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Game Information

Release Date: June 20, 1999
Developer: Electronic Arts Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform(s): Windows, PlayStation
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-2

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Synopsis

Push your car to the limits in High Stakes racing for prize money to customize and buy your dream cars. Gamble your car on single races or develop your career. Cars can be damaged and a new Hot Pursuit mode has been added requiring you to avoid being caught by the police. Features eighteen models of cars on nineteen courses.

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Gameplay

There are several different game modes to choose from in Need for Speed: Tournament, Special Event, High Stakes, Getaway, and Time Trap. The Tournament and Special Event modes allows you to race against certain cars through nineteen different races slowly building up quicker and quicker cars. At first you'll start with a convertible BMW unlocking exotic vehicles like the McLaren and Lamborghini either by wins or betting. If you decide to go with every single bet, you unlock two secret vehicles at the end. For every race you play, you get credits depending on the time, positions, and damage you have taken. You also unlock tracks that are playable in single player and co-op.

High Stakes is a duel where both players bet their vehicles and the winner gets both. However, you can not play this mode if you only own one vehicle.

In Getaway and Time Trap, you can either play as a race trying to evade the cops until you win the race or, you can play as the police that have several different vehicles to choose from. If you play as the police you are given spike strips, roadblocks, back up squad cars, and helicopter support to catch all ten racers. You must arrest all ten drivers or you will lose.

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Graphics

The looks of every vehicle will make you wonder what vehicle it actually is because they're very blocky and pixelated without any logo on them anywhere, the tracks don't really have that much design to them leaving lots of blank and dull spots on the sides and especially backgrounds, the weather is very poorly designed, the damage isn't that great making it look like just black dents and cheap scratches, and when in first-person mode the inside of the vehicle you're in (no matter which one) is just black. It seems as if there really wasn't that much effort put into making the game stand out even though it is a very simple racing game. There really isn't anything special here.

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Controls

If you are playing this on the PC it is very simple, as the arrows control everything. On the PlayStation the controls can be very tedious. The triggers control the car, the analogs control the camera angles, and the buttons allow you to control the brakes and go in reverse. As for the police controls, on PC the support options are right next to the arrows almost allowing you to play with one hand. On PlayStation, the D-pad control these options just adding to the complex controls. Definitely not the easiest racing game to play considering these controls, primarily on the PlayStation.

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Ratings

Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 6/10
Controls: 7/10
Overall: 8.5/10