Jipinfeiche, known worldwide as Need for Speed, stands as one of gaming’s most successful racing franchises. Since 1994, Electronic Arts has sold over 150 million copies across 27+ games, making it the second-bestselling racing series after Mario Kart. The Chinese name literally means “premium flying car,” though players in Hong Kong and Taiwan call it “extreme speed sensation.” This franchise defined what street racing looks like in video games—high-speed chases, deep car customization, and intense police pursuits that get your heart racing.
The series appeals to millions because it doesn’t try to be a hardcore simulator. Instead, it captures the fantasy of illegal street racing through cities at night, building dream cars in your garage, and outsmarting cops who’ll stop at nothing to take you down.
Where It All Started
Need for Speed began at Distinctive Software in Vancouver—a studio that made racing games like Stunts and Test Drive II before EA bought them in 1991. The team became EA Canada and spent two years developing the first game, which launched in 1994 with features that seemed incredible at the time. You could race from a cockpit view at 640×480 resolution, which was cutting-edge graphics back then.
The original game partnered with Road & Track magazine to get real car specs right. But strict realism created balance problems, so later games moved toward pure fun instead. Development shifted between studios over the years—EA Black Box handled the Underground era from 2002-2011, Criterion Games took over in 2012, Ghost Games ran things from 2013-2020, and Criterion came back in 2020. Each studio brought different ideas about what made racing games work.
What Sets It Apart
Jipinfeiche doesn’t compete with Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport’s simulation focus. It embraces arcade-style physics that let you pull off dramatic drifts, spectacular crashes, and impossible maneuvers. The handling prioritizes fun over technical accuracy—you’re not adjusting tire pressure or suspension geometry for hours before racing.
Police chases became the series’ signature feature after Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit in 1998. Cops don’t just chase you—they set up roadblocks, throw spike strips, call in helicopters, and coordinate attacks. The “heat level” system makes things progressively worse as you rack up infractions. At higher heat levels, federal units show up in powerful SUVs with aggressive AI that won’t quit until you’re caught.
Starting with Underground in 2003, the series embraced tuner culture. You can modify engines, add turbochargers, adjust suspension, pick tires, install body kits, customize paint and wraps, add neon underglow, change interiors, and bolt on nitrous systems. Underground 2 still has what many fans consider the deepest customization system—you could modify tiny details like exhaust tips and hood vents.
How You Play
The series offers multiple race types. Circuit races take you around closed tracks for several laps. Sprint races are point-to-point through open roads. Drag racing tests your acceleration and gear-shifting precision. Drift competitions score your angle, speed, and style. Time trials pit you against the clock alone. Knockout tournaments eliminate last place each lap until one winner remains.
Hot Pursuit mode lets you play as both racer and cop. As a racer, you dodge police using hiding spots and pursuit breakers. As police, you deploy spike strips and roadblocks to arrest racers. Career modes tell stories through progression systems—Most Wanted in 2005 introduced the “Blacklist,” where you defeat 15 rivals sequentially to unlock new areas, vehicles, and parts.
Underground 2 started the open-world trend. You can explore cities freely, find hidden collectibles, challenge random opponents, and trigger spontaneous police chases. The 2015 reboot introduced five gameplay styles: Speed (traditional racing), Style (drift events), Build (customization challenges), Crew (multiplayer), and Outlaw (police evasion).
Best Games in the Series
Most Wanted from 2005 sold over 16 million copies—the franchise’s bestseller. It combined Underground’s customization with revamped police mechanics and live-action cutscenes. The story followed your quest to reclaim a stolen BMW M3 GTR by defeating the Blacklist’s elite racers.
Underground and Underground 2 from 2003-2004 sold 15 million and 7-11 million copies respectively. They shifted focus to import tuner cars, nighttime urban environments, and deep customization inspired by The Fast and the Furious films. These games defined tuner culture in gaming.
Hot Pursuit 2010 brought back pure arcade racing with 5 million copies sold. Carbon in 2006 continued Most Wanted’s story with canyon racing. Heat in 2019 introduced day/night cycles—legal daytime races and illegal nighttime street racing. Unbound in 2022 added cel-shaded effects and anime-inspired art that split the community.
Playing Across Platforms
Need for Speed: Unbound (2022) runs exclusively on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through Steam, Origin, and EA App. The decision to skip previous-generation consoles came down to CPU requirements for enhanced physics and traffic density.
Earlier games like Heat supported PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. PC versions typically offer better graphics—4K resolution, unlocked frame rates above 60 FPS, ray tracing, manual transmission options, and steering wheel support.
In 2024, EA launched Need for Speed: Mobile in collaboration with Tencent’s TiMi Studios and Garena. The mobile version features a 100 million square meter open world, 40-player multiplayer, Hot Pursuit gameplay, over 500 exploration points, and licensed cars from major manufacturers. It’s pulled over 170,000 downloads on Tencent’s platform alone.
Cars You Can Drive
EA secured exclusive licenses with premium manufacturers for years. Until 2016, only Need for Speed could feature Porsche in racing games—competitors needed EA’s permission. That exclusivity ended, opening Porsche to other developers. EA also held deals with Ferrari, Lamborghini, and BMW M Division that have since expired.
The series features exotic supercars like Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren F1, import tuners like Honda Civic Type-R and Nissan Skyline GT-R, American muscle like Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, European sports cars like BMW M3 and Audi R8, and select SUVs. Underground celebrated JDM culture with cars like the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34.
Unbound includes 143 production vehicles plus 19 custom variants. The mobile version made history by adding Chinese manufacturers—Hongqi, Yangwang, NIO, XPeng, and Wuling—marking the first major collaboration between Need for Speed and Chinese automotive brands.
Taking On Competition
Forza Horizon offers open-world arcade racing with festival vibes. Forza Motorsport focuses on track racing simulation. Gran Turismo prioritizes motorsport authenticity with over 90 million copies sold. Mario Kart leads all racing franchises with 164 million copies sold through family-friendly kart racing.
Need for Speed carved out its niche through police chase mechanics no other major franchise integrates as deeply. It captures underground racing aesthetics better than mainstream competitors. The series delivers cinematic presentation through live-action cutscenes and Hollywood production values while maintaining accessibility without sacrificing depth.
What’s Next
EA confirmed in February 2025 that Need for Speed development is on hold while Criterion Games works on Battlefield. The franchise will return “in new and interesting ways,” though specific details remain unclear. The community remains divided—some want returns to Underground or Most Wanted styles, while others push for fresh approaches.
Jipinfeiche proved street racing games can be both accessible and deep, combining arcade thrills with car culture authenticity. Whether you’re dodging cops at night or building your dream ride, the series delivers that speed fantasy no competitor quite matches.
