I've just been given a copy of the PC CD-ROM version of The Need For
Speed.
Wow!
Why can't Papyrus and Microprose do stuff like this?
The graphics are excellent, I like the idea of the interlaced high res
mode. I means I can run 640X480 mode on a DX266 at a fairly good
frame rate.
One question, If we can have flips and rolls when you crash in TNFS,
why not in NASCAR?
Jed
Some people actually want more effort put into what the car does when it's
_not_ crashing. Call me crazy but...
Its basically an arcade game made by Electronic Arts
in conjunction with Road and Track who supplied all of the tech
stuff. It runs silky smooth in SVGA will all details set at
maximum on my P5 120.
It contains cars including ZR-1, NSX, Viper, Supra, 911, RX-7
and others (kind of like the old Test Drive series). All
include digitized instrument pannels and accurate physics
models based on the Road and Track tests.
The retail version will inlclude 10 minute video clips about
each car and various tracks, including highways and other
roads.
The demo can be obtained EA's web site I think, they have been
having trouble with uploading it.
All in all its a pretty slick demo, now only if Nascar for
Win95 will run as smooth...
--
Eric T. Busch
Emory University
I agree
I downloaded the 27M Need 4 speed demo a few days ago and when I finally
got the directory structure in place (thanks to Allen Clarke and no
thanks to EA for continually screwing up) I had a go.
The gameplay does not even come close to Nascar. You just hold the
accelerator down and point the car through the corners, with the
occasional bit of understeer into a wall or a barrier that sometimes
leads to a roll.
I have mixed feelings about the graphics, OK they are detailed and very
smooth (SVGA, high detail, far vanishing point is just about playable on
my dx4/120, but SVGA medium detail is absolutely smooth.) There must be
a very good graphics engine in there to produce this kind of performance.
BUT: I think that the textures and particularly the palette is shite, it
all looks so false and gaudy.
The sound of the Viper is a bit coarse (SB 16) and 'quantised' but maybe
the 'real' viper does sound like that.
There two great movie sequences in this demo with a great soundtrack.
Overall in my opinion this game has lots of interesting bits outside the
actual game, but the game itself is not realistic enough.
I played it for about half an hour, then got bored. I still go back to
play Nascar for hours at a time.
Just my two pence (UK)
Richard Miles
Aged old Gentleman Mark Booth writes:
"Someone talking sense at last! The Need for Speed is no more than a weak
arcade game with pretty graphics - not unlike the sort of game I used to play
on my ST years ago. In my opinion it cannot even come close to the complexity
and long term appeal of F1GP and IRC".
At this point Mark started waving his walking stick about, shouting his dis-
approval of the Thrustmaster T1 and oval NASCAR tracks, and complaining that
things 'weren't like this in his day'. He then collapsed into a pool of his
own urine and had to be rushed to hospital.
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In the demo, when you flip and roll, you see it from the outside of the
car. I would imagine that the physics model may not be activated during
that phase (or at least as accurately as it is when driving). Besides,
those rich boys' cars don't have roof flaps to keep 'em from flippin. ;)
I am impressed with the demo though. Will be worth the money to get it
(though it does remind me somewhat of Ridge Racer for the Playstation...
Steve Fuller - INS Volunteer Support Geek and Mascot
Husband to Kathy, Father to Conor, slave to the almighty Dollar
>I am real impressed, the graphics are great, and head to head play
>sounds great. I have ICR, looked at Nascar, but was turned off by the
>low frame rate. If the game plays as smooth as the demo, I think it
>will be on my HD for a long time.
How's the realism?? Nobody has told me what this program Need for
Speed is like.
Go #6 Mark Martin and #16 Ted Musgrave - Jack Roush Racing!!
NASCAR Racing!!
http://innet.com/~sean/nascar/nascar.html <--NASCAR Racing Sim page
