Turbo Out Run

The Good
Considering the awful job US Gold did with the original "Outrun" for the CPC, one did approach its first sequel, "Turbo Outrun", with extreme caution.

And while the apprehension was well justified, this entry in the series, which would in turn be followed by "Outrun Europa" turned out a much more satisfying game. The graphics are colourful and detailed, the scroll, while not exactly fast, is serviceable enough, and while the handling could be better the low level of difficulty makes it a really nice ride.

Actually the game is so forgiving that one can just concentrate in the beautiful scenery and ignore the game faults for a while. The much advertised "turbo" new feature is also welcome, if not too original. You simply get an (optional) extra boost now and then, while a convenient "overheat" prevents you from abusing it.

The Bad
There are some other new features, like an opponent in the shape of a Porsche 959, or the possibility to add new parts to your F40, but none of them affects gameplay that much. Actually, I'm pretty much certain that in the Amstrad CPC version the "high grip tyres" or the other parts do absolutely nothing.

Also worth of mention here is that we don't get any FX, just the same tune in every stage. It's a very nice tune, alright, but I for one would have preferred some engine and screeching sounds.

The Bottom Line
"Turbo Outrun" is an average driving game, nothing else. But considering how the original got butchered in the Amstrad CPC version, at the time "Turbo Outrun" was seen as an opportunity, and not a completely wasted one, to make things right.

The gameplay is just average, but the graphics are so nice and the game so forgiving that you'll eventually play it now and then, just for a welcome change of pace from more hectic racing games or to see the sunset in L.A. at the very end.

The Good
The entire game is recreated, with a good variety on the background graphics and reasonable computer cars.

The Bad
The car's handling is quite slippery, and the movement of the scenery extremely jerky. The roads create no sensation of speed, and the other cars look pasted-on. Many of the backdrops are technically laughable, with flat trees, and sky effects which look corrupted. The only sound effect is the turbo, and the music is pretty by-the-numbers; Amiga hardware can do so much more.

The loading times between levels are almost as long as the levels themselves, and the change-over is indicated by the background suddenly changing, a short pause, and then the game resuming, which is distracting and inelegant.

The transmission and upgrade options are time-limited to 10 seconds - while this made sense in the arcades, it's a ridiculous limitation on the home versions.

With 5 continues, each of them fully recharging the turbo, it's not likely to take long to complete, especially as the levels only really vary visually.

The Bottom Line
Like the first OutRun game, the home versions generally felt like rushed jobs, lacking on technical and gameplay fronts. Although this improves on the first one, and is probably the best home version, it looks a bit pathetic next to the Lotus games. If you love the arcade game, you'll get some enjoyment out of this, at least until you complete it (OutRun games weren't the most demanding of racers), but it could've been better.