Need for Speed II, released in Japan as Over Drivin' II, is an arcade racing video game developed by EA Seattle for the Windows version and by EA Canada for the PlayStation version. Need for Speed II and the Special Edition was published by Electronic Arts and Over Drivin' II was published by Electronic Arts Victor. It is the second game in the Need for Speed series and follows The Need for Speed. It significantly changes from the emphasis of realism in The Need for Speed to arcade-like gameplay, though it also introduces car tuning. As does its predecessor, Need for Speed II features several exotic cars, and includes tracks set in various parts of world. The game also opted to remove police pursuits introduced in the The Need for Speed. There is also a Special Edition for Windows and a Greatest Hits version for the PlayStation.
Gameplay
Need for Speed II can be played in either Single player or Multiplayer mode. The following race types can be played:
- Knockout - Knockout races are available once the player has completed a tournament. In this mode the player that is in last position after every lap will be eliminated. This goes on until there is only one player left.
- Single Race - Normal circuit races with a set number of laps.
- Tournament - A series of races that involves every track in the game, in which players with the most points wins the tournament. The better your position, the more points you earn.
Each of these race types can be customized. Customization of tracks includes physics (Arcade, Simulation, or Wild (SE only)), catch-up mode, driving direction, opponents (Class, skill level, and how many (up to 7)), and a mirrored option of the the selected tracks. One thing that is unique about this game is the music, which is directly adapted to the gaming situation.
Need for Speed II: Special Edition
Need for Speed II: Special Edition, informally called Need for Speed II SE, added seven new cars, one new track, 3dfx Glide support, and a new driving style (Wild). Besides smoothing out the in-game textures, the 3dfx version of the game also features additional visual effects not found in the software version, such as car reflections, weather, fog, shading, improved skybox rendering, and transparent in-game menu overlay featuring a rotating view around the player's car. These visual enhancements are standard in both the software and the hardware accelerated versions of Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, Need for Speed: High Stakes, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2.
Need for Speed II (Greatest Hits)
The Greatest Hits version is a green band on the side of the package instead of a black band. Greatest Hits is just a distinction showing that a game has met certain sales criteria within two years of its release for the PlayStation game consoles.