Need for Speed II introduced the Knockout racing mode, in which the last-place finisher is eliminated after each race.
Knockout is a series of two-lap races involving eight opponents. Rather than simply recording finishing times across a championship, the mode progressively removes the racer who finishes last. The field therefore becomes smaller from race to race until one competitor remains.
Need for Speed II was released in 1997 for PlayStation and Windows. It expanded on the original game with country-themed courses, customizable paint and car components, and a selection of exotic production and concept cars. Its open-ended tracks also allowed players to leave the asphalt and use shortcuts.
“Outrun” is a different style of racing objective, while “Sprint” generally refers to a point-to-point race. “Eliminator” may sound synonymous, but it is not the mode’s canonical name in Need for Speed II; the game calls it Knockout.