The Need for Speed

The Need for Speed is a 1994 racing game developed by EA Canada, originally known as Pioneer Productions, and published by Electronic Arts for 3DO in 1994. It allows driving eight licensed sports cars in three point-to-point tracks either with or without a computer opponent. Checkpoints, traffic vehicles, and police pursuits appear in the races.

This article is about the first Need for Speed video game from 1994. For the series, see Need for Speed. For the 2015 video game, see Need for Speed (2015 video game). For the 2014 film, see Need for Speed (film). For other uses, see Need for Speed (disambiguation).

The Need for Speed
Developer(s)EA Canada
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Studios (MS-DOS, Windows)
Producer(s)Hanno Lemke
Programmer(s)Brad Gour
Artist(s)Markus Tessmann
Composer(s)Jeff van Dyck
Saki Kaskas
SeriesNeed for Speed
Platform(s)3DO, MS-DOS, Windows, PlayStation, Saturn
Release3DO
  • NA: December 1994
  • EU: December 2, 1994
MS-DOS
  • NA: September 1995
PlayStation
  • NA: March 20, 1996
  • EU: March 22, 1996
Windows
June 1996
Saturn
  • NA: June 26, 1996
  • EU: July 5, 1996
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Ports were released for MS-DOS in 1995, then PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1996, with additional tracks and cars. The Need for Speed was renamed Overdrivin' DX in Japan, and a version for Microsoft Windows was sold as The Need for Speed SE (Special Edition).

Electronic Arts collaborated with automotive magazine Road & Track to match vehicle behaviour, including the mimicking of the sounds made by the vehicles' gear control levers. The game contains precise vehicle data with spoken commentary, several "magazine-style" images of each car's interior and exterior and short video clips highlighting the vehicles set to music.

The game was a commercial success. Video game publications praised the incorporation of realism into the gameplay and graphics, as well as the inclusion of full-motion videos. It is the first installment released in the Need for Speed series, which has influenced other racing games.

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