Opinion: 20 Years Later, Need For Speed: Most Wanted Is Still The Series’ Best Outing

The Need for Speed gaming series, similar to those films featuring Vin Diesel (you know, the automobile ones), well…there are a plethora of them. In fact, there are more than 20 Need For Speed titles currently available, and some of them are even fantastic!

Absolutely, I’d venture to say that several of them are exceptionally good, and Need for Speed Most Wanted, I’m quite confident in asserting, is the finest of the lot. Hot Pursuit indeed comes close, I won’t deny it; it captures 99% of the excitement in terms of immediate thrills (and boasts a lovely remaster for Switch these days), but 2005’s Most Wanted still reigns supreme in the series, with a GameCube version that truly wowed back in the day by dispelling the game’s overly yellowish filter. The p**s filter, if you may.

Rest assured, there’s a poll at the conclusion where you can cast your vote against me for your favorite from a curated list of NFS titles [You’re 100% correct, it definitely includes ‘Most Wanted‘ in the title. – Ed.], and I’d be eager to hear all the perspectives for and against in the comments.

For now, I want to commemorate 20 years of Most Wanted — it debuted in Europe on November 25, 2005, and 10 days earlier in North America — by discussing why it’s so exceptionally good, which boils down to the straightforward fact that it intensely emphasizes street racing and pursuit abilities at a driving level, rather than employing pursuit gadgets or special abilities (like Hot Pursuit) to animate cop chases and illicit racing ventures in a thoroughly thrilling and genuine manner.

Sure, Hot Pursuit emerged later, and in practice, its emphasis on gadgets functioned exceptionally well, within the limitations of its approach. However, in the street racing realm of Most Wanted, on the roads of Rockport, and competing against its 15 adversarial racers (all of whom you are tasked with defeating, while also cultivating a problematic rapport with the local police), unadulterated racing abilities, precise timing, deft handbrakes, and last-second misdirections are where the magic happens. And it’s delightfully fun all throughout.

In these races, you engage in street-based circuit and point-to-point challenges that insistently reinforce that you are not merely racing; you’re breaking the law. You cheeky rascal. Thus, you have these fantastic cinematic vibes right from the start framing the action — a quality that racers seldom deliver outside of this franchise — before the cops arrive as if on cue, making everything feel a hundred times cooler than it previously was.

There exists so much potential within this racing triangle of you against your competitors against the police that no two races ever unfold the same when law enforcement is involved. I mean, why win anything in a straight-laced and mundane manner, when you can torment some officers at the same time?

Video games, especially in today’s world with battle passes and all that clutter, come loaded with a multitude of distractions. Most Wanted, however, keeps you locked and loaded, conscious of your goal, racing on the streets devoid of that nonsense in record time. This is a game where the exhilaration of a close call, speed intensified by danger, and driving that is super-boosted and turbocharged with flair is the order of the day, but it’s also a game that offers racing that works competitively whenever necessary. Indeed, the one drawback of the GameCube version was its lack of online gameplay, which was unfortunate given how well this title plays with others.

This is the kind of top-tier arcade racer that perfectly captures the feel of racing in a wonderfully satisfying way. It achieves an alluring equilibrium in how it handles its fleet of 37 vehicles, sitting precisely where it ought to, in a magical space between simulation and pure arcade fun.

It’s a sensation that Need for Speed titles get right more than most. Hot Pursuit nailed it, Underground 2 nailed it, and Most Wanted hits the mark perfectly too, endowing these games with a timeless quality that’s uncommon in the genre, signifying that even now, firing up your GameCube for an anniversary race or two, it hasn’t lost any of its captivating allure. Just one more race, then I’ll write that damn anniversary post. That sort of thing.

Furthermore, it’s beneficial that the GameCube received such a commendable port, disregarding the absence of online functionality. I was thoroughly impressed back in 2005, and I actually preferred the aesthetics of this version to my Xbox copy, as it didn’t suffer from that dreadful yellow filter I mentioned. The less said about the terrible DS port, the better (I could have remained silent entirely, but where’s the fun in that?), since some things are simply a step too far, but the GameCube version got it precisely right and continues to do so in its fluidity, incredibly smooth controls, and graphics that, while unquestionably dated, still deliver and accomplish the task in 2025.

With all that being stated, I would sincerely like to know, on this 20th anniversary of my favorite NFS, what your top NFS game is from the shortened list below. Therefore, be sure to cast your vote in the poll and sound off below if you feel…well…if you feel the urge. Innit.

Have a favorite that’s not listed here, or simply disagree with anything about Most Wanted? Make sure to share in the comments!