Need for Speed - SuperCheats Top Five of the Game Series

One: Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

Selecting the best of the best for the NFS series was a task hampered by several factors, not the least being that so many of the games have an almost equal level of appeal in so many respects that giving a numerical order to them -- even a Top Five order -- feels a lot like choosing the favorite child in the family; sure there is one, but being forced to actually point them out leaves you feeling very guilty.

In this case though, the choice was made slightly easier by the fact that there were no other titles in the sub-series (Most Wanted) that we had to struggle over because, unlike the Hot Pursuit or Underground sub-series which had complimentary sequels that were good but very similar, the two Most Wanted titles were different enough so that they did not feel like they were part of the same sub-series.

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Developed by EA Canada, NFS: Most Wanted (2005) was one of the first games in the series that was released for Xbox 360, so right there was an element that really helped it to stand out among the other games in the series.

Tack onto that first the rather interesting changes that the new hardware of the 360 and its shocking combination of deep graphical capabilities and speed, and what you ended up with was a game that quickly offered immersion for gamers that often left you feeling slightly hung-over after very long play-time exposure.

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While it was also available on the Xbox, GameCube, Windows, and the PlayStation 2 (and some abbreviated versions for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS), it was the 360 version that we liked the best for some odd reason.

You cannot begin to examine Most Wanted without remarking on the return of -- and the emergence of -- police chases as the primary focus for game play. Because they were.

While the vehicle customization system returned in Most Wanted, it was a slimmed-down and better-focused system that offered the player upgrade and customization paths that tended to result in better performance over image - but that is a good thing for an open-world focus game in which escaping the police is a core element of game play.

The temptation to point to this title as one perfect example of a studio and its development team creating a next-game-in-a-series by first examining the best elements of the previous games and then making an effort to incorporate them into the new title is there -- and hard to resist -- because that is precisely what happened and to some extent is probably why we liked it so much. It is also one of the reasons why this game is a beautiful and unique snowflake that is worth discovering.

So what are these great and improved elements? We already pointed out its open-world environment, the return of police chases, and the more focused upgrades path, but did we mention the story mode? The story mode in Most Wanted is neatly divided between what we think of as the traditional primary focus and a secondary focus that should be very familiar to fans of the game series -- the Blacklist.

The main story-line is told through a combination of game play and the mixed live-action and CGI that tends to grant a sort of cinema-like edge to the game.

That the story in Most Wanted is not as one would say deep is true, but it is deep enough to keep most gamers entertained, and the addition of the Blacklist, which challenges the player to face off against a list of drivers -- one at a time but one after the other -- in order to claw their way to the top of the list -- provides a certain joie de vivre that is missing from the main story, so it is all good!

The importance of the Blacklist in the game was often overlooked by reviewers, but that is mostly understandable because, after all, the Xbox 360 had only just been released, and NFS: Most Wanted was a launch title, so the lack of familiarity with the Achievements System that was new to the 360 and gaming in general explains that. Sort of.

The Achievements in NFS:MW were entirely focused upon the Blacklist. All of the 1,000G was awarded to players specifically for taking down the 15 Blacklist Drivers -- and thus taking their slot on the list -- by the player. So even if you were not familiar with the game series, or the 360 and its new Achievements system, the fact that the subplot of the game is all about the Blacklist should be a pretty good clue to its importance in the game.

That this mechanism -- or hook -- was used again in the series notwithstanding, it is fair to say that it helped to secure not only a place in the heart of most fans -- making Need for Speed:Most Wanted the best liked (is 'loved' too strong a word here?) game in the series, but also helped Most Wanted to secure Number One here.

Conclusions à la Top Five of the Game Series

There you have it mates -- we've presented you with the Top Five Games in the Need for Speed Series including the Number One selection that, while it just happens to agree with the public perceptions of the game as the best of the best, honestly won that slot with us because, hey, it is the best of the best (even if the Audi engine sounds like a leaf blower).

If you have played these games -- and are a fan of the series -- well good on ya!

If you have not played any of these five, well then here is an excellent opportunity to take this knowledge and put it to work in your own life. Accept our advice on the matter, pick them up and set them aside to pyll out later this Summer when you have beaten all of the most recent crop of games and genuinely need something that is new and different for you!

We promise you that despite these games largely coming from the previous generations of gaming platforms, and despite the fact that you can pick them up for a song right off the bargain shelves at your local video game store --there are good reasons for giving each a go.

Considering that they each of them have something good and unique about them that makes them worth playing, and thanks to bits that really do seem to defy age -- from their story, the small hooks in it, the action and adventure they offer, and some of the special mechanics like time-crunching in Most Wanted (2005) and the defensive and offensive collection of 'weapons' known as 'Pursuit Tech' in the most recent title.

Each of the games in the series was created with its own voice, and together -- though applying words like 'sequel' can be a bit iffy at times -- they combine to tell a fairly long story that is nicely illustrated by burning rubber -- even if you cannot smell it. The selection above creates a very special game play experience and it is one you should have.

Now you have absolutely no excuse to complain about being bored this Summer! See? We have your back mates! And what is even better?