The speed blur effect became popular with games such as Burnout 3: Takedown and SSX: On Tour, however, it had been used in games previously, the first appearance would be in 1994's Super Metroid for the SNES, after you receive the Speed Booster attachment for Samus' suit. Ever since then, many games have duplicated this effect, and while it sometimes might take more processing power, it definitely adds a nice sense of speed to some games.
Log in to comment