Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2: Thrill of the Chase

The PC version still has the second best driving feel to its physics in the series, I think. Just after PC Porsche.

This article makes me feel age 50, but I'm only half that.
 
HarVee
The PC version still has the second best driving feel to its physics in the series, I think. Just after PC Porsche.

This article makes me feel age 50, but I'm only half that.
Click to expand...

I’m nearly 50 and remember playing the wheels off NFS Hot Pursuit 20 years ago; however not much compels me to revisit this franchise though. Call ME old.
 
This is the game that got me into racing games, 10 years ago. I was at a friend's house and he was playing it, I thought it was so realistic. A month later, my father bought me a PS2. I didn't buy the game straight away - maybe 2 years later -, but it's still one of my favorites along with Most Wanted.
 
Hey I still have my copy of Need For Speed V Rally and it’s the only rally game I played growing up. It made me nostalgic about a yellow SEAT Ibiza.
 
cjr3559
I’m nearly 50 and remember playing the wheels off NFS Hot Pursuit 20 years ago; however not much compels me to revisit this franchise though. Call ME old.
Click to expand...
You're old. You grandpa! :sly: :lol:

I still play the original '98 Hot Pursuit occasionally on PC. There is actually a fan-made upgraded version on the net for free that allows 1080 resolution, high poly cars, controller support, 64 bit, etc. I'm not sure if I can share that link as it may count as piracy, though the game is old enough to be classified as abandonware now.
 
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This is one of the best Need for Speeds ever made. I still own my copy and occasionally turn on the PS2 and play it. It had the best arcade/simcade physics out of all the need for speed games. It had an awesome soundtrack of which I still have most all of the rock songs still in my ipod. It even had some of the best track designs and not to mention the racing was awesome and didn't have rubber band AI. Split screen was also a lot of fun.

The only Need for Speeds that have come close to being this fun was the Most Wanted game on PS2 and the Most Wanted on PS3. Both of which looked like they took from the same type of formula.

Although, pretty funny reading the writer was 9 years old when it came out. Lol. I was 18 and still played the crap out of it.

Maybe one day NFS will go back and do another game this good again. The new NFS coming out is already terrible just because of the physics. You want good arcade physics, go rehire the peeps who made NFS-HP2.
 
I used to love this game, played many hours on this. I will never forget the graphics of the Yellow Lambo inches from the sweeping Ferrari cutting across the road and it looking like real video for the first time. Back in the day this game really wowed me. :bowdown:
Intro Still looks great today 👍




I thought the graphics couldn't get better and the cars look amazing back then and it still looks good for its age but I had great Nostalgia watching this awesome game again. Probably my fave NFS so far. I am looking forward to trying Payback tomorrow now.!
 
I had it for the Gamecube when it came out. It might have been different/worse than the PS2 version but damn, my 15-year old self loved it.

Now I never buy the new NFS games. Not sure why.
 
I think it was one of the first games I ever played as a kid. It could barely run on our family computer back in the times, but it was still a joy to play. :drool:
And then it all started: Underground, Underground 2 (which both as a small kid I could never finish in the end), Most Wanted (for me best need for speed ever made) - and so on. Genre played through generations of consoles I had. :bowdown:
 
Does someone know why I can't start the game at Windows 10 when it is installed? Cd + activation code. Even in Windows 98 mode.

Just press play and then blackscreen and it is gone.

It is just stupid that win10 doesn't support SAVEDISK games. So I think you will need a crack version
 
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Just a little correction for the article, the V-Rally games are NOT Need For Speed Titles in any shape or form. They were only branded as such in the US as EA published the games there.

NFSHP2 is still the best in the series IMO with NFS 3 close behind, I first played the game (and the PS2 port no less) in 2010/2011 and was seriously impressed at how well it held up. I still enjoyed Underground 2 and Carbon back in the day, but the series never quite felt the same or reached the same heights for me post Hot Pursuit 2.
 
Wow lI oved this game, I did a play through of it this past summer. This game is Sooo nostalgic for me because this was literally the first racing game I learned to play back when I was 4-5 years when it first came out and my dad's friend taught me how to drive and win the races (on the ps2 ofcourse)
 
I was probably around 6 when I first started playing this game. To this day I'll revisit it from time to time. Not only one of my favourite racing games, I put it up there as one of my favourite games of all time!

