YMMV / Need for Speed II

• Contested Sequel: Being the first-ever sequel in the franchise, II was this compared to the original, as it removed the cop chases and point-to-point tracks in favor of strict circuit racing. The backlash was strong enough that EA not only brought back cop chases in III: Hot Pursuit, but gave them far more importance than in the original (where they were mostly just a fun bonus).
• Game-Breaker:
  • The McLaren F1 showcases its technological superiority for the time by heavily outclassing every other non-bonus car in the game. With a top speed noticeably higher than every other car in the game, alongside very good (even if not the best) acceleration, braking and handling, it holds the non-bonus car world record for every track with the exception of Mystic Peaks, the only track where its sheer power can't compensate the limitations on its handling, and even then it comes very close to the best times.
  • One of the bonus cars given in the game, the FZR 2000, is the fastest car to ever have appeared in the series. Its top speed is rivaled by some of the most powerful cars in Rivals and the 2015 game (although, with the "pioneer" cheat, it becomes significantly faster), but its acceleration is humongously powerful (it goes from 0 to 200 mph practically in a blink) and its handling puts that of the Ford Indigo and the Lotus cars to shame. It says enough that its brakes only really have to be used when jumping would make it leave the track boundaries or crash into a wall due to how impossibly long they are with the FZR 2000.
• Older Than They Think: Burnout-like physics (bar Nitro Boost) was not introduced in the series by Criterion Games, but already appeared in Need for Speed II: Special Edition's Wild (the way cars crashed, the extreme speeds and the long jumps) and Arcade handling modes (heavy drifting). Keep in mind this was before Burnout even existed.
• That One Level: Mystic Peaks is one of the most difficult circuits in the series, with a lot of hard turns (some of them being blind turns), jumps in which you actually have to slow down in order not to leave the track or collide hard with a wall (more obvious in Wild mode) and very tight space that does not leave much opportunities to overtake. Excellent driving skills are needed here, especially in Simulation mode, and even then you may have to resort to excellent-handling cars like the Ford Indigo and the FZR 2000 so as to not have an Epic Fail. Overall, Mystic Peaks in II could give the newer Canyon races in Carbon a run for their money!
• Visual Effects of Awesome:
  • Sometimes, it's the little details that make them stand out. The Special Edition with Glide support not only had convincing-looking road reflections while it was raining, but the headlights of other cars were even stretched like you've seen many times driving behind someone in the rain. This would even be repeated in III: Hot Pursuit.
  • Hell, even the game's menu◊ looks good.

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