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Very impresive!!! 

Wow, this is insane. I just notice that Egyptian Rally for nfs4 is basically a retexture of this Lunar track, since it's based on Rusty Springs Raceway, but it has the exact same shape as Lunar Springs but different textures, nice find

I've checked and indeed it is the same basetrack. Rusty Rally and Lunar share the same TR5.TRI and therfore have the same shape and objects position, only different textures 😏 i think that Egypcian Track its a convertion of Rusty Rally and nothing more.

I don't know which track you mean by Rusty Rally, but the nfs4 EP Egyptian Rally has the exact same track shape as Lunar Springs, while Rusty Springs Raceway has a more flat track shape in general

With Rusty Rally i meant Rusty Springs in rally mode. Always speaking of TNFSSE.

And yes, Rusty Springs in rally mode uses a different track shape, with more elevations, in comparison with Rusty Springs regular mode, which is almost entirely flat.

Rusty Springs regular uses TR1.TRI (flat).
Rusty Springs rally mode (and Lunar Springs) uses TR5.TRI (more elevations).

Egypcian Rally for NFS4 is surely a conversion of TR5.TRI that's why it has the same shape as Rusty Springs rally mode and Lunar Springs.

Wow, this is insane. I just notice that Egyptian Rally for nfs4 is basically a retexture of this Lunar track, since it's based on Rusty Springs Raceway, but it has the exact same shape as Lunar Springs but different textures, nice find

I've checked and indeed it is the same basetrack. Rusty Rally and Lunar share the same TR5.TRI and therfore have the same shape and objects position, only different textures 😏 i think that Egypcian Track its a convertion of Rusty Rally and nothing more.

[until today, after almost 30 years!]

OK as we all remember, "Lunar Springs" is a rendition of the Rusty Springs Raceway track set on the moon (see here and here), and was only featured in the PlayStation (PS1) release of The Need for Speed... until today, after almost 30 years!

That's right, now after some time investigating and putting all the pieces together, a lost-in-time track can be playable again, in both PC-Versions of the Need For Speed 1 (Orignal & SE). But have to say, according to the analized leftovers, apparently this track was intended to be part of the PC "Special Edition", and was cut short time before it's final CD release.

A - Information & Pieces Gathered:
All of the discovered files are original files created by EA back in 1996, and are leftovers present in the retail CD of TNFS-SE, so if you own that disc, you can check them yourself

1) Track existance hint:

"Moon" track is named among the other tracks in the final "NFS.EXE"

2) Control Central leftover track selection image:

Located inside "MOON.QFS" file (1996-06-10). Present -only- among GERMAN files, in "X:\FRONTEND\GART\CONTROL\MOON.QFS". Removed from the ENGLISH part of the disc.

3) Leftover track textures:
Located inside "TR8_R01.FAM" file (1996-05-27). Present in "X:\SIMDATA\NTRACKFM\TR8_R01.FAM". (Note: this file corresponds to a rally track number 8 (TRack8_R), whick does not exist... Original textures for the retail version of Rusty Springs rally are located in "TR5_001.FAM".

5) Leftover audio files:
There are three of them, located X:\FRONTEND\SPEECH\... -and \GSPEECH\ for German version-: a) LUNARWEL.EAS, b) LUNSPRIN.EAS and c) LUNARGOL.EAS, all of them from 1996-05-15, and althow you can't enable them ingame -at least i couldn't-, you can listen to them using GAP (Game Audio Player v1.32). Basically they say: a) "Welcome to Lunar Springs", b) "Lunar Springs selected" and c) "While you are up there, see if you can find that golf ball..." haha obviously a joke!

