Out Run 2 Xbox Enhancements Analyzed

Thanks to GamesRadar for its Edge-reprinted cover article interviewing UK developers Sumo Digital on its conversion of Sega's arcade title Out Run 2, and trying to explain why "Sega has handed the Xbox conversion [of the new AM2-developed arcade game] to an unknown dev studio responsible for exercise bike software." The developers discuss the issues is conversion: "The arcade board has essentially got twice the memory that the Xbox has... and most of that was used", before explaining a new-for-Xbox Mission Mode which "will feature in excess of 50 missions consisting of Heart Attack-style challenges, marathon routes and AI character challenges", and also revealing "[Xbox] Live compatibility, which promises score uploading and ghost downloading while also permitting online play."

Comments

Was Out Run really that good?

[Inda]

It used to draw big crowds in the arcade. There were people who could complete it one handed using only one credit. The hydraulics gave a whole new experience... ...but was it really any good?

I'd have to say no. It was not a good driving game. It was a game where you remembered the best routes with the easiest overtaking opportunities. There was no driving skill involved. It was repetitive and boring.

I bought it for my C64 though. I was amazed how good it looked compared the arcade machine but it was still not a good game.

Is there still a call for games like this when we have the likes of Project Gotham Racing and Gran Turismo?

Re:Was Out Run really that good?

[gornar]

I know what you meant, but I played it at E3. And played it and played it and played it. It was just plain fun. No complications, no overwrought driving physics, no realistic damage modeling. Just fun. I liked the fact that it was fast and simple and pretty. It can compete with the big boys because it's a different beast; it's not as deep, but it doesn't require a mental investment to enjoy.