Genre: Racing
Number of Players: 1
Developer: Sega/Hertz
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: August 9, 1991 (JP), 1991 (US/EU)
Platform: Sega Genesis
Also Available On: Arcade, Sega Master System, C64, CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, Amiga, MS-DOS, PC Engine, Game Gear, Sega Saturn
My first memories of OutRun are somewhat vague, but still intact. I was around five or six years old at the time, hanging out with friends and family at a bowling alley. I found my way into the arcade section, where a couple of my buddies were gathered around the OutRun cabinet. It was thrilling to see that red sports car flying down the road as the wind rushed through the driver’s and his girlfriend’s hair. We laughed when the car crashed, ejecting them harmlessly onto the pavement.
We joked about how disappointed the girlfriend must have been in the driver. It’s such a silly memory, but one that reminds me of the power of Sega’s arcade games. Despite never having the chance to play OutRun that night (or for many years after), just seeing it in action was enough to spark my imagination to the point of conjuring a hypothetical moment between the two on-screen characters.
Sega’s talent for making fun racing games translated well for the most part on the Genesis version. Besides the lack of high-resolution scaling 3D effects and the omission of any engine noises coming from your own car, everything else remained intact. The game begins with you selecting one of four music tracks, and then it’s time for the rubber to hit the road in your Ferrari Testarossa.
Instead of being saddled with the requirement of finishing the race in 1st place, the game does away with any distinction concerning your placement or rank in comparison to the other cars on the road. They’re only there to get in your way and make a nuisance of navigating the many S-curves on the course.
Your only real opponent is the clock that starts counting down as soon as you start the race. Of course, crashing into the numerous signposts and structures on the side of the road at high speeds is also ill-advised, for obvious reasons. But perhaps the most outstanding feature of OutRun is the idea behind the design of the whole race.
Your goal is to drive through a series of checkpoints until you reach the finish line (something Rad Racer would later borrow). Most racing games of that time featured several stand-alone linear courses to race around in. But in OutRun, you’re actually driving on one whole course that fans out into 15 branching roads or stages. As you drive toward the checkpoint leading to the next section, the road begins to fork, and you’ll need to decide if you want to take the left or right branching point.
Of these 15 stages, only five can be chosen during the current race, leading to different ending sequences depending on which finish line you cross. What I like best about the game is that you choose your path on the fly, so to speak. It allows the player some room for spontaneity. Granted, the Gran Turismos and Forza Horizons of the world have outpaced the extensiveness of choices presented in OutRun. But it stands to reason that developers like Sega proved that such a feature was a viable innovation well before the more recent racing games were even conceived.
Compared to the arcade version, the races are fairly easy to finish thanks to the option to change the difficulty settings. Adjusting the game to its easiest mode gives you more time on the clock and fewer cars on the road to contend with. The harder difficulty settings stick you with less time and more cars to maneuver around. No matter what degree of challenge you prefer, you will still have to be aware of the various curves and layouts of the stages ahead of you. And that’s where the other half of the fun becomes apparent.
If you’re playing OutRun for the first time, it may be a little frustrating as you’re trying to last long enough to make it to the finish line. But after some practice, you can confidently take those steep turns and S-curves with little effort. The game itself isn’t very long, and any course can be completed in under 10 minutes, which is perfect since it features multiple branching points and endings.
The next pillar of strength was the game’s impressive graphics. Despite not having 3D scaling effects on the sprites, the Genesis version of OutRun shows a better color palette and more detailed background scenery to match. If you go back and look at the original arcade version, the colors aren’t quite as pronounced as they are on the Genesis. But besides the visual presentation, the very act of transitioning from scenery to lush scenery is quite entertaining.
I never found myself getting bored with my surroundings because I usually reach the next checkpoint before a full minute has passed. If you meet certain conditions before reaching the second checkpoint, a fighter jet briefly flies ahead of you and disappears as a gleam on the horizon. Small nuggets like that add just the right touch to a home console driving game.
Cementing the gameplay and visual presentation is the music that accompanies you throughout the races. Composed by Hiroshi Miyauchi, the soundtrack in OutRun sticks with you long after you’ve turned the game off. As it was in the arcade version, you can choose from several musical selections—“Magical Sound Shower”, “Passing Breeze”, and “Splash Wave”. My personal favorite is Splash Wave. It really stands out from the typical music styles found in home console racing games of that era.
In addition to the three music tracks from the arcade version, a fourth track named “Step on Beat” was included exclusively for the Genesis version. What makes the music so unforgettable is the 80’s Latin/Caribbean style, very reminiscent of bands like Miami Sound Machine. The tune has the perfect flow to go with driving down the coastline.
The only criticism I can lob against OutRun is regarding the car’s completely silent engine. It’s a rather strange omission for a game whose central purpose with replicate the thrill of driving a sports car. Though you can hear the tires when shifting gears or screeching around corners, I want to hear those horses running under the hood as I barrel down the road. The absence of that audio detail makes the game feel like it’s lacking that extra “oomph” that connects you to the action. It’s a bit ironic, given that the Sega Genesis was advertised as bringing the authentic Sega arcade experience into the home.
Aside from the missing engine sounds, OutRun deserves much respect as the driving game that pioneered the “common man” style of racing. Instead of being an F-1 race driver or something similar, the game simply depicts something closer to what it’s like on the road in everyday life. Sure, most of us don’t drive a Ferrari, but you get the idea. There are usually other cars and trucks on the road, as well as road signs directing you to go either left or right. OutRun perfectly captured the essence of driving that any guy (or gal) enjoys. If you love 80’s arcade racing games, then OutRun is a must for your Genesis collection.
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Little did we know games like this would later be referred to as "simulators" and be very boring. They just took an average simulator and dressed it up to look dazzling. That was a time when red sports cars were all the rage and still something I wanted. [Not anymore.]
The graphics are great. The concept sucks. Yet, had they made this Scenic Driving and just let us experience various tourist destinations from the driver seat of a sports car with no traffic...I think...it would have sold me and bored the rest of the competitive world. Still...free travel with no boundaries for driving wild.