{"id":9534,"date":"2023-12-05T08:20:51","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T08:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.machinistic.com\/magazine\/madeleine-de-prost-the-need-for-speed-1994\/"},"modified":"2023-12-15T10:10:02","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T10:10:02","slug":"madeleine-de-prost-the-need-for-speed-1994","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.machinistic.com\/en\/magazine\/madeleine-de-prost-the-need-for-speed-1994\/","title":{"rendered":"Madeleine de Prost: The Need For Speed (1994)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s Wednesday, March 20, 1996, 9am. After a 2-hour wait, elbowing with the most impatient, we finally get our hands on the holy grail. The Need for Speed is right there in front of us, subtly displayed on the shelves of the local game store. On the cover, you can instantly make out a Lamborghini Diablo wheel doing a burn-out. Okay, that sets the tone for our need for speed.<\/p>\n\n

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\"The<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"CD<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"French<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

We leave the store at a brisk pace, with an empty wallet, but with the aim of setting the fastest time to the sofa. After tossing the Airwalk and Adidas jacket into the hallway, we carefully insert the disc into the PS1 drive.<\/p>\n\n

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\"launch<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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We are holding your breath as the start-up screen and the iconic Sony console launch sound seamlessly follow one another. That’s where the first slap in the face comes in the form of an introductory video featuring Dodge Viper, Ferrari 512 TR, Mazda RX7 and all the best exotic automobiles of the day. 30 seconds of mechanical bliss where you can almost smell the burnt tire tickling your nostrils.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

The menu appears and the serious business begins. No room for the superfluous, just four game modes: time trial, head to head, single race and tournament. Light is right, as Colin Chapman used to say. The call of the road is too strong, so we go head-to-head. <\/p>\n\n

Among the 8 routes, we opt for exoticism, sand and palm trees with the Coastal route. It’s one of 3 “open” circuits where you can drive at full speed among the BMW E30s, Honda CRXs and Volkswagen Jettas that make up the game’s traffic, among others. The principle here is simple: complete a point-to-point route as quickly as possible. All the while avoiding being caught by the police, a mission widely accepted.<\/p>\n\n

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\"Rear<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Need<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Lamborghini<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Black<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Despite a certain choice of atypical cars (eight, not bad for the time), we’re stuck with an American-Italian duel with the idols of our childhood, the ones that used to line our bedroom walls in XL posters: the Viper RT-10 versus the Diablo GT. That’s when the second slap in the face comes, just as the race begins. Photo-reproduced dashboards, manual gear changes and sampled engine notes create a daydream, the sensation of actually being behind the wheel. <\/p>\n\n

At the start of each race, you must shift from neutral to first gear to start the car, even if automatic transmission was previously selected in the options menu. Each car has a different driving style, sound and performance. You’re excited as you go from one game to the next, the kilometers fly by, and the smile on your face stays the same. <\/p>\n\n

Suddenly, a latent pain is felt, and it becomes stronger and stronger. It is characterized by itchy eyes, the sensation that our eyes are on fire. We glance at the analog clock above the room, which reads 11:30 pm. <\/p>\n\n

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