NFS hasn't been the same for me since. Never got into Underground much and the HP reboot on PS3 didn't even remotely recapture the feel of this game.

The original Hot Pursuit was fun too, but the game I'd consider more of a precursor to this was 1999s High Stakes. The tracks and cars were great and lots of fun. Better than the original Hot Pursuit, but few games regardless of genre hold a candle to Hot Pursuit 2, for me at least
 
Great to see HP2 getting some love. I still play it to this day to get my arcade racing fix. DriveClub would have to be the only other arcade racing game to live up to my expectations built by HP2.
 
PS2 version destroys all other versions, even the PC one. This is not a debate. It's also by far my favorite NFS, and I've beaten down my copy so much that it only works barely half the time.

It's an exhilarating game. Nothing will probably ever beat in in terms of pure, cop chasing thrills.
 
PsuPepperoni
I own this for PC and PS2. Still my favorite game intro of all time. I actually listened to that song on my way home from work yesterday. :lol:
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THIS was one hell of a game!! I remember playing the demo for about a month, so desperate for the game to be released then driving every car on every track once I got it. Funny enough I was listening to 'Going down on it' last week on my way home from work - I purchased the album version though, sounds better to me. Been wanting to play this again for a while now but my PS2 games are packed away so I played on PC via PS2 emulator. Very cool, but would be awesome to play it again on the original console.
 
CJT7777
Funny enough I was listening to 'Going down on it' last week on my way home from work - I purchased the album version though, sounds better to me.
Click to expand...

Funny thing about that...Hot Action Cop recorded alternate versions of Going Down On It and Fever For The Flava with E-rated, racing-themed lyrics for this game. I discovered this very early on because my brother, who was much older than me, was shocked I knew and liked both songs, considering what they were about. And I loooooved them as a kid. They're still a guilty pleasure.

But neither of us realized the ones in the game were different until much later. I can't even begin to describe the lyrical content of the original songs here -- I'd be banned until the end of time. So use Google, kids!

Apparently, they pretty much disbanded after putting out that album, and then reappeared a few years ago with a new EP or something. The funny thing is, they were everywhere back around 2002-2003...PGR2 had Don't Want Her To Stay, and I've positive they made it to other games, too.
 
glassjaw
Funny thing about that...Hot Action Cop recorded alternate versions of Going Down On It and Fever For The Flava with E-rated, racing-themed lyrics for this game. I discovered this very early on because my brother, who was much older than me, was shocked I knew and liked both songs, considering what they were about. And I loooooved them as a kid. They're still a guilty pleasure.

But neither of us realized the ones in the game were different until much later. I can't even begin to describe the lyrical content of the original songs here -- I'd be banned until the end of time. So use Google, kids!

Apparently, they pretty much disbanded after putting out that album, and then reappeared a few years ago with a new EP or something. The funny thing is, they were everywhere back around 2002-2003...PGR2 had Don't Want Her To Stay, and I've positive they made it to other games, too.
Click to expand...
Haha I thought it wasn't the same song from the game!! Ah well, both are good. Need for Speed has some good tracks throughout the series actually. Sly Boogy - Thatz my name is another favourite of mine. I think that was Underground 2.

Didn't even know they did PGR2 tracks - more 'retro' games I can't play as they are also packed away :-/
 
I'll always reiterate the same things when this game (PS2 version) pops up; it had the most NFS car list of all time; it had the best arcade handling of any arcade racer period IMO; the camera was brilliant as it pulled back from the car on acceleration and vice versa, which gave a dramatic sense of speed and the soundtrack introduced me to some of my favourite bands of all time. It's like THE perfect game for me. I need to buy it again and dig out the PS2. My save might even still be on there, but probably not. No big deal, it's that dang good.

It's no coincidence my second favourite NFS is HP 2010 and third favourite is NFS 4 (Road Challenge was its name in the UK) - these games are the ones that truly define NFS because no one really makes that type of racing game, whereas the Undergrounds/MW/Shift etc were just like other company's racing games. They featured desirable cars in really well designed, realistic locales and had tight, consistent but fun physics. That's all I need from NFS and every one since 2010 has been absolutely not that.
 
Seeing a NFS Hot Pursuit 2 related articles puts a smile in my face.

The game where it introduced to me one of my all time favorite cars aka the McLaren F1 LM.
 
