NFS2!!!

Wow! What a fantastic game! It blew away my expectations, even after playing the demo. I had Sabre Ace, but with all it's flaws and the fact that Eagle Interactive said they weren't going to make a patch to fix things like the viewing system, I returned it today for NFS2. I'm very glad I did! If you like racing games, this one is just pure eyecandy! It screams! Hawker

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> Wow! What a fantastic game! It blew away my expectations, even after > playing the demo. I had Sabre Ace, but with all it's flaws and the fact > that Eagle Interactive said they weren't going to make a patch to fix > things like the viewing system, I returned it today for NFS2. I'm very > glad I did! If you like racing games, this one is just pure eyecandy! It > screams! > Hawker

I couldn't have said it better myself. The SE (Special Edition) version which has Glide support is awesome. Played against my buddy for about 6 hours on the day he bought it, and the frame rate is not to be believed. It's pure entertainment with a killer adrenaline rush. Most fun I've had to date. Doug

How much do I like this game? Well, now that I just realized I've been playing it for the past 10 hours straight (6:00pm - 4:00am), I'd say it's pretty darn fun! It's well worth every penny (34.95 at CompUSA). Hawker

> If you like racing games, this one is just pure eyecandy! Unfortunately you are exactly right, NFS2SE is "just pure eyecandy". Silly me, I was hoping for *gameplay* (you know, like NFS1 had), so NFS2 lasted about two days until I got hopelessly bored with it. Joe

snip Just curious, Joe, but what do you mean by "gameplay"? I've never played NFS1 and would like to know what the difference is. Thanks. Doug

>Just curious, Joe, but what do you mean by "gameplay"? I've never >played NFS1 and would like to know what the difference is. Thanks. NFS1 had two main features that gave it great gameplay - 1) open, non-cicuit tracks (e.g., a 10-mile city track, a long Coastal track, and another long track through the mountains - the tracks were actually so long they were broken into three seperate stages). The tracks were very realistic and fun to drive, with varying levels of difficulty (but again done realistically, not the stupid blind-sharp corners NFS2 relies on for "difficulty"). The other feature was cops you would occasionally run into during races. The combination of cops, open roads, and traffic on them made for an incredibly ***ive, replayable game - that's what I mean by *gameplay*. I had some replays of long car chases saved that looked more like a scene out of a movie than a video game (kind of like those cop chase videos FOX shows sometimes - except you were IN it, not watching it). The accidents were also incredible, much more realistic and spectacular. I remember this one chase that went on and on through the Coastal track, and I was almost to the checkpoint (i.e., which would mean I got away from the cops). I was weaving in and out of traffic, and then I crested this one last "blind" hill on the wrong side of the road - and ran head-on into a truck I couldn't see coming. I can still remember the accident - cars flying through the air, flipping over and over. It FELT like a head-on accident, as opposed to the stupid "100 ton tank effect" accidents in NFS2. There is just NOTHING even remotely resembling this kind of great gameplay in NFS2 (nor in any other modern racing game for that matter). Frankly if you compare the two NFS2 just plain SUCKS as a computer game, whearas NFS1 can only be described as a masterpiece. It's too bad it was apparently a fluke, since the drones at EA don't seem to have the slightest idea what it was that made NFS1 so great. Joe

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> snip > > Unfortunately you are exactly right, NFS2SE is "just pure eyecandy". > > Silly me, I was hoping for *gameplay* (you know, like NFS1 had), so > > NFS2 lasted about two days until I got hopelessly bored with it. > > Joe > Just curious, Joe, but what do you mean by "gameplay"? I've never > played NFS1 and would like to know what the difference is. Thanks. > Doug

If you like NFS2 you will go nuts over NFS1 -- the cars were more controllable, it was more of a SIM than an arcade game in the way the cards handled and what happened .. It was VERY immersive to say the least. One measure is this: THere are over 100 new tracks for NFS1 on the net ... I haven't found any for NFS2 (and yes, there is an editor for NFS2 as well) ... Guess more people got e***d about NFS 1 ... If you see it on the bargain bin, but it .. .the cd audio rocks as well. full redbook cd.

