The Need For Speed series was one of the earliest to understand that not all racing game players wanted the impenetrable realism of simulation games or the over-the-top Looney Toons antics of Nintendo’s Mario Kart. In 1994, Electronic Arts created the perfect middle ground for casual and hardcore gamers alike, one that married the fun, skin-of-your-teeth handling of arcade racing games with the same attention to detail that would boost franchises like Forza and Gran Turismo to the top of sales charts just a few years later.
By the series' 10th anniversary, however, the landscape of racing games had changed dramatically. The Turismo series made simulation games more approachable than ever, becoming the gold standard for console racing games. For those still not inclined to try the modern racing sim, there were several great alternatives. Games like Ridge Racer, Sega Rally Championship, and Daytona USA found the same magic middle ground that Need For Speed did a decade earlier.
