for Speed" is a quote by Peter "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun, a 1986 action drama film directed by Tony Scott about United States Naval Officers training at the U.S. Navy's Fighter Weapons School. It stars Tom Cruise as Peter "Maverick" Mitchell, and Anthony Edwards as Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, whom share a line of dialogue prior to a training exercise; "I feel the need... the need for speed!"[2]
- The Black Edition of Need for Speed: Most Wanted was released to mark the series' 10th anniversary.
- Need for Speed: Heat marks the series' 25th anniversary.
- Need for Speed 64[3], a 64-bit entry in the series for the Nintendo 64 was being worked by Paradigm Entertainment alongside EA Canada, but altered during development into Beetle Adventure Racing after EA signed a deal with Volkswagen to create a game around the New Beetle.[4]
- Early entries in the V-Rally series are often mistaken for being part of the Need for Speed series. They were published by Infogrames, and developed by one of its teams which would later become Eden Games. However, Electronic Arts bought the publishing rights to the series for North America and associated it with their Need for Speed brand to make up for the lacking interest for rallying at the time within the United States:
- V-Rally, published in Europe by Infogrames for the PlayStation in July 1997 as V-Rally: 97 Championship Edition, was published in North America by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation on November 4, 1997 as Need for Speed: V-Rally.
- V-Rally 2, published in Europe by Infogrames for the PlayStation on June 30, 1999 as V-Rally 2: Championship Edition, was published in North America by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation on November 16, 1999 as Need for Speed: V-Rally 2, and later published in North America by Infogrames for the Dreamcast on October 18, 2000 as Test Drive V-Rally.
References
- ↑ Article: gamespot.com (2009) Need for Speed series sells 100M, Shift moves 309K. Available at: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/need-for-speed-series-sells-100m-shift-moves-309k/1100-6237491/
- ↑ Top Gun. Directed by Tony Scott, Paramount Pictures, 1986. Film. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e2qZXoK0GI&t=4s
- ↑ NEXT Generation, 1998. (46), p.96. Available at: https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_46/page/n99/mode/2up
- ↑ NEXT Generation, 1999. (53), p.91. Available at: https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_53/page/n91/mode/2up
