Need for Speed: ProStreet

Release Date:
October, 2007
Genre:
Simulation
Website:
games.ea.com/prostreet/

ProStreet was a return to a style of gameplay that hadn’t been seen in the Need for Speed series since Porsche Unleashed -- simulation. In ProStreet, several new modes were added to the gameplay: grip races, speed challenges, and top speed runs, along with more robust versions of drift and drag racing.

Need for Speed: Carbon

Release Date:
November, 2006
Genre:
Arcade

Following in the footsteps of Most Wanted, Need for Speed Carbon was largely based on the street racing culture of the day, introducing exotic and muscle cars, as well as canyon races. One of the coolest new features in Carbon was AutoSculpt, which molded aftermarket body parts to the driver’s liking, with no two cars being exactly alike.

Need for Speed: Underground

Release Date:
November, 2003
Genre:
Arcade

The game that brought Need for Speed from supercar paradise to the forefront of car culture, Underground focused strongly on customization and the import tuner market. It included vinyls, new wheels, paint types, and performance improvements, all designed to turn your car into a personal canvas while not sacrificing an ounce of speed.

Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed

Release Date:
March, 2000
Genre:
Simulation

The first -- and to date, only -- Need for Speed title to focus entirely on one manufacturer. Featuring the most impressive lineup of Porsche vehicles ever seen in a racing simulation, Porsche Unleashed offered customization from a vast catalogue of parts available as upgrades in the game.

Need for Speed: High Stakes

Release Date:
March, 1999
Genre:
Arcade

The first Need for Speed game with a damage model, High Stakes, introduced a whole new way of punishing players for sloppy driving. Speaking of punishment, the PlayStation version of High Stakes included a co-op "High Stakes" mode where your friend would have their car erased from their memory card if you beat them.

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit

Release Date:
March, 1998
Genre:
Arcade

Cops were back in the third Need for Speed title, and they had new weapons at their disposal, including roadblocks and spike strips. This time, though, players had the ability to be the cop, allowing racers to swap their stick-shift for a badge.

Need for Speed II

Release Date:
March, 1997
Genre:
Arcade

Released three years after The Need for Speed, this game changed the focus of the series slightly, moving from attainable, everyday vehicles to supercars, including the McLaren F1, Ferrari F50, and Ford GT90 concept, but still keeping the screaming-fast pace of its predecessor.