Need for Speed (Series)

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.

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

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.

Game	Release	Platforms
The Need for Speed: Special Edition	1996	PC
Need for Speed II: Special Edition	Nov 6, 1997	PC
Need for Speed: Porsche - 40 Jahre 911	Nov 13, 2003	PC
Need for Speed: Most Wanted Black Edition	Nov 15, 2005	PC, PS2, Xbox
Need for Speed: Carbon Collector's Edition	Oct 31, 2006	360, PC, PS2
Need for Speed: ProStreet Limited Edition	Nov 13, 2007	360
Need for Speed: Shift Special Edition	Sep 15, 2009	360, PS3
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) Limited Edition	Nov 16, 2010	360, PC, PS3
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) EA Crew Edition	Holiday 2010	PC
Shift 2: Unleashed Limited Edition	Mar 29, 2011	360, PC, PS3
Need for Speed: The Run Limited Edition	Nov 15, 2011	360, PC, PS3
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) Limited Edition	Oct 30, 2012	360, PC, PS3
Need for Speed: Rivals Limited Edition	Nov 15, 2013	360, PC, PS3, PS4, X1
Need for Speed: Rivals Complete Edition	Oct 21, 2014	360, PC, PS3, PS4, X1
Need for Speed (2015) Deluxe Edition	Nov 3, 2015	PC, PS4, X1
Need for Speed: Payback Deluxe Edition	Nov 7, 2017	PC, PS4, X1
Need for Speed: Heat Deluxe Edition	Nov 8, 2019	PC, PS4, X1
Need for Speed: Heat Collector's Edition	Nov 8, 2019	PC, PS4, X1

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

Promotional

Need for Speed: Top Speed was released on October 1, 2002 as part of America Online's online-only AOL Games' First Play programming initiative. It was used to promote both MacGillivray Freeman's 2002 IMAX film; Top Speed, and the all-new Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

Game	Release	Platforms
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

Need for Speed 20th Anniversary

20th Anniversary

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!"
• 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, 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.
• 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.