Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit [PC] - Alpha Preview Demo (Alpha/Pre-Beta Version)

Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit - Alpha Preview Demo.
Demo Description: You are one of two hot rodding Lamborghini Countach's. Try to beat you're rival to the finish line--but watch out for the cops! (If only you could stop to enjoy the crisp mountain air on Rocky Pass, one of NFS III's advanced tracks.)
Differences of this version to the final version of the game:
- The loading screen is different, more similar to the PS1 version.
- The beginning flyby and the pause camera are from NFS 2.
- The countdown announcer is from NFS 2/3 of the PS1 version.
- The music "mood" seems different.
- The car handling is very different from the final version, is more hard to make some turns and control the car.
- The Lamborghini engine sound sounds lower pitched, much like the PS1 version.
- The pause menu is very different from the final version.
- The game has a cruise button that, when activated, maintains the speed of the car (would probably be used to avoid the cops).
- The cops are much more aggressive in this version.
- Only one cop talk to central.
- The cops here say "in pursuit a Lamborghini", but in the final version they say "in pursuit a (color) Countach".
- The cops talk to you like the PS1 version (this is present in the final version, but is a cheat)
- The Lamborghini Diablo Cop Car chases you in this version, in the final version it is a playable car, but it never chase you.
- When you're arrested, the voice and skin from police officer is different.
- All the cop cars and spike strip are visible in the minimap.
- This version not have the meter that shows when you are getting closer from a cop car (sorry, i don't remember the name of this meter).
- The digital RPM meter not turn red when the RPM reaches the limit.
- When you press the handbrake button, the brake lights turn on.
- The cockpit view is not present in this version, but I don’t know if it didn't exist yet or it’s just blocked.
- The HUD has some differences, the rear view mirror is smaller, the list of opponents is in a different position and the minimap also has different borders (i forgot to turn on the opponents list in the full gameplay, but is turned on in the bonus clips if you have interest in see).
The readme.txt and the game's initial screen say "Sneak Preview Demo: Pre-Beta Version", but the .exe says "Need For Speed III For Win32 Alpha Preview"
100% of the game files are original (no patchs, mods, etc...) I only put a "dsound.dll" in the game directory because playing this on a modern PC without it is like playing with a blown speaker or an old TV without signal/static noise, but if you just put the "dsound.dll" in the game directory this magically fix the sound, but unfortunately creates a delay of 0.5 to 1 second in the sound (but is better than play without listen anything). NOTE: The "dsound.dll" only fix the sound in modern PCs, it doesn't change anything in the game files.
Played on Windows 10 x64 (after two days of pain to make the game run on a x64 PC)
#NeedForSpeed #Preview #NFS3 #NeedForSpeedIIIHotPursuit #Demo #Alpha

[@matel855]

I had this demo on my 1998 pc magazine cd...it was something else back then, especialy on Voodoo 2...also that soundtrack is playing in my winamp everyday

[@ritter_cracker]

I loved this demo. Remember the first time. I thought from the start that the song was so cool. But then when you get up on that hill where you meet the cops and the dynamic soundtrack kicks into overdrive, you really got the feeling like "oh shit this just got real". Such a good game.

[@wingsofzero5732]

Wow, this is tight. The joy of demos - they're in that sweet spot where they're still working on it but it's playable enough for a demo to be released to the public. Those are definitely some NFS2 physics in there, look how easily you get flipped and be able to drive away just fine.
Also, I think the radar detector is missing because you could see cops on the map (indicated by those pink dots - seems that the cop default car colour is technically considered the custom colour since they only have the police livery).
Another thought about the cop skin too - the one used here is the Atlantica/Aquatica cop skin, but Rocky Pass/Summit later got the mountain cop skin. In the files, the RP/S cop skin is called 'redneck', which I think would fit more with Hometown/Country Woods. Maybe that was what the cop skins were before they switched it around?
Hearing those busted quotes in that different voice threw me for a loop too, lmao.