What great article. I'm so glad to see how many other people like this game. Without a doubt it was the best, true to roots, need for speed game. Kick ass cars, great sense of speed, thanks in part to the accelerometer type of gyro built into the view.
Interesting thing to note... The PlayStation 2 version was arguably the true version of this game, developed by EA black box (Canada), where as all the other versions were ports of that build handled by EA Seattle. I played the PS2 demo before release, and thought to myself, this is gonna be such a kick ass game.
Then on launch day, the graphics whore in me thought it'd be a good idea to get the Xbox version (unknowing of the difference at the time). Within 10 minutes of gameplay on the Xbox version, I wanted to break the disc. What a complete POS. I took it back to Game crazy (Hollywood video's answer to gamestop), and they were nice enough to let me exchange it for the PS2 copy....
Just a disclaimer for the younger crowd reading this. Back in these days, circa 2002, PlayStation 2 was the majority. There wasn't a system that even came close. So most games were developed on the PS2 first and foremost.
Figured that worth mentioning....
Anyways, I got back to my dorm room and got hot pursuit 2 fired up on the ps2...
Ahhhhhh, much better. -A sigh of relief and a smile on my face. It's a shame, not many people knew of this drastic difference between the ports of hp2. But trust me, the difference is HUGE. Basically two different games. ...so if you played it for Xbox or GameCube...sad to say, you haven't really played it to it's full potential. Hell, I don't even think the tracks are the same as the PS2 version. I know for sure the handling and AI were pitiful on the Xbox and GC. Revolting.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 on the PS2 was pretty much arcade racing perfection though.
 
cjr3559
I’m nearly 50 and remember playing the wheels off NFS Hot Pursuit 20 years ago; however not much compels me to revisit this franchise though. Call ME old.
Click to expand...
I'm 34 and I feel old. I feel ya. The franchise is just that; a franchise. At this point it's just a name. A way of saying, "arcade racing game publish by EA, aimed at kids and teens". Thats about it.
I think HP2 catered to the widest audience. I was turned off when underground came along. The whole fast and furious vibe countered the " motorsports / exotic cars / track day / canyon carving preferences I had for car culture.
 
highlifeGT
What great article. I'm so glad to see how many other people like this game. Without a doubt it was the best, true to roots, need for speed game. Kick ass cars, great sense of speed, thanks in part to the accelerometer type of gyro built into the view.
Interesting thing to note... The PlayStation 2 version was arguably the true version of this game, developed by EA black box (Canada), where as all the other versions were ports of that build handled by EA Seattle. I played the PS2 demo before release, and thought to myself, this is gonna be such a kick ass game.
Then on launch day, the graphics whore in me thought it'd be a good idea to get the Xbox version (unknowing of the difference at the time). Within 10 minutes of gameplay on the Xbox version, I wanted to break the disc. What a complete POS. I took it back to Game crazy (Hollywood video's answer to gamestop), and they were nice enough to let me exchange it for the PS2 copy....
Just a disclaimer for the younger crowd reading this. Back in these days, circa 2002, PlayStation 2 was the majority. There wasn't a system that even came close. So most games were developed on the PS2 first and foremost.
Figured that worth mentioning....
Anyways, I got back to my dorm room and got hot pursuit 2 fired up on the ps2...
Ahhhhhh, much better. -A sigh of relief and a smile on my face. It's a shame, not many people knew of this drastic difference between the ports of hp2. But trust me, the difference is HUGE. Basically two different games. ...so if you played it for Xbox or GameCube...sad to say, you haven't really played it to it's full potential. Hell, I don't even think the tracks are the same as the PS2 version. I know for sure the handling and AI were pitiful on the Xbox and GC. Revolting.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 on the PS2 was pretty much arcade racing perfection though.
Click to expand...
I bought this on PC as well as PS2 just because I loved it so damn much although PS2 version handling felt better though. Agreed about the 2010 version as well - that was the first time Need For Speed felt just like the 2002 version. Need for Speed games work best with awesome exotic cars (not race cars!) and beautiful locations, that's all you need. Yeah the games since have been fun but nothing quite feels like the 'old' days! It must be possible to recreate this formula though. Took them 8 years between the first HP and 2010 version so we can still hope!

Or maybe I'm just getting old!?
 

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