Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed

Description

Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed on the Saturn is a fascinating example of the 32-bit console wars, arriving relatively late based on the DOS version of the game, an update to the 3DO original. The Saturn port focused on technical stability and providing the most content-complete experience available at the time. It managed to translate the title’s heavy, simulation-style physics to a platform that usually struggled with multi-platform 3D racers.

The game is famous for its long, point-to-point “Open Road” stages that take you through detailed environments like the “Coastal” and “Alpine” tracks. The Saturn version targets 30fps frame rate; which was double the 3DO, with a much more consistent feel, eliminating the frame-rate dips that plagued earlier 3D titles on the hardware. The atmosphere is deeply immersive thanks to the interior cockpit views, which include working dashboards, and the inclusion of the “Showcase” FMVs that let you pore over the specs of mid-90s icons like the Ferrari 512tr and the Lamborghini Diablo.

This version stood out with support for day and night settings and support for the Racing Wheel, providing a level of analogue precision that made a huge difference on the game’s narrow, winding roads. Because the Saturn’s hardware was notoriously difficult to program for 3D transparency, you’ll notice some technical trade-offs, like the use of “mesh” dithered transparencies for smoke and glass. However, many preferred the Saturn’s lighting model and the way it handles the distant horizons, which often felt more stable and less prone to “warping” than on the rival hardware. The PlayStation version is relatively more complete, building upon the Saturn version, but without the compromises. Ultimately however the PC Special Edition for Windows and DOS is the true period accurate definitive edition, and the one I played the most of.

When it finally landed on the Saturn, reviewers praised the inclusion of the new circuit tracks and the “Tournament Mode,” which added a much-needed layer of progression. Even though it arrived later than the other versions, it was celebrated as a high-quality port that didn’t feel like a compromise. Retrospectively EA proved that the console could handle a high-fidelity, data-driven simulation just as well as an arcade-style brawler.