[@tropixx_xlr1549]

The quotes when you get busted are interesting! If only someone can rip the voice clips from the PC version of the game!!

[@RadJordy]

Had this demo installed on my first PC. We got it from my uncle, and we hadn't gotten around to wiping it completely, so my brother and I would play this demo that was installed on the computer. I was pretty convinced that it was NFS3, but seeing the mountain pass just confirmed it for me. Classic memories.

[@Journey_to_who_knows]

The cars look more like cars here compared to the next 2 games where they were more like soap bars on wheels

[@knucklesfan463]

I specifically remember this version rather than Corvette demo, because it was featured in a pc magazine disc among other games of that time period. I got to play it only once on my 64bit system after 20 or so years and it never lauched or at least played properly again. I'd like to add couple of things different from the final product as well.
- So the beginning flyby was taken from NFS2's tournament/knockout mode and the pause camera is from NFS2 as well
- NFS2/3(ps1) countdown announcer
- Music "mood" shift so to say, seems different as well. Composition wise that is.
- As for cops, there is in fact only one cop talking to central if you think about it. None of those pitch changed or different voice variants like in final version
- speaking of a Lambo, the engine sound sounds lower pitched, much like ps1 version
Also damn, I forgot how basic the menus were. What were those sliders tho? Flat colored goodness. :D
9:24 is unbeatable

[@Classic-Gaming-Player]

Yes you are right i get this version from a magazine demo disc and is a real pain to make this run in a 64bit PC, first you need to install the game on a 32bit, after this copy the installed files and the .reg file (the game creates this file automatically to select your video card) to the 64bit, but even making this 99% of the time the game freezes on the loading screen.
I have the Corvette demo too, the name is "Final Web Demo" if I'm not mistaken, this demo was released after the final version was complete and was available on the official NFS3 website.
I also have another Countach demo with some differences, the title screen is like that, but if a big text saying "60% complete", you can do only 1 lap in the race, has traffic cars, and just 2 Diablo cop cars appear in the race but they never call to the central for any support and is very easy to lose them. If i remember correctly i get this version from a Electronic Arts preview disc (I will make a video of that version too).
And thank you very much for the differences you mentioned here, I will add them soon in the description :D

[@vvg916happyengineer]

9:24 oh yes, that part , everybody has had that happen in an 8 lap race and especially knockout race and shit their pants, they didn't design that slalom placement well. I was playing the CLK GTR first time it happened, truly core memory.

[@user-mn6vt7in8f]

классное демо! Даже и не знал что оно существует, спасибо за видео

[@ryan2t4]

0:30 NFS2/PSX countdown

[@sharpfalcon6196]

I wish they kept this here instead of reusing Jim Conrad's voice from the beta of NFS2 on the final build.

[@A-ek]

Wow! I played this demo many times as a kid around 1999. My father used to buy PC magazines and they had CD's full of demos. I remember launching the game over and over again to get the Countach in a colour I wanted.
Do you think it's possible to download this demo from somewhere?

[@Classic-Gaming-Player]

I think yes, but this demo don't work properly in new PCs, 99% of the time the game freezes in the loading screen.

[@matel855]

@@Classic-Gaming-Player I think there is same solution for that as it is for standard nfs3..You just need to set that nfs3.exe process just to 1 processor in Task manager

[@andreibratosin1199]

Didn't they use to have tannish uniforms instead of blue ? Also I remember in the long tunnel the guy 45 or 47 used to really have a higher pitched voice, yelling almost

[@hellbehemoth1235]

link download Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit - Alpha Preview Demo.
:D ?

[@iapplethis]

someone had given me a cd with a demo of this back then but I didnt know what demo meant and I was heartbroken why there wasnt more of the game 😂

[@jadecheek8331]

PlayStation 1 1994

[@asterickjones]

I remember that the cops said the funniest things when you were pulled over in the demo version, has anyone got this on TH-cam?