B - Installation:
If you'd like to try this lost track by yourself, follow this steps:

a) Make a custom-full installation of TNFS:SE (in English).
b) Win two tournaments, to enable "Rally Tracks" mode -there is workaround for this, see "C - Help" -
c) Copy "MOON.QFS" to your game directory, tipically "C:\NFSSE\FRONTEND\ART\CONTROL\" and rename it "SPRINGSR.QFS" (it's recommended to backup the original file first: SPRINGSR.QFS.bak )
d) Copy "TR8_R01.FAM" to "C:\NFSSE\SIMDATA\ETRACKFM\" and rename it "TR5_001.FAM" (again, it's recommended to backup the original file first: TR5_001.FAM.bak ). Now, with this last two steps we have "converted" the standar Rusty Springs rally to Lunar Springs.
e) Run the game, select "Lunar" track from the main menu and hit Race, that's it: WELCOME TO THE MOON!!!




C - Help!:
To "win" two tournaments to have rally mode enabled -and the other unlockables-, you may hexedit the "C:\NFSSE\GAMEDATA\CONFIG\CONFIG.DAT". Go to the very end of the file, and look for: <bh:00>C<bh:00>H<bh:00>M<bh:00><bh:00> and change it to <bh:00>C<bh:00>H<bh:00>M<bh:00><bh:02>. Just change that single "00" to "02" key.

D - Sidenotes:
* This was a nice discovery, collecting all the parts and make them work together correctly was challenging.
* This version of Lunar Springs differs in some textures from the PS1 Version. I think this may be because EA had no time to polish the final file. Therefor you'll find some texture glittches here and there, but the track is more than drivable. I've edited "TR5_001.FAM" correcting those little errors, PM me if you need help
* The only track that word correctly with the TR8_R01.FAM is endeed "TR5.TRI" (Rusty Springs Rally), trust me, i tried all others and the position of the textures and objects were displayed wrong. And it's also understundable because the moon is not made of asfalt haha.
* I'm still in the look for more information regarding "Monterey" track, present but not available, in the PC CD Demo version of the original TNFS, (more info here) so if you know anything more, please let me know!

Thanks for reading!!

Thanks for the tips Jim, i was doing something similar but saving the chunks as QFS files and works the same.

I don’t know anything about programming, but agree with you that a “extractor” wouldn’t be so hard to make.

Thanks!!

Good question man, i hope you get an answer

Thanks. Its a difficult one, but a key part for completing the collection hehe. And a good version to look for differences with the standar EN/DE versions

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but seems the right one to ask for this: does anyone know where can i find the Japanese version of The Need For Speed: SE (NFSSE) ISO or BIN/CUE format?

Here is a picture of the jewel case:


Link to redump: http://redump.org/disc/110367/

Thanks in advance!

I don't know a editor for FAM files. I once splited them into fsh files using a Hex editor, to get textures. The OpenNFS1 project seems to have the best information about the structure, since it loads them.
https://github.com/jeff-1amstudios/OpenNFS1

Wow! Never heard of OpenNFS1 project gonna give it a try out and read a bit about it.

"I once splited them into fsh files using a Hex editor, to get textures." can you explain how did you manage to do this? Thanks in advance!!

Hello guys, i'm currently working in modding some NFS/NFSSE tracks, but it's really difficult to find any information about it.

Does any of you know if it's possible to extract and import textures from and into FAM files? These files contain the bitmaps that are used for displaying the corresponding track or track segment.

So far so good i could convert and import "Burnt Siena" and "Transtropolis" tracks from NFSSE to NFS. And also PS1 "Lunar Springs" track to NFS1SE for PC but with some texture errors.

Thanks in advance!

Very interesting! I wonder if NFS3 tracks present in NFS4 are exactly the same or the developers use that opportunity to tweak them in any way. This type of comparison could help to determinate that.

["PC Zone 30" (September 1995 issue)]

A little modding Autumn Valley ( change sky textures, delete some autumn trees) and you will be have Monterey track.

I don't think so, i think Monterey was more like Vertigo Ridge. Remember that according to "The Games Machine" Monterey has a "legendary wooden tunnel" which is also present in VR, only a little less longer...