I should clarify something, I mean NFS2 SE!!! the 3DFX version. I also loved NFS1, but the way this one looks and the liquid smooth frame rates can't be beat! Hawker

I agree with Hawker completely. I was a big fan of NFS which except for poor controller support was a great game. The controller support was fixed in NFS SE and this is now a classic. NFS2 for Win95 was a joke, requiring a P200MMX to get even a half decent framerate. This was very much inferior to NFS1. Then came NFS2 SE with 3dfx support. This changed everything. Incredible smooth graphics, great frame rate, full controller support, excellent handling model (Better than NFS1), great opponent AI. This arcade racer has it all, quite simply the best ever !! John Cookson

I've had NFS2SE for a while now, and it kicks ass. I don't care about cops, I've seen them in Test Drive, and they don't really do anything. How can they catch you in the cars you drive? -- <<Phoenix>> snip

>Have you actually tried NFS2SE? NFS2SE is quite different from NFS2. I own it. How is it "quite different"? One new track, a few new cars - that's the only difference I can find (aside from the 3dfx graphics and frame-rate, obviously). Joe

>The eye candy is a bonus ! The eye candy is the whole damn game - there's just nothing else there. Joe

There is not a chance on this Joe ! You and I will never agree on this one. NFS2-SE with 3dfx is truly wonderful The handling, AI etc is in a different league and this game is so smooth, I cannot believe it is for Win95. (Most Win95 games are not smooth at all.) I loved NFS1 but have to admit this is better. The eye candy is a bonus !

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> There is not a chance on this Joe ! > You and I will never agree on this one. > NFS2-SE with 3dfx is truly wonderful > The handling, AI etc is in a different league and this game is so > smooth, I cannot believe it is for Win95. (Most Win95 games are > not smooth at all.) > I loved NFS1 but have to admit this is better. > The eye candy is a bonus !

Skip the***pit view - skip my money... I loved the graphics (in the demo) but removing the***pit view! ...maybe Don B. was right about the***pit problem on Voodoo? 8^) 8^) l8er ronny -- |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

>>The eye candy is a bonus ! >The eye candy is the whole damn game - there's just nothing else >there. >Joe If you set the mode to "simulation", the car handling is almost equivalent to NFS1 if not better. The things missing from NFS2SE are open tracks and cops...but the graphics makes up for the loss.

> ...and no***pit view! I'll skip this "Special Edition"... I don't understand what the fuss is, having no***pit in an arcade racer. I much prefer full screen, no ridiculous self-turning wheel. What do you want to do with the***pit? Check your fuel? Water temperature? It's just (bad IMO) decoration. The full screen view has the same camera positioning as the original***pit, so, like I said, what's the actual issue? You are suppored to have your eyes on the road, yes? :-) Cheers, Mark Reading, UK

> I own it. How is it "quite different"? One new track, a few new cars - > that's the only difference I can find (aside from the 3dfx graphics > and frame-rate, obviously). I don't own the original, but don't you also get a mirror mode? I think it's just as valid an arcade racer as Moto Racer, Ridge Racer or Daytona USA - in some respects it out Daytona's Daytona on the PC. Set the handling to arcade and it feels very much like Daytona USA arcade. I've also had some _very_ late nights (early mornings) playing split screen with a friend - I can't afford 2 PCs. He can't get enough either. And the 3Dfx support makes a BIG difference. If that sort of thing didn't, why would people buy a Rendition card just for N2? I know I did, and reading various newsgroups, a lot of others did, too. Cheers, Mark Reading, UK

> I agree with Hawker completely. > I was a big fan of NFS which except for poor controller support > was a great game. The controller support was fixed in NFS SE > and this is now a classic. Hey John, I use a T2, can you tell me how to get rid of the dead zone around the straight ahead? You know the thing, that area of no response that's needed for analogue sticks. It makes tring to use the wheel a joke. I thought I'd tried all the sensitivity settings. I happy to use my MS gamepad, but would like to try it with the wheel being handled properly. Cheers, Mark Reading, UK

