Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit

The cops were back in Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, and they were looking to make up for lost time. Unlike the police in The Need for Speed, these guys had a few tricks up their sleeve to keep peace. Spike belts, roadblocks, and more-aggressive artificial intelligence made getting by the cops in Hot Pursuit more difficult. They also had more powerful cars, including a turbocharged Eagle Talon coupe and Lamborghini LM002 SUV. One other cool thing about the chases in Hot Pursuit was the cops getting on the bullhorn during a chase, encouraging you to pull over.

Hot Pursuit was the first Need for Speed game to go completely 3D in every scene, as previous games were complemented by video. Graphics improved significantly as well, setting a benchmark for future titles. Multiplayer options were available for the first time in the Need for Speed universe, beginning a long-standing party tradition of trying to out-maneuver your friends on the track.

• Release Date: 03/1998

  • Platform:
  • PC,
  • PlayStation,

Cars

The supercar theme continued in Hot Pursuit, with ten to choose from, including a Ferrari 355 Maranello, Aston Martin DB7 and Mercedes-Benz SL600. There were also two bonus vehicles, with the most interesting being the El Niño, a curvy two-door coupe that went like the wind but handled like a shopping cart.

Aston Martin DB7 (PC version only)
Chevrolet Corvette C5 (race and pursuit)
Chevrolet Corvette C5 1998 Indy 500 Pace Car (Wal-Mart PC version only)
El Niño (race and pursuit)
Ferrari 355 F1 Spider
Ferrari 456M GT
Ferrari 550 Maranello
Ford GT Falcon (Australian PC version only)
HSV VT GTS (Australian PC version only)
Italdesign Nazca C2 (PlayStation version only)
Italdesign Scighera (PC version only)
Jaguar Sports XJR-15
Jaguar XJR-15
Jaguar XK8
Jaguar XKR
Lamborghini Countach
Lamborghini Diablo SV (race and pursuit)
Lister Storm
Mercedes Benz CLK GTR
Mercedes Benz SL 600 (PC version only)
Spectre R42

Tracks/World

With nine tracks in total (eight and a hidden bonus course) and new, highly-powered police cruisers, evading capture in Hot Pursuit was tougher than it was in The Need for Speed.

Atlantica
Aquatica
Country Woods
Empire City
Hometown
Lost Canyon
Redrock Ridge
Summit