PlayStation 2

OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

My biggest beef with Outrun 2006 is its lack of split-screen action - multiplayer is on-line only! Also, it's way too hard to crack that high score screen, which is dominated by some guy named "Sega". Despite these oversights Coast to Coast is one truly spectacular game that manages to put the fun back into racing.

It’s the simple pleasure of the racing itself that’s the overriding wonder of the entire package - when a game that has you driving over the same bits of track again and again and you don’t feel remotely bored, then you know it’s doing something right. While it’s not absolutely perfect - the framerate takes a hit during busy sections, and occasionally the visual opulence is just too much: witness the gaudy neon glare of Casino Town - OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is a Director’s Cut that’s massively superior to an already wonderful original, and is perhaps the ultimate poster child for blue-sky gaming; a real rainy Sunday afternoon treat.

The point's been made before on these pages, but OutRun2 draws it out again: SEGA is brilliant at five-minute racing games.There are 15 stages, laid out like balls in a snooker triangle; as you get to the end of each one in your Ferrari, you adjust the difficulty by taking the left path for an easier ride or right for a tougher one. All you're up against is the clock, and your only obstacles are the indecently curvaceous undulations and turns in the track, often peppered with slow-moving traffic.

The original OutRun first graced arcades in that wonderful year known as 1986. In spite of the fact that Sega developed numerous sequels and spinoffs to the original OutRun in the following years, it would take eighteen years for Sega to release a game dubbed "OutRun 2". But in 2004 they did just that and released OutRun 2 in the arcades and later on the Xbox. An update, called OutRun 2 SP, would also be unleashed on arcade gamers before the end of the year. But what about the rest of us? Didn't we deserve to go outrunnin' too? Of course we did, which is why I'm incredibly pleased that Sega brought OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, a package containing OutRun 2, OutRun SP and a bunch of new content, to the PS2 earlier this year.

Fröhlich-flotte Old-School-Raserei mit hübschen Umgebungen und zahlreichen Herausforderungen.

The game also impresses in the visuals department with the graphics on par with the PS2 and only slight bouts of slowdown encountered. The LCD screen brings across the vibrant locations perfectly and considering the speed of the game, the level of detail is quite amazing. SEGA has also managed to bring across the original soundtrack with fan favorites as well as some of the new SP songs which really are fun to drive to.

If you're looking for a fun arcade racer with lots of Ferraris and the ability to do some fast and furious drifts, you won't go wrong picking up OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast. Those who've already played OutRun2 may find the experience to be largely the same, but it's definitely still a worthwhile experience, especially for PS2 and PSP owners who may have missed out on that game. For Xbox owners who've already played OutRun2, there's less of a compelling reason to buy Coast 2 Coast. You'll have to figure out how much you really love OutRun before you shell out another 30 bucks for a very similar game.

I feel bad for Sega and its timing of the release of the new OutRun games. In 2004, the company released OutRun 2 for the Xbox. It was the long overdue sequel to Sega's 1986 arcade hit. About a month and a half prior, EA had released its acclaimed Burnout 3: Takedown. Given the proximity of the release dates, OutRun 2 got a lot of unfair comparisons to Takedown, despite the fact they they're rather different types of racing games.

There’s a lot of content in the new Outrun 2006, but for good or bad, much of it will be very familiar to players of the earlier entries. Strike that, it’s actually really, really familiar. Highlights are the multiplayer races, a full version of OutRun SP from arcades, new cars and new locations. While some of the content is new, the game plays exactly the same – fast, thick with the flavor of classic arcades, and kind of simplistic. The PSP version, surprisingly, was my favorite, and it might be because it just feels right to do some quick cruising on a portable.

Twenty years ago, Yu Suzuki launched OutRun, a high speed road race across the country. With your Ferrari and your girlfriend by your side, you set out to scorch the asphalt, choosing your path and passing checkpoints to keep the ride going. Now, two decades later, SEGA's popular racing game returns in OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast with new modes, redesigned levels and additional cars. However, take that with a grain of salt; if you've played (or own) 2004's OutRun 2, you're basically getting a rehash of that title with a couple of extra features added on.

It's a curious decision that Sega would choose to include the original Outrun 2SP with their latest arcade-style racer, Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast. After all, the 2006 version is basically the same game: same graphics, same gameplay, same music, even the same courses. The only real improvements are some new game modes and a handful of reworked courses. If you never played the original Outrun 2SP, then the 2006 edition is definitely worth at least a rental. It's easy to learn and the Coast 2 Coast mode gives you a wide variety of gameplay that's enjoyable on a very basic level. However, anyone who played the last game is going to be sorely disappointed. This model is definitely in need of a tune-up.

I totally see the merit of the PSP version of OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, because it offers the one coveted feature that Ridge Racer and Burnout Legends do not... online play. The PlayStation 2 version also offers online play, but I just can't bring myself to wholeheartedly recommend that particular iteration of the game. It's a matter of perspective.

Si on ne doute pas que les aficionados trouveront leur bonheur en posant les mains sur le pad, on ne peut s'empêcher de rester un peu dubitatif face à cette nouvelle version de OutRun qui ressemble un peu trop à celle sortie il y a à peine plus d'un an. Si pour 20 ou 30 euros on pourrait se laisser séduire, à près de 45, on y réfléchira à deux fois, l'achat de OutRun 2 en occasion pouvant se révéler être un choix plus judicieux.