Alongside Robotron: 2084 and Strider the original Out Run is probably one of my favourite arcade games. I was already a fan of games like Hang On and Space Harrier, but Out Run blew me away and to this day my dream car has always been an open top Ferrari Testarossa (which I’ve been reliably informed, doesn’t actually exist).
Various sequels appeared over the years but none of them really clicked with me in the way that Yu Suzuki’s original game did. In short I was left wanting for another Sega racer that would emulate those same thrills and spills that I’d first felt in 1986. 17 years later I finally received my wish.
OutRun 2 is everything you’d expect from a great sequel. It builds on the mechanics of the original game, looks absolutely sublime and plays like a dream. In many ways it’s my favourite ever racing game and I play it religiously for at least a couple of races each week.
Drifting around corners in OutRun 2 is amazingly satisfying.
Living in the seaside town of Bournemouth there was an OutRun 2 on our local pier and I’d go down most lunch times to play it. The track design throughout is superb, while the emphasis on drifting and finding that perfect racing line makes it feel a lot different to its 1986 predecessor. The soundtrack has been amazingly remixed and includes several new compositions, including the amazing “Risky Ride” while the graphics and physics are amazing, allowing you to feel every hill and corner that you take.
It also added new modes to the original Out Run, including a fun time attack and the excellent hearts mode that required you to pull off numerous tricks to please your girlfriend. One minute you’re drifting through red lines, the next your passing cars or trying not to crash. It adds a whole new element to the game that makes it exceptionally challenging, but never unfair.
The courses look incredible, featuring those trademark Sega blue skies.
It received an equally good Xbox port by Sumo Digital that not only captured all the thrills-and-spills of the original game, but added brand new missions to complete and online play. In short it’s glorious and has only been really supersceeded by the equally amazing OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast.
OutRun 2 is one of the few games that genuinely makes me happy when I play it and every time my onscreen girlfriend asks me how far I’m going to take her, I always say “All the way baby, all the way” ALWAYS!
If you’ve ever loved Sega, ever felt a thrill from taking a tight corner at ridiculousl speeds or just love feeling like ever day is summer then please, buy OutRun 2 immediately. You seriously won’t regret it.