Outrun Online Arcade
Platform: XBLA/PSN
Developer: Sumo Digital
Publisher: SEGA
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Way before Burnout and Ridge Racer ruled the arcade racing genre, there was one bad boy that started it all in the arcades. It was Outrun. The objective was simple you and your blonde girlfriend would cruise in a Ferrari through different checkpoints and arenas until you got to your goal. Fast forward 23 years on and we have the first Outrun in the HD-era (sort of).
This is a scaled down HD update of Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast which appeared on the PS2, PC, PSP and Xbox. A lot of the modes and courses have been taking out partly because of the 350MB limit Microsoft imposes on XBLA titles. None the less what they haven’t taken out or sacrifice was the brilliant gameplay that still exists in an Outrun game. You can keep your Gran Turismo or Project Gotham Racing as I would much prefer pulling off insane drifts on my Ferrari Testarossa with my blonde girlfriend riding shotgun!
There are various modes you can choose from. The first is the original OutRun Mode where you race and pick what stages you want to end up in. There are five different end goals marked from A-E so there are plenty of playbacks in that mode. There is also a Heart Attack mode where you complete different objectives for your girlfriend such as collecting hearts and coins or by passing trucks and other vehicles and she grades you on your progress. There is also a time-attack mode and a 15 course OutRun mode for more experienced users. There is also a multiplayer mode which up to 6 people can go head to head to find the OutRun champ. There are also online leaderboards as well.
The graphics although not Gran Turismo eye burning standard are crisp and sharp and blend well with what the game has the offer. Keep in mind that this is a HD-Remix of Coast 2 Coast. There are 10 cars…well 10 Ferrari cars to be exact. To be honest I have only used 1 car so far and being the Miami Vice fanatic I am it was the Testarossa. Any game with a Testarossa in it would catch my attention!
At only a mere 800 Microsoft Points/€9.99 this is a steal and is a must have for any racing fan. Let’s hope the sales of OutRun Online Arcade will convince Sega to make a fully fledged HD OutRun.
SCORE 80%
Reviewed by CapRooney
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