- rated E for Everyone.
- Suround Sound.
Product description
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Item is Game Only
.com
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Few racing games for the PlayStation can approach Need for Speed
III: Hot Pursuit in terms of car selection, track layout, and
sheer fun. Combine the game's quality with the fact that it was
added to the PlayStation's bargain Greatest Hits collection, and
you have a title that deserves to be in the library of any racing
fan.
Hot Pursuit gets its name from our favorite mode of gameplay, in
which players try to exceed the reach of the long arm of the law
by greatly exceeding the speed limit. The ultimate goal is to
beat your nent to the finish line, but usually it's hard
enough just dodging oncoming traffic, swerving around
roadblocks (complete with spike strips), and trying to keep
pursuit vehicles from slamming you off the road. It's nearly as
fun to watch replays as it is to race, and we've only discussed
one of the game's five types of play. This diverse, fast-paced
racer is definitely a keeper. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
* Nearly perfect arcade racing action
* Nice graphics, special effects, and sounds Cons:* Some modes of
play are incredibly difficult
* Can't play as the
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Review
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When Need for Speed was originally released for the 3DO a few
years back, it was without question the definitive driving game
of its time. Since then, the PlayStation has seen three titles
bearing the Need for Speed title: Need for Speed, Need for Speed
II, and Need for Speed: V-Rally. All were fair, but none was ever
considered the dominant racing game that the first was.
A big part of the original Need for Speed that made it more than
just another racing game was the chases. In the first
game, the cops would chase you, and if they caught you, they
would lock you up. For some reason this aspect of the game was
excluded from the sequel. But Need for Speed III not only has the
cops in it, but it has a whole new hot-pursuit game mode that
lets you simply try to outrun the law. Actually, there are five
game modes included in Need for Speed III: single race,
tournament, knockout, practice, and, of course, hot pursuit mode.
Tournament is your main deal that allows you to go through a
racing tour to try to win first place. The game has eight cars
and eight tracks, not all of which are selectable from the start.
Instead, the game makes you earn them by completing the first
tracks that are open. Some of the big-name cars featured in the
game include Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Chevrolet.
Visually, Need for Speed III is one of the best-looking racing
games on any system. Most games in the genre have been plagued
with what is called "pop-up" - that's where the background off in
the distance seems to appear or pop up out of nowhere. The
developers of Need for Speed III have managed to cover this
constant annoyance with some clever tricks that nearly hide all
of the pop-up. All of the cars look incredibly real, but it's the
little things like the lighting effects from the lights on the
cars and the smoke pouring off the tires that really make
the game look convincingly real. One of the neatest effects I
have seen in any game is when the lightning strikes off in the
distance when you're racing at night and the whole sky lights up.
It's really amazing.
The sound in Need for Speed III is quite good. The game allows
you to choose your musical preference of either techno or rock.
The game has a lot of customizable options to select from at the
beginning of each race. You can choose to drive at night or in
the day, during a rainstorm or a clear evening, and you can
choose whether you would like to race in arcade or simulation
mode. All of these variables affect the control of the car in
some form or another. For instance, the car is obviously harder
to handle in the rain than it is in the clear. In arcade mode,
the car is significantly more maneuverable than in simulation
mode.
Overall, the gameplay is extremely tight and manageable, making
the game incredibly fun to play.Although, quite honestly, the
real reason that Need for Speed III is so much fun to play is the
hot pursuit mode. You race in this mode to either get to the end
of the track or to get to the end of the track before your
computer or human nent. Of course, the whole time you are
being pursued by officials who try to box you in and force
you off the road. If you do well enough, the will bring
out the tire spikes and set up a little roadblock for you to get
around. It's really a whole lot of fun to play, especially with
the cops always screaming at you to pull over and telling you
this is your last warning. The two-player split-screen mode is
one of the best two-player modes I have seen in a driving game.
Need for Speed III is one of the best times I have had playing a
racing game. Even after I have gone through and won the
tournament mode and the bonus cars and tracks, I still
can't get enough of hot pursuit mode. I think I'll be playing
this one for quite some time. --Ryan Mac Donald
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