Over the past 30 years, the Need for speed franchise has reinvented itself with a wide range of titles, combining new genres, gameplay and visuals to keep the series fresh.
But rewind to 1994, and the first Need for speed was a fairly typical point-to-point arcade racer. You had some real licensed cars – including the Lamborghini Diablo and Honda NSX – a selection of routes and the option to race with (or without) opponents.
By time Underground was released in 2003, the racing environment followed an ‘open world’ theme with the addition of a proper career mode and an integrated storyline. The more you hone your skills and progress, the more cars and parts you unlock. While looking for racers and challenges as you drive through Olympic City.
What about? Shift And ProStraat? Often overshadowed Need for speed’Throughout their history, both titles have adopted a more sim racing approach to their gameplay, with career mode largely staying on the ‘right’ side of the law rather than illegal racing.
Was it appropriate for the series? At the time it probably did, and in retrospect these titles are still known for being brilliant fun without taking themselves too seriously. Remember, the world has changed a lot over the last thirty years, so it’s only natural that the gaming world does the same.
But there is one specific theme that comes up more often Need for speed history than any other. A theme that has actually been present from day one and is still active in the very latest periods. We’re talking about Hot chase – a series that is now responsible for no fewer than four standalone games, but also appears in several others, including the latest volume update for Untethered nicknamed Police vs. racers.
So, what is it about this particular format that we just can’t get enough of? And why is it still such a productive addition, even in modern times Need for speed titles?
It’s easy to forget that the police are involved NFS been around since the first game in 1994. Granted, they pop up randomly and only try to hinder you briefly (rather than getting caught or arrested), but if the premise of your game revolves around fast cars speeding down the road, it’s only natural to have some kind of police presence…
But it wouldn’t be until the third episode of Need for speed launched in 1998, being the very first Hot chase format was born.
Genesis – Need for Speed: III Hot chase
Need for speed wasn’t the first racing game to include cops – you can trace that back to e.g Road result And Turbo run-out from the late eighties and early nineties. But what Hot chase what I did was turn this format on its head and turn the police element into its own gameplay mode rather than a feature within ‘standard’ racing.
Inside Need for Speed III: Hot Chase Two game modes were on the horizon – the first was a standard, direct use of circuits and routes with a tournament function. The second? A new ‘Hot Pursuit’ feature where dedicated police chases became the main factor in each race. Not only are you fighting another racer, but the environment becomes a trap full of cops trying to stop you at all costs.
Add to this the ability to reverse roles, and suddenly the speed chaser becomes the speed chaser… get it? Horrible puns aside, the ability to join the dark side was a unique feature implemented by Hot chase and the first of its kind to do so. Not only could you take on the role of the police, but you also had some pretty special cars at your disposal – including the Chevrolet Corvette – to help apprehend and apprehend the other racers.
On a separate note, Hot chase also introduced the Need for speed world to in-game car tuning, something that is now a given in virtually every racing game regardless of genre. Admittedly, tune in Hot chase was a bit basic with things like brake balance, gear ratios and other mechanical elements, but this still paved the way for tuning in all NFS play from then on.
New platforms, same format – Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit II
Four years later the second part would be published, conveniently known as Need for speed: Hot Pursuit II. But it wasn’t next NFS game that launches after the original – during those four years, both High stakes And Porsche unleashed was subsequently released.
However, what mattered Hot Chase II The fact was that it would be the first Need for speed title launching on the next generation of early 2000s gaming consoles including the Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube… remember that one?
Given the new capabilities of these next-gen consoles, it made perfect sense to revive an old title like The Game Hot chase to allow for a somewhat direct comparison between the two – especially as the original had been so positively received. But Hot Chase II would be much more than a refreshed version of the original…
Once more, Hot chase was split into two modes: ‘World Racing’ for more traditional head-to-head racing, and ‘Hot Pursuit’, which now includes multiple different modes including the ‘Ultimate Racer’, which then adds police to races that not only try to slow you down, but also actively hold on.
Apart from the improved graphics and gameplay, one of the best new elements for Hot Chase II the different toys were added while playing as police. Usually you have to ram fast-moving vehicles several times to disable them. But Hot Chase II now introduces spike strips, barricades and even helicopter assistance.
Then there is the car selection. Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Jaguar, McLaren, Porsche and many others. Of course there were games with more models, but Hot Chase II features the ‘halo’ supercars of the era, many of which had only just been released at launch Need for Speed Edition models that were completely upgraded compared to the standard cars. Something that is still being implemented Need for speed games today.
But with Underground And Most Wantd just around the corner – two titles that represent the Need for speed brand and its focus on tuning and personalizing cars, it would not be until 2010 that the Hot chase name would appear again.
Retro Revival – Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) and Hot Pursuit Remastered
When the official game trailer (launched in 2010) shows a police Bugatti Veyron chasing a Koenigsegg CCX, you know from the start that Hot Chase (2010) would take that original 1998 concept and turn it up to 11.
The format again went back to the original hot chase, where gamers can play as police or racers, but unlike previous versions, the 2010 edition introduced a full career mode for both sides of the law.
Now you’d think that evading the cops with playable cars like the Koenigsegg CCX, Pagani Zonda and McLaren MP4-12C would be pretty easy. But Hot Chase (2010) went to town on the police AI and strategy. Not only were pursuit vehicles just as fast, but the tools at their disposal expanded to include radar jammers, EMPs, and even the ability to call a helicopter to drop spike strips in front of the racers.
Almost all cars are present Hot Chase (2010) can also be used by both parties. Custom soundtracks have been added to accompany the cool in-game track list (including artists like MIA, Deadmau5 and Pendulum), while key elements such as the open-world format – set again in Seacrest County – have been retained to give gamers the option allow free play to drive around looking for challenges at their own pace before embarking on a carnage.
To consider Hot Chase (2010) as a completely refined version of the original concept. Yes, the graphics seem otherworldly compared to the original, and the overall racing pace feels vastly faster and more intense, but the concept remained the same.
Hunt or be hunted. And with so many racing games focused on the quest to perfect your driving skills to an almost sim level, the Hot chase concept remains a breath of fresh air for those who want quick arcade fun without the frustration of missing your highlight reel.
If you are there regularly Speed chasers or the Need for speed series, you know the Hot chase mode is back as an online addition for Untethered: Part 8, which continues to show how adaptable this format has been some 26 years since its original launch.
Whether you’re an adult who remembers the first few titles and loves the nostalgia, or a younger gamer who enjoys the fast-paced action of more clinical sim racing, Hot chase still feels as entertaining now as it did all those years ago.
The real question is, given the choice to play only one variant for the rest of the time, which game will you start? Let us know in the comments below.
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