But it is very interesting, also where is hidden: The Dakota, Monterey Speedway and Arizona Motorway maybe only beta version names, but I'm very curious

I agree with you about them being beta names, and i tell you more, found more interesting information of another "beta track". In the "PC Zone 30" (September 1995 issue) they reviewed and early version of the game and wrote:

"Thankfully the beta pc version, which we’ve test driven (hem), not only shifts at a fair old lick, but includes all of the original features and more." | "And the tracks? There’s now a grand total of eight, including a test circuit with nifty high-speed banked corners. Hurrah! Aside from this test track, all of the races take place on public roads"

This was a nice discovery!

Full article: https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_30_September_1995/page/n24/mode/1up?q=test+track

Impressive find there, this opens eyes

Thanks Pete, i continue reading trying to find more clues about beta tracks and extra information to share
 

["Road & Tracks Presents: The Need For Speed"]

Hi there all! I was testing some "Road & Tracks Presents: The Need For Speed" demos and discover something really cool i want to share.

The thing is, there are two types of NFS1 demos:
1) DEMO VERSION 1.0 (the "big one" - aprox 36mb)
2) EA WEB SITE DEMO v1.0 (the "small one" - aprox 7,5mb)
Both of which offers the player Beta content of the game.

While the small Web Version of the demo starts with you directly on the track for a single race without doing anymore..., the bigger Demo Version, on the other hand, shows you the main menu and let you navigate, but not choose, the mayor part of the final content of the game.

There is when the mistery begins and the Monterey track appears for the first time:


But wait... let's remember: the official/retail tracks of NFS1 -original- are:

1) Three open road courses: City, Coastal and Alpine


2) Four closed circuit: Rusty Springs, Autumn Valley, Vertigo Ridge and Lost Vegas (Bonus Track)


...so no!, no Monterey.

But... there is more. When "Hex Viewing" the retail version of "TNFS.exe" looking for clues, there is our friend again:

And judging for it's possition there in the code, it seems Vertigo Ridge took it's place after all. And this could indeed be true because in the said Demo Version, the Monterey track image is located in the NFS\Frontend\Art\Control\LOOP3.QFS file, the same location where the retail image of Vertigo Ridge is, BUT...

If Monterey track image is flipped horizontal, it looks VERY similar to another closed circuit track image: Autumn Valley (with some tweaking, of course):

See the similarities? (fence and grass on the left, road, little hill on the right?)

And by the way, remember the Demo Version? well, Autumn Valley has also a different track image, see:


...so no!, not sure if Vertigo Ridge took that place of Monterey.

OK, but enought for the game itself, what does the press has to say about this mistery?

1) "Dimension 3" magazine (August/1995 issue), there is this review of the game, saying:

"In addition, the PC/CD-ROM version contains three different race courses, The Dakota, Monterey Speedway and Arizona Motorway, for you do to battle on."  (yes! another two mistery tracks also...)
(Complete issue: https://archive.org/details/dimension-3-august-1995/page/n9/mode/2up)

2) "Joystick" french magazine (issue 63), this is said (using GoogleTranslate):

"Monterey is a little wonder. First of all, the route is extremely pleasant with very pronounced relief. The decor is magnificent and the textures are very fine. It nevertheless remains the most difficult of all the courses offered."
(Complete issue: https://archive.org/details/joystick063/page/n105/mode/2up

3) "The Games Machine" italian magazine (issue 79)

"The legendary wooden tunnel of the Monterey circuit... I wouldn't be surprised to encounter an accident at the mine of the tunnel: at this speed the 90 degree curve at the exit is barely visible!"
(Complete issue: https://archive.org/details/the-games-machine-italia-79/page/n95/mode/2up)

So... according to the press at that time, the track was real, and also drivable. My final guess is that those reviews where made while playing some sort of "alpha or beta" version of the track and game, sent to them for testing purpose, and that way was played and reviewed. There is also some prerelease footage of the game there, so keep an eye on the details!

Cheers, hope you like my little investigation. What do you think? Does any of you know something else about Monterey?