Road & Track Presents The Need for Speed

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NeedforSpeed title.png

Road & Track Presents The Need for Speed
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer:
Genre: Racing

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
US
$49.9549.95[3] T-5009H
Sega Saturn
EU
T-5009H-50
Sega Saturn
BR
R$69.9969.99[4] 193246

Road & Track Presents The Need for Speed, is a racing game developed by Pioneer Productions and published by Electronic Arts for a number of consoles including the Sega Saturn.

In Japan, this game was significantly altered and released as Nissan Presents Over Drivin' GT-R.

Gameplay

Cars

Ferrari 512TR
The Ferrari 512TR derives from the popular Ferrari Testarossa model (the star of Sega's arcade classic, OutRun). Only 512 vehicles were ever produced.
Toyota Supra Turbo
The Toyota Supra Turbo
Acura NSX
The Acura NSX is an Acura-badged version of the Honda NSX, renamed for North American consumers.
Mazda RX-7
The Mazda RX-7
Porsche 911 Carrera
The Porsche 911 Carrera
Dodge Viper RT/10
The Dodge Viper RT/10
Corvette ZR-1
The Corvette ZR-1
Lamborghini Diablo VT
The Lamborghini Diablo VT
Warrior PTO E/2
The Warrior is a fictional secret car powered by jet fuel.

Magazine articles

Main article: Road & Track Presents The Need for Speed/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Game Players (US) #0908: "Vol. 9 No. 8 August 1996" (1996-07-09)
also published in:
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Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) #10: "August 1996" (1996-07-20)
also published in:
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Print advert in Player One (FR) #66: "Juillet/Août 1996" (1996-0x-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

History

Development

The Need for Speed was developed in part by Electronic Arts Canada, previously known as Distinctive Software. As a racing game attempting to simulate the feel of driving, it can therefore be seen as a spiritual successor to The Duel: Test Drive II (1990's Test Drive III: The Passion being developed by a different team for Accolade).

Versions

The Saturn version of The Need for Speed derives from the DOS version, which in turn was an enhanced port of the 3DO original. While outputting at a smaller resolution, the Saturn shares many of the new textures introduced in the PC version and retains most of the new gameplay options (and adds a two-player split-screen option too). It also runs much faster than its 3DO counterpart, partly due to the console's improved performance (being able to output a stable 30FPS versus the 3DO's wavering 15FPS), but also due to design changes in the PC game to make The Need for Speed feel faster.

Whereas the horizon rotates slightly when going around corners in the 3DO version of the game, on the Saturn it remains fixed at all times. Unlike all other versions, gages in the cockpit view do not function at all on the Saturn, with these details being relegated to a much larger HUD. The Saturn version also allows users to select the time of day which is not seen in older versions.

While the PC version is generally considered to be the definitive version of the game, only high-end machines could utilise the game's top graphical settings in 1995. The PC version is also restricted to 8-bit colour, as opposed to the 16-bit or 32-bit colour depths found in the console ports.

The PlayStation adaption improves on what is found on the Saturn, re-introducing some of the minor details lost in the Saturn conversion while adding new lighting effects. Cruicially the PlayStation port is the only version to include in-game music, however its uncapped framerate means the game appears more "juddery" than its Saturn counterpart, as frame rates average between 30-35 FPS. Console additions would be re-introduced to the PC in the form of Road & Track Presents The Need For Speed SE in 1996.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
77 №19, p128/129[8]
89 №2, p90[9]
90 №56, p158
60 №177, p79[2]
90
93 №55, p87
90 №46, p66/67[10]
96 №66, p127
80 №82
75 №9, p64/65[11]
Sega Saturn
84
Based on
10 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
576 KByte (HU)
94
[12]
CD Consoles (FR) PAL
80
[13]
Consoles News (FR) PAL
89
[9]
Consoles + (FR)
90
[14]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
50
[2]
Digitiser (UK) PAL
68
[15]
Fun Generation (DE) PAL
90
[16]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
90
[3]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
78
[17]
Joypad (FR) PAL
93
[18]
Kiber Zona (LT)
80
[19]
Level (TR)
75
[20]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
59
[21]
Mega Force (FR) PAL
86
[22]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
88
[23]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
90
[10]
neXt Level (DE) PAL
80
[24]
Player One (FR)
96
[25]
Sega News (CZ)
81
[26]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
80
[27]
Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL
75
[11]
Total Saturn (UK) PAL
90
[28]
Ultra Player (FR)
83
[29]
Video Games (DE) PAL
73
[30]
Sega Saturn
82
Based on
24 reviews

Road & Track Presents The Need for Speed

Saturn, US
RaTPTNFS Saturn US Box Back.jpgRaTPTNFS Saturn US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Needforspeed sat us manual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, EU
RaTPTNFS Saturn EU Box.jpg
Cover
RaTPTNFS Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, BR

References

  1. File:CVG UK 177.pdf, page 52
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 File:CVG UK 177.pdf, page 79 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 177.pdf_p79" defined multiple times with different content
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 File:GamePro US 096.pdf, page 74 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:GamePro US 096.pdf_p74" defined multiple times with different content
  4. 4.0 4.1 http://www.tectoy.com.br/releases/index.htm (Wayback Machine: 1998-06-25 19:48)
  5. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "August 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 66
  6. Computer & Video Games, "August 1996" (UK; 1996-07-11), page 62
  7. CD Consoles, "Juillet/Août 1996" (FR; 1996-xx-xx), page 6
  8. File:CDConsoles FR 19.pdf, page 118
  9. 9.0 9.1 File:ConsolesNews FR 02.pdf, page 90 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ConsolesNews FR 02.pdf_p90" defined multiple times with different content
  10. 10.0 10.1 File:MeanMachinesSega46UK.pdf, page 66 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega46UK.pdf_p66" defined multiple times with different content
  11. 11.0 11.1 File:SSM UK 09.pdf, page 64 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SSM UK 09.pdf_p64" defined multiple times with different content
  12. 576 KByte, "Július-Augusztus 1996" (HU; 1996-xx-xx), page 14
  13. CD Consoles, "Juillet/Août 1996" (FR; 1996-xx-xx), page 128
  14. Consoles +, "Juillet/Août 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 158
  15. Digitiser (UK) (1996-07-18)
  16. Fun Generation, "09/96" (DE; 1996-08-14), page 76
  17. Game Informer, "August 1996" (US; 1996-0x-xx), page 50
  18. Joypad, "Juillet/Août 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 87
  19. Kiber Zona, "1/1998" (LT; 1998-xx-xx), page 39
  20. Level, "4/97" (TR; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
  21. MAN!AC, "09/96" (DE; 1996-08-14), page 71
  22. Mega Force, "Été 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 64
  23. Mega Fun, "08/96" (DE; 1996-07-17), page 80
  24. neXt Level, "September 1996" (DE; 1996-08-14), page 73
  25. Player One, "Juillet/Août 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 127
  26. Sega News, "Listopad 1996" (CZ; 1996-1x-xx), page 21
  27. Sega Power, "Collectors' Issue 1996" (UK; 1996-07-xx), page 48
  28. Total Saturn, "Volume One Issue Four" (UK; 1996-12-29), page 58
  29. Ultra Player, "Juillet/Août 1996" (FR; 1996-07-02), page 84
  30. Video Games, "8/96" (DE; 1996-07-31), page 115