Xbox

OutRun 2

In 1986, the world experienced a little Sega magic with the arcade release of OutRun, Yu Suzuki's revolutionary driving game. Unlike most racers before and since, OutRun wasn't about circling a static track -- it was a raucous cross-country jaunt infused with beautiful graphics, decidedly Californian style and some unforgettable tunes. More recently, Sega created a superb sequel in OutRun2, which added modern-day aesthetics but retained the distinctive flair and flavor that made the original famous. Now it's hitting the Xbox, and Sumo Digital's home port is nothing short of excellent.

Overall, there's a lot of wholesome game content available and OutRun 2 is especially deep for an arcade racer. Whether you're extensively unlocking content or simply bringing a friend to shame online, OutRun 2 offers plenty of replay value and solid gameplay elements. And when you think about it, that’s exactly what made all those great classic, old-school games so enjoyable and compelling to play.

Overall, there's a lot of wholesome game content available and OutRun 2 is especially deep for an arcade racer. Whether you're extensively unlocking content or simply bringing a friend to shame online, OutRun 2 offers plenty of replay value and solid gameplay elements. And when you think about it, that’s exactly what made all those great classic, old-school games so enjoyable and compelling to play.

Who in the 90's did not play Outrun? It was in every arcade I ever went to, and probably about 90% of every laundrymat I passed by. And depending on the arcade you got the upright version, or the full sit-down setup. And the game was unmistakeable; steering wheel and pedal, gearshift, fast moving 2D sprites moving in a 3D view, and the most memorable music in an arcade game. Somehow Sega always knew their game music, and nothing to me was as pumping as Magical Sound Shower or Passing Breeze.

Klassikon jatko-osa on herkullista arcadekarkkia, joka on oikean namin tavoin parhaimmillaan pienissä annoksissa. Ahmatit syövät paketin pahveineen päivineen tyhjäksi alle viikossa.

The original OutRun hit the arcades in the mid-eighties and immediately dazzled gamers with lightning fast graphics and smooth arcade racing gameplay. The result was a groundbreaking racing game that instantly earned its place as an arcade classic. The second OutRun game recently hit arcades using Xbox architecture in the cabinet. It featured the same brand of furious gameplay as its predecessor coupled with incredibly vibrant and realistic graphics. Now, the sequel is hitting the Xbox, and since the arcade version was built on Xbox hardware, OutRun 2 is an arcade perfect conversion and then some.

When the original OutRun was released in 1986, it became an instant classic to racing fans. The cherry-red convertible Ferrari with the female passenger gave OutRun a distinctive look, which is almost iconic in its recognizability today. With the release of OutRun2 on the Xbox, Sega has effectively recaptured the magic of the original game. While it may not offer the sophistication of other racing games on the market, OutRun2 has an old-school sensibility that makes it both appealing and addictive. A wealth of content and an online mode add to the game's great value as well.

Back in the arcade days I played OutRun, Pole Position and every other arcade racer I could get my hands on. Back then, they were all arcade racers. Each game had its twist, its one catch, and Sega's OutRun always stood out as a fast, wild ride in a convertible with a girlfriend. If you remember playing it, you'll also recall it wasn't an easy game, either. OutRun was easy to pick up and play, but to beat it? Well, you'd better have two pockets filled with quarters, and another loaded pair of pants for backup.

En définitive, Outrun 2 peut-il tenir tête à Burnout 3 ? Si vous faites partie de cette niche de joueurs qui pensent que Criterion à force d'en faire plus finit par en faire trop, ou simplement si vous êtes un nostalgique d'une conduite simple, complètement surréaliste et auréolée de défis parfaitement délirants comme sait en faire Sega, alors foncez, Outrun 2 est pour vous car c'est cette diversité et cette folie de challenge qu'on saura apprécier en dépit d'une réalisation un peu à la traîne.

As much as we'd like to take it in isolation and extol its virtues unshaken by the knowledge of meatier challenges a couple of shelves away, it's impossible to talk about OutRun2 - one of the most single-minded racing games we've played - without contrasting it with the depth and scope of Burnout 3, released just three weeks earlier. And it's a comparison that hurts the SEGA title. Burnout 3, simply, was built from the ground up to be satisfyingly vast, and it succeeded. You won't run out of things to do for weeks. OutRun2, meanwhile, is completely the opposite - a concise racing challenge geared towards delivering short-term thrills in the arcade, with reversed tracks and a couple of unlockable bonuses, task-oriented mission modes and Xbox Live support drafted in over the last year to try and boost its appeal to console owners.

Wenige Rennspiele waren so stilprägend wie Outrun aus dem Jahr 1986 von Sega. Dieser Spielhallen-Hit, in dem man mit einem roten Ferrari an Traumstränden vorbei von Checkpoint zu Checkpoint eilte, gehört zweifellos zu den unsterblichen Arcade-Klassikern. Ende 2003 kam Outrun 2 in die Spielhallen. Mittlerweile hat Sega eine 1:1 Umsetzung für die Xbox produziert.

Outrun 2 is a good game, it's just very short and let down by poor AI, and what should have been its saving grace, in online play, is actually more of a test of patience. While it lasts the experience is great and if you must own the game, this conversion is very good.

OutRun 2 is a love-hate proposition. You either get it or you don't. If you don't, there are other racing games available that offer more cars, more challenges, more complex controls, free-roaming environments, modifiable performance, and all that jazz that's becoming endemic to the modern racing game. But if you do happen to get it...well, drift away.

There's an on-line mode and a lame "take-turns" party mode, but sorry, no split screen. Outrun 2's soundtrack is a collection of generic synth-pop tunes, which sound cheesy at first but have an old school charm. The original Outrun is included as an unlockable, and it many ways it's better than Outrun 2! Even so, this great-looking game provides more instant gratification than most modern games.