Need for Speed II

The Good
Compared to its prequel this game certainly looked better. The graphics were much sweeter, and a real 640x480 VGA mode made the difference. The cars still looked like they were floating over the track rather than driving on them, but the cars did look good. The controls were better too. You could actually use a wheel, though it had little feel. Better to stick with the keyboard.

The range of cars differed from NFS1 in that they were all supercars and concept cars. All the way from the brutally fast Lotus Espirt Turbo to the absolutely insane McLaren F1, and including some I'd never heard of, like the ItalDesign Cala. No room for Toyotas and Hondas here.

As the game starts you get to choose a car, but there's really no choice. The McLaren F1 is (or was until a few weeks ago - say hello to the TVR Speed 12) the fastest production car in the world - 232mph, 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. These guys from Woking, England bolted two 3 litre BMW engines together, stuffed 'em in a Formula One chasis, stretched some carbon fibre bodywork over the top, and sold it for a cool 650,000 UK pounds. An automotive masterpiece, and basically the fastest, best handling car ever. Why would you ever bother racing anything else? To be different? Give me a break! Who cares about being different when your driving a McLaren ferchrisakes!!

[This reviewer takes 5 and wipes the mad-dog drool from his chin]

Actually the thing I like best was the number of British cars on display. I was rather disappointed with the first NFS game for having none (3 Japanese, 2 Italian, 2 American and 1 German), now we have several. A warm glow of pride spreads from within... no, wait a minute, I've spilt my coffee.

The Bad
To be honest I really didn't like this game that much. You had these great cars, which handled well and looked good, and tried to be as realistic as possible. And then you had these stupid, stupid tracks. Poorly imagined circuits based on nothing even resembling reality. Sure, the Aussie course was fun and fast, and the Canadian course has that wonderful down-hill trek through the mountains, but they were mostly awful. Which is a pity, because the game was otherwise pretty good.

The Bottom Line
A good driving game? Yes. Better than its predecessor? Yes. A classic? No, I'm sorry. It's good, but it retrospect it pales into insignificance when compared to the games that followed it. NFS3 and NFS5 come on down...