NFS 3 Question.... Again

[Beezer]

I know there have been many threads regarding the Need For Speed series and even an FAQ for it. However, I still have a question:
Can NFS3-HS play at anything higher than 800 x 600 (16 bit color)?
I tried the registry hacks suggested for NFS4, but still only get 800 x 600. Frame rates are fine, but I would really like to see higher resolutions... or is this game too old for anything better?

Using G400 32MB 6.10 drivers.

Just got a force feedback steering wheel, so I dusted this old game off and am trying to play it again.

[impact]

I am afraid you're stuck with 800x600 mate. Yeah I know it sucks bigtime. It's an old game, try NFS4 or NFS:Porsche or

*tada*

my personal favourite now, the off-road NFS

4x4 Evolution.

The demo rocks. Gotta love cars with transmission opitons that include 4WDH, 4WDL and 2WD all changeable during the race. Can't wait for the full game.

[Jorden]

Sorry Beezer, even I haven't gotten above 800x600@16bit yet

Must be the old nature of the game when 800x600 was the standard, as was 16 bit gaming.

Jord.

[Beezer]

Thanks for the "sanity check". I guess I can now go back to playing it knowing that it's as good as it's going to get.

That new NFS sounds like it could be fun -- especially with a force feedback wheel.

[impact]

Yep, it's kinda like MS Motocross Madness in that the cars race thru series of checkpoints on a large landscape and there are no boundaries.

You may get the demo here. http://4x4evo.godgames.com/

[Beezer]

Thanks for the link, but I just got the December edition of PCGamer and that demo is on the disc. Along with NHL 2001, No one Lives Forever, Dark Reign 2, Homeworld Cataclysm, and others. Saves me from massive download times.

[impact]

Depends on your pipes, I'd say.

[Nuno]

Beezer, you can run NFS3 at higher res. You need a little hack trick: rename d3da.dll to voodoo2a.dll (delete or rename previously the existing voodoo2a.dll file).
Then start the game from a shortcut containing "nfs3.exe -voodoo2"

And tell me what you think about it...

PS: I think this will only work for non patched versions. Try to do a clean game install and do it.

[impact]

Apropos, is NHL 2001 better than NHL 2K? Worth the money?

[Beezer]

Nuno- Thanks I'll try that again. First time I tried it, I don't think I did it quite right.

Impact- I haven't tried NHL2001 yet, but I've read that it supposed to be top notch. I'm not familiar with NHL2000 either.

I did try the 4x4 Evolution though. Looks pretty good. Force Feedback doesn't seem to be supported on the demo though, nor is any dead zone adjustment. But graphics are nice.

[Jorden]

Back from the ashes of reformatting a C: drive after losing too much data again

Beezer, you can run NFS3 at higher res. You need a little hack trick: rename d3da.dll to voodoo2a.dll (delete or rename previously the existing voodoo2a.dll file).
Then start the game from a shortcut containing "nfs3.exe -voodoo2"

Reading that I remembered that it was something like that. But I think it was not quite as Nuno said. Rename the shortcut to start with "nfs3.exe" -voodoo2 ... it had to be outside the quotes for some reason (on my machine anyway)

Jord, who will link this thread in the FAQs.
Thx Nuno

[impact]

You only need the quotes when there are spaces in directory/file names. Thus, in your example you don't need any quotes at all. You can even type nfs3 -voodoo2 at the dos prompt and it will work.

[Beezer]

I know I tried several variations with all resulting in the "not a valid filename" error message. I didn't try Jorden's way yet though.

[Nuno]

Ooops, sorry, that´s not quite what I meant with the quotes... It was just to separate it from the rest of the sentence - my mistake, sorry

To be easier, right click on nfs3.exe, move it a bit and select create shortcut. Then right click the shortcut -> properties and add -voodoo2 after whatever it´s written on.

[impact]

Have the installation make a shortcut on your desktop, then in it's properties add the "-voodoo2" (without quotes) to the command line and you're set.

Maximum resolution is (at least for me)now 1184xsomething, the games runs quite well, but IMHO the menus looks uglier (16bit graphics takes its toll), also in-game sky looks pretty bad.