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>I don't understand what the fuss is, having no***pit in an arcade >racer. >I much prefer full screen, no ridiculous self-turning wheel. What do >you want to do with the***pit? Check your fuel? Water temperature? >It's just (bad IMO) decoration. The full screen view has the same >camera positioning as the original***pit, so, like I said, what's the >actual issue? You are suppored to have your eyes on the road, yes? :-)

You have a point. Most of the***pits don't do anything, other than add to the feel that you're "really" in a car. I agree with the original poster, though. I like driving games/sims that make it look like you're really in the car. I don't like the portrayal of a wheel since I'm using one to for control already, but I do like having the dash drawn in. Some do it brilliantly, like the original Rally Championship. Working wipers and snow sticking to the windshield were really nice effects that added a lot to the game. I was really disappointed to find the sequel dropped the***pit view when they added 3D support. It's just a matter of taste, I suppose, but from reading the newsgroups, not having***pits has cost NFS2 SE and International Rally Championship quite a few sales. --

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> >>The eye candy is a bonus ! > >The eye candy is the whole damn game - there's just nothing else > >there. > >Joe > If you set the mode to "simulation", the car handling is almost > equivalent to NFS1 if not better. The things missing from NFS2SE are > open tracks and cops...but the graphics makes up for the loss.

I disagree. IMO the open tracks and cops were the best part of NFS1, and the lack of a***pit view is a real downer. Without a***pit view it feels more like a rollerblade sim, and without the thrill of a police chase, there's just no fun in going round and round.

>If you set the mode to "simulation", the car handling is almost >equivalent to NFS1 if not better. It's not bad, but not as good as NFS1, where each car felt much like it's real-world counterpart. Which just happens to be the features that made NFS1 so great. Certainly not! The graphics look great, but in fact are no faster than the original NFS1, and in some ways are less functional (no***pit view). That certainly does not make up for the loss of major gameplay features, the very featrures that game NFS1 such a high replayability factor. Joe

>I don't own the original, but don't you also get a mirror mode? The SE version of NFS1 had that too. And about half a dozen other MAJOR features that were removed to make NFS2, a vastly inferior game. Sure - it's just not one-tenth the game of the original NFS1, which makes it a disapointment to me. Since you've never played the original I can see how you'd be fooled. Joe

Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 11:30:03 +0000 About: Re: NFS2 SE on 3dfx is truly awesome - One of the best ever !!! [e-mailed and posted, please reply to rec.autos.simulators if possible] If it had a***pit view, it wouldn't be so arcade :]. But anyway, here's what I like about***pits: 1) kph/mph meter, 2) rev meter, 3) turning wheel image (waiting for Force RS), 4) gearbox exactly like in NFS1/SE (the best gearbox display implementation to date), 5) it gives different cars a personality. You could really FEEL the difference in Need For Speed 1/SE, in NFS2, even more in***pitless SE/3Dfx they're all the same... Of course, the***pit should have working gauges on it - Test Drive 4 kinda blows from this aspect (as it does from many other aspects).

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> > I agree with Hawker completely. > snip > > Then came NFS2 SE with 3dfx support. This changed everything. > > Incredible smooth graphics, great frame rate, full controller > > support, excellent handling model (Better than NFS1), great > > opponent AI. This arcade racer has it all, quite simply the > > best ever !! > ...and no***pit view! I'll skip this "Special Edition"... > l8er > ronny > -- > |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, > ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. > |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, > '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

I have it on good authority that the***pit view was left out for a good reason - performance ... and that a patch for NFS2/SE is in teh works, but what it addresses I am not sure.

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> > ...and no***pit view! I'll skip this "Special Edition"... > I don't understand what the fuss is, having no***pit in an arcade > racer. > I much prefer full screen, no ridiculous self-turning wheel. What do > you want to do with the***pit? Check your fuel? Water temperature? > It's just (bad IMO) decoration. The full screen view has the same > camera positioning as the original***pit, so, like I said, what's the > actual issue? You are suppored to have your eyes on the road, yes? :-)

Well, it's a subjective preference, like anything on Usenet 8^) Even in an arcade racer I don't want to "fly" behind my car or 5cm above the tarmaque... l8er ronny -- |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!