|
Game:
Out Run
Manufacturer: Sega
Enterprises (developed in-house by AM2)
Year: 1986
Genre: Driving
Players:
1 player only
My Version is:
The deluxe cabinet (European
release)
You're cool, the engine's hot, the girl's gorgeous, a tank full of
gas and an open road ... the rest is up to you!
The ultimate experience in motor sports simulation, the absolute challenge
to nerves and reflexes. Feel the wind in your hair and the pull of the
G-force as you power your way along the highways and byeways, a girl by
your side and an open country before you. Experience the exhilaration
and excitement of driving a high performance sports car in this teasing
time trial where your co-ordination and nerve will be tested to unbelievable
limits.
Background
Recognised as being the most successful coin-op of the Eighties,
Outrun took the Space Harrier "Super-Scaler" technology
and adapted it for use in a driving game.
Not surprisingly the graphics amazed all who saw them, but the real
innovation was the soundtrack which was based on Yu Suzuki's desire
to get studio-quality music in videogames.
Innovation in the gameplay (such as decent power drift and opposing
cars travelling at different speeds) coupled with sheer atmosphere
made Outrun a deserved classic. |
 |
Gameplay
Like
no other game before it, you try a race against time to achieve your objective
of reaching any one of five goal lines and become a winner. The course
you will take is up to you. Start your engine, grip the controls and participate
in the fastest race ever. Be prepared to dip, curve and increase your
speed as you drive this arduous course. Familiarise yourself with the
controls and GET READY!
Use your skill and judgement on this hand to eye masterpiece to manoeuvre
your way past the many obstacles placed in your path. Avoid collisions
and stay on the road.
Use of gears: These will help you accelerate, decelerate and manoeuvre
through the curves. Use a low gear to start with until you have gained
speed and then open it up for tremendous acceleration. Keep in a low gear
when tackling a curve to hold the road and shift into high gear for maximum
acceleration on the open straight.
|
Outrun
Deluxe Upright
|
Navigating Those Tracks
The easiest routes to complete the game
are two outermost tracks.
The two easiest routes are as follows:
Take
a left out of Coconut Beach Boulevard and keep taking
the left turn-offs which will take you through - Gateway,
Desert Drive, Wilderness Drive, Vineyard Avenue, before
reaching your goal.
Take a right out of Coconut Beach Boulevard and keep taking
the right-turns which will take you through - Devils Canyon,
Cloudy Mountain Pass, Seaside Town, Lakeside, before reaching
your goal.
|
Your
Car:
Ferrari
Testarossa Convertible, 2 door, 5 speed. Specification.
Engine Type .............. dohc 4 valve flat - 12
Capacity ................. 4942cc
Maximum Speed ............ 180.1 mph
Maximum Power (bhp/rpm) .. 390
Maximum Torque (lb/ft) ... 361
0-60 mph (secs) .......... 5.8
30-50 mph (secs) ......... 4.4
50-70 mph (secs) ......... 7.3
Overall Con (mpg) ........ 12.1
Touring Con (mpg) ........ 19.0
Braking from 80 mph ...... 242 ft
Top Speed ................ 185 mph
Compression Ratio ........ 8.7:1
Cost (1987) .............. Approx £85,000
That
Lovely Music
The
Outrun soundtrack has to be a collection of some of the most recognisable
out of all videogame ditties. If you don't recognise the Outrun
tunes, you'll be hard pressed to convince others of your gaming
knowledge.
There were four tunes in the Outrun score. These were;
Magical
Sound Shower (in-game)
Splash Wave (in-game)
Passing Breeze (in-game)
Last Wave (high score board)
The
Sega Sound Team recently produced some fantastic remixes of the
above tracks which, if you liked the original arcade music, you
will absolutely love. I am lead to believe that the Japanese Sega
Saturn release of Outrun featured these remixes, but you can get
hold of them with relative ease as a fair few Kazaa users have
them available for download.
|
 |
Home Conversions
Such
was the popularity of Outrun, that it was converted by U.S Gold
(now Eidos) to most major home computer and console formats including
Sinclair Spectrum, Amstrad, Commodore 64, Atari ST and Amiga.
The most accurate conversion was released on the underrated Sega
Saturn console. This was nigh-on arcade perfect, and a reason on
it's own to hunt down and pick up a second hand machine and a copy
of the game. |
Points
of Interest
Depending
on which finishing point you complete the game with you are treated
to a different and slightly amusing (if a little basic looking) animation
sequence. Once the game ends you enter your score as normal, but next
to your final total a total laptime is also displayed.
As you go through a checkpoint, look out for a split-second graphical
glitch. It's hard to notice, but it is there. This is even present on
the Sega Saturn conversion which leads me to believe that the conversion
may use the original arcade game ROMS. I have also been informed by
a number of regulars on the Edge forums that the Saturn version of Outrun
is actually running arcade code, but I am unable to verify that.
Keep an eye out on the background featured on the high score board.
You'll notice that there are a number of different background images
used during a multiple gaming session.
For a massive, and I mean massive Outrun FAQ, drive on over to the site
of the Outrun FAQ located at: http://www.alienwebshop.com/pointblank/outrun/faq/outrun.faq
The information and contents of this site are copyright Robert Hazelby
E-mail: robert@spamnomorejabba.demon.co.uk
(remove `spamnomore` from above address to email me)
|
