From EA and Road & Track, creators of the 3DO's fantastic Road Rash port, comes an amazing first installment for N4S.
Like with Road Rash, FMVs depicting, in this case the various automobiles (among the many, represented when choosing one onscreen by their pictures; a Viper, 911, Lamborghini or Acura) appear when the game is left idle.
FMVs also appear should your character be stopped by the police.
Most of the time you will simply receive a ticket and be able to continue gameplay, albeit probably (depending on the mode) past the time or behind the opponent more than you would like.
The opponent is a cocky guy whose post-race comments can be turned off in options, in which his icon will appear with tape over his mouth.
And then there's of course Time Trial mode, represented by a stopwatch onscreen, that can be played.
In either mode the game contains a somewhat limited but adequate supply of levels, including The City and, like Road Rash, a Canyon-like level.
When driving, a horn can be used with the X (Stop/Square) button.
Slow pedestrian traffic must be dodged, and of course when you hear that beeping, you know the "fuzz buster" is working and the cops are coming.
There is a meter on the device that allows you to determine the distance from the approaching police and your current position, and if you're lucky you can outrun them.
The lack of a "Story" like mode does make the game suffer slightly, albeit it is fun to beat that guy just to hear him eat crow.
That and the realistic first-person-view that can be chosen of the various cars, each with their own interior (and of course, exterior) designs for the wheel, dashboard, etc.
The game has many "secrets", and since few of them are really cheats per se, they are indeed worth checking out.
There are high scores and times that are saved to your 3DO's hard drive that are fun to attempt to beat, Rookie or Veteran difficulty options, Manual or Automatic settings, and a setting for the cars' automatic navigational system that somehow helps it stay on-track.
Chances are if you enjoyed Road Rash you'll probably enjoy Need for Speed, especially on two-player.
Granted, there have been many released in the series since then, it is still a classic and very realistic game.
Blessed Be