OutRun

From TheAlmightyGuru
Jump to: navigation, search
OutRun

OutRun - ARC - USA.jpg

Arcade - USA - Deluxe cabinet.

Developer Sega
Publisher Sega
Published 1986-09-25
Platforms Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Arcade, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Game Gear, Genesis, J2ME, MSX, Master System, Saturn, TurboGrafx-CD, ZX Spectrum
Genres Racing
Themes Driving
Series OutRun
Distribution Commercial

OutRun is a street racing video game developed and published by Sega for the arcade on 1986-09-25, but then ported to many other platforms. This is the first game in the OutRun series. The game uses a behind-the-car pseudo 3-D display which simulates speed by rapidly scaling-up sprites as you drive past them. The arcade cabinet was released in four forms, a mini upright cabinet, a larger upright cabinet, a more expensive sit-down cabinet which moved and shook with the game, and a deluxe moving cabinet with stereo speakers in the head rest and a race car shape.

In the game, you race your red Ferrari along a wide highway and must reach checkpoints before time runs out. Before each checkpoint, you come to a fork in the road and must choose between the left or right path to continue your race. There are 25 sections of road in all, and each has a different set of backgrounds and driving hazards. There are also five different endings to see.

Personal

Own?No.
Won?No.

I first saw this game in an arcade somewhere in the late 1980s, but I'm not positive where, though it was once of the standup cabinets. I do remember being very impressed with it, despite the fact that most people who played it rarely got very far. Looking at it more objectively now, I'm still very impressed by its technical capabilities, but find the game to be rather dull in general.

Despite its flaws, I still love watching OutRun being played by a skilled driver, the rapidly moving background graphics and jazzy music leaves me with a zen feeling.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
5 4 7 8 6

Best Version: Arcade

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The in-game art is wonderful. They're drawn competently, and each area has its own theme and palette. The red Ferrari was an excellent vehicle choice.
  • The game has really great music by Hiroshi Kawaguchi.
  • Technically, the game is amazing for 1986. Not only can it handle large sprites and rapidly-scale them, but it can handle dozens on the screen at once.
  • The arcade cabinet was very impressive. A proper steering wheel, gas and brake pedals, a shifter, and, if you're playing the sit-down cabinet, haptic feedback!
  • The alternate routes, each with their own ending was a nice touch, and the sheer number of attractive side-line sprites is very impressive.

Bad

  • If you take away all the flash and polish, the actual mechanics of the game are the same as racing games that preceded it by several years like Turbo or Pole Position. A bit more effort could have been put into making it more interesting.
  • Because the car uses sprite mirroring, the Ferrari logo reverses when you steer to the left. This should have been corrected by drawing the logo as a separate sprite.

Ugly

  • The game is painfully hard. Even after practice, it is unlikely you'll get very far in the game.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Screenshots

Fan Art

Videos

Port comparisons.
Longplay - Arcade.
Longplay - Genesis.
Longplay - TurboGrafx-16.

Play Online

Arcade (Sit down), Arcade (Upright), Game Gear, Genesis, Mega Drive, Master System

Representation

Strong female character?FailThere is a woman in the driver seat, but she's just for looks.
Bechdel test?FailThere is no dialogue.
Strong person of color character?FailOne ending has some Arabs, but they're not important characters.
Queer character?FailThere are no queer characters.

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English OutRun
Japanese アウトラン AutoRan OutRun

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-SegaRetro.png  Link-VGMPF.png  Link-TCRF.png