Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed (PS1) Playthrough [4K]

"Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed," developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts in 1996 for the PlayStation, serves as the inaugural installment in the esteemed Need for Speed series. The game prioritizes authentic car physics and graphics, showcasing a lineup of licensed high-performance sports cars, including the Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Diablo, Ferrari F355, and Porsche 911 Carrera. The racing venues span city streets, mountain roads, and desert highways across six tracks, comprising three circuits and three multi-stage checkpoint races.

While the visual presentation aims for realism in car models, their resemblance to the actual vehicles is somewhat vague. The game offers diverse camera perspectives to tailor the player's view of the action, set against detailed yet somewhat low-quality environments.

The gameplay is dynamic, featuring single races, time trials, and a tournament mode. However, the AI cars seems to be cheating, disregarding the limitations of their respective vehicles. This can pose a formidable challenge for players, particularly in head-to-head races or the tournament mode, where courses must be won to be deemed complete.

Overall, "Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed" offers an early glimpse into the potential of realistic racing simulations with its realistic physics. Nevertheless, the presence of subpar AI, high difficulty, and mediocre graphics detracts from its overall excellence as a racing game.

0:00:00 - Start
0:02:10 - "Rusty Springs" (start of 1st Tournament)
0:09:15 - "Vertigo Ridge"
0:20:35 - "City"
0:31:26 - "Coastal"
0:42:44 - "Alpine"
0:56:00 - "Autumn Valley"
1:05:30 - "Lost Vegas" (unlocked)
1:15:35 - "City" (start of 2nd Tournament)
1:26:17 - "Coastal"
1:37:30 - "Autumn Valley"
1:46:55 - "Vertigo Ridge"
1:58:10 - "Alpine"
2:11:13 - "Rusty Springs"
2:18:05 - "Lost Vegas"
02:28:30 - Head to Head on "Lunar Springs"
02:32:42 - Head to Head on "Oasis Springs"
02:36:35 - Head to Head on "City Road" (Warrior car)
02:44:39 - Credits