OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

The definitive edition of my all-time favourite arcade racer, and one of my all-time favourite games in any genre. This game uses OutRun2 SP as its base and loads a bunch of content on top of it.

A basic game of OutRun is quite simple: you start driving from one zone in your Ferrari of choice, then as you exit, the road branches off and you can choose to go left (easy route) or right (hard route). You'll drive through five zones total, reaching one of five ending zones depending on the route you took. In all modes, you're driving against the clock, and reaching a new area extends your time.

There are three primary modes: OutRun Mode requires you to drive cleanly and quickly to overtake traffic and 'rivals' for points, scoring extra points if you slipstream directly before overtaking. Heart Attack Mode requires you to complete special objectives in each area, earning ratings and taking on 'special requests' if you perform consistently well. Time Attack Mode is simply you against the road, with no traffic or objectives.

The game's defining mechanic is drifting; if you brake then accelerate into a corner, the car will enter a drift state and will hug the corner while maintaining speed. A basic knowledge of drifting is required to reach the end without running out of time. The car won't accelerate while drifting, however, so you'll need to figure out the best times to drift.

If you drive in manual, however, there's an even faster way to drift. Gearing down, then immediately gearing back up, will put the car in a drift state without losing any speed. This helps immensely when driving in some of the more difficult zones with tight corners. I highly recommend driving in manual for this reason, especially since it's not too difficult to learn.

The core OutRun2 SP experience is one of the best examples of 'style over substance' done right. This is always something that Sega AM2's arcade line-up have excelled at: simple yet satisfying game mechanics alongside beautiful world-building and aesthetics. The 15 zones are fantasized renditions of North and South American locales, each having their own personality and identity. Huge bridges, casinos, spaceships, jungles, every path feels like a world tour.

What's most memorable about the game for many is its sound design and music. The three original songs from OutRun are given modern remixes, and there's numerous extra songs added as well, from pumping guitar instrumentals to passionate vocal tracks. Everyone has their favourites; for me, it's usually Magical Sound Shower or Night Flight.

So, everything I just said about Outrun2 SP, OutRun 2006 does and more. There's more cars, more songs, a race mode, more Heart Attack objectives, plenty of extra content. The 15 zones from base OutRun2 are also included, along with alternate versions of numerous zones. You start with only two cars with weak-ish stats, then you earn currency by driving, which can be used to buy more cars, tracks and songs. Every car also has a racing variant with improved stats, useful for some of the more difficult races.

Included with the game as well is a port of OutRun2 SP, so you can enjoy the core arcade game without any of the progression elements. You're also given the option of 15 Stage Continuous, where you drive through all 15 zones of either OutRun2 or OutRun2 SP in one go. This is one of my favourite additions in the game, as 15 minutes of OutRun in one burst is essentially more of a good thing.

I've played both the PSP and PC ports, and both are definitely worth getting your hands on. I wish the PSP port allowed you to play songs from your own library, however. On PC, you can go into the game's files and swap the audio files for your own files in Ogg Vorbis format. Having my own personalized OutRun 2006 with my favourite music is pure bliss, and I highly recommend it.

Its an extremely satisfying arcade racer on a moment to moment basis.. The fantastic tropical setting with beaches in sight, the music with a lot of sweet guitar riffs, drifting those corners with you lady sitting at your side. Its a surprisingly relaxing game due to its audiovisual presentation.

Gameplaywise its a very fast arcade racer. Despite the sense of speed, its pretty easy not to crash into anything considering that the tracks are very straightforward and the control of the car is sublime. You have the option to drift in curves, and while highly unrealistic it is really satisfying to pull it off. Unfortunatly, the game really does seem ripped off straight from the arcades, and it lacks something like a campaign to keep the players a bit more motivated to play it. There is a bit of lack of content, both in terms of gameplay modes, vehicles to use and tracks available. This ultimatly hurts the replayability of the title.

Its not the best arcade racer out there, but you would swear so when playing the game. Its blissful at certain moments, i wish there were more moments to savour that feeling.

A perfect update of 1986's Outrun in both theme and gameplay. Coast 2 Coast is familiar if you're a fan of the original -- the music is mostly the same but made with different hardware (obviously), the tracks are updated versions of the originals, and the feel is every bit as sunny and lighthearted as it ever was. The gameplay, as well, retains the original's casual spirit while adding a bit of depth with a new drift mechanic that is necessary to learn to get the best times, but isn't overly difficult. Challenge modes and tracks from Outrun 2 were also added for depth seeing as this was a $50 release at the time.

With its cheery tunes, bright, sunny graphics and casual but entertaining gameplay, Coast 2 Coast is like video game comfort food, and has been in my semi-regular play rotation for 10 years.