Disclaimer: This is just me rambling based on my own memories and gameplay. Not an objective review. Some details might be off. Old-school players, feel free to jump in. AI disclosure: I wrote this myself – the opinions, the memories, the takes. I only used AI to clean up my grammar and make the English flow better. That’s it. Figured I’d be upfront about it.
- Introduction: 15 years ago, a door opened I’ve been playing Need for Speed for about 15 years. Before that, I didn’t even have a concept of “racing games.” NFS: Most Wanted – which looks pretty dated now – opened up a whole new world for me.
In this post, I’ll talk about my history with NFS9, why it hooked me, and how I see it today.
- Memory: LAN party madness as a middle schooler Fifteen years ago, I was in 7th grade. I was mostly into MMOs, which back then didn’t exactly have great graphics. I stumbled across this game box online, heard it had a ton of games, and decided to give it a shot.
I wanted to play a racing game, but my PC was crap – basically just barely ran CrossFire. Then I saw Need for Speed: Most Wanted. High rating, only 2GB – my computer could probably handle it. An hour later, I was legit blown away. This is what a racing game should be.
I got my friends to download it too. Our computer lab teachers didn’t really care, so we’d run LAN games of NFS9 all the time – just as intense as playing CS 1.6 together. Even as school and work got busier, I’d still fire it up now and then, run a few laps, and try to beat my own records.
- Why it’s a classic: three things NFS9 got right A lot of racing games never reach the level of NFS: Most Wanted. Here’s why I think that is.
3.1. The cinematic story mode In NFS9, you have to take down blacklist rivals. Every race has story buildup, so it never feels boring. You actually feel like the main character in a street racing drama. That’s something barely any later NFS games pulled off.
One YouTuber put it perfectly: a racing game without a story is just fast-food gaming. That’s the power of cinematic storytelling.
3.2. The cops vs. racers system The “cop pursuit” system is unique – basically cops and robbers with cars. But it’s more than that. The game gives you an open world, and from there you can do all kinds of stuff. You can speedrun, or just mess around with the cops for fun. Completing objectives gets you bounty, which you use to progress or buy new cars.
3.3. Deep customization and track runs In NFS9, cars aren’t static. You buy parts, mod them out, DIY – that alone is a whole thing. The most iconic modded car is the BMW M3 GTR, basically a legend in the game. You can also add your own MODs.
As for tracks – there’s a saying in the community: “Run the World Loop if you think you’re hot.” It’s basically a benchmark for skill.
- How I see it today: some half-baked but honest takes
4.1. This game never gets old It’s been 20 years (released in 2005). EA never remastered it for various reasons, but that doesn’t mean fans lost interest. A fan-made remaster came out in 2020 – better graphics, more mods, more content, runs on low-end PCs. Only downside: no English? Wait, for Western players it’s fine. For us, no Chinese.
4.2. About the later games A lot of people treat the 2012 Need for Speed: Most Wanted reboot (same name as NFS9, I know) as a spiritual successor. Reactions are mixed. Some say it feels unfinished – it doesn’t play like NFS9 at all, and instead leans hard into Burnout territory.
Personally? I didn’t mind it. But if you’re into that style, honestly, just play Need for Speed 14 Remastered. It’s cheap as hell on sale, and it holds its own next to that fan-made NFS9 remaster from 2020. Need for Speed 19 is also pretty solid.
As for NFS17 – if you really want to try it, grab it on a discount and don’t expect a masterpiece.
4.3. Is it still worth playing today? NFS9 works for all skill levels. It’s grip-focused, not drift. Looks casual, but it’s not entirely brain-off easy.
Story-wise, some people might be used to fast-food gaming and not have the patience. But if you stick with it, it’s unforgettable.
When I played recently – keep in mind this game isn’t drift-heavy (NFS14 is the drift king) – I watched some clips and thought “how hard can it be?” Then I tried the simplest track and spent forever just getting the basics down. This game doesn’t hold your hand if you refuse to practice.
- Final thoughts from an old-school player If you want to get into the Need for Speed series, the 9th gen is unavoidable. Some even say: if you haven’t played NFS9, you haven’t really played Need for Speed.
Look, NFS: Most Wanted isn’t perfect. It has plenty of flaws. But the good outweighs the bad. Maybe that’s the magic of a true classic.
Thanks for reading. If you have your own memories or hot takes about NFS9, drop them in the comments. Let’s talk.
I remember putting so much time into the GameCube version as a kid, but I don’t think I ever finished the game even once.
For the most part, I just enjoyed doing the police chases and dragging them out as long as possible. Think multiple hour long ones. Destroying police cars and creating as much property damage as humanly possible. Sadly, on the higher levels these became quickly frustrating as the police started deploying instant K.O. spike traps. Losing your run an hour in to one of these was the worst feeling.
The actual racing was fun, too, although I never liked drag races. Their control scheme was just awful. And I probably wasn’t any good at racing, given that I don’t remember ever finishing the game.
Still, I have a lot of nostalgia for the game and the soundtrack shaped my tastes in music to this day. I haven’t enjoyed another racing game since then, I should probably go back and finish it.
I remember having to drag a chase out for a long time. 60 or 90 minutes. I think it was a challenge race form outside the campaign. It mixes into the finale race/chase where I think the escape strategy has to develop before letting you jump the bridge, all on heat 6 for the first and only time.
Yes, for all of those, so much effort could be lost to one professional placement of a spike strip. Good times. Bad times. But at least you could reset the game to win the loot boxes back then.
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