Driving games are a staple of the industry. Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport are two of the biggest names in the genre, but they owe everything to an earlier game. Sega released Out Run into the arcades in 1986 and changed the genre forever. This was a 3D driving game which saw you race against the clock to reach certain checkpoints or the game is over. After the stage is done, you choose a patch to take, with one being easier and one offering more of a challenge. Depending on which you chose, you would have a different outcome at the end. A fun fact is that creator Yu Suzuki initially planned to make the game an adaptation of the film Cannonball Run but changed his mind when he wanted the game to have a more European feel to the environments.
M2 has brought the game to Switch with a loving recreation and one of the best ports I have seen so far. Everything from the arcade version is here and everything from the 3DS version ( minus the 3D ) is here. There is new music added, and it sounds better than ever as the game actually makes the music sound softer while still fitting the stage and track. I don’t know what they did, but Out Run’s tunes sound better than ever and I can actually enjoy the music this time.
Another new addition is the option to watch replays of other players. You may not find this interesting at first, but it is actually a great way to learn new tricks and how to play the game. M2 also added new filters to make the screen feel more like an actual arcade screen, and this felt like a real treat, with the visuals not being compromised. In terms of gameplay, everything is here from the arcade and more. The game runs at 60 FPS like in the 3DS version, but now there is another option for controls. This may be controversial as an inclusion but motion controls are a part of this release. The reason for this is to recreate the control scheme of the original arcade release as best as possible. It is not perfect though, and I myself decided it was getting in the way more than helping, but did get used to it after some time..
M2 did a fantastic job with this release and have done Out Run justice. I highly suggest picking this one up, as it is a masterpiece made even better by genius developers.
A review key was provided
In addition, I would like to add that there is an active Sega retrogaming Facebook community group you can join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/segaretrogamers/
For more, visit Retro Gamers Hub (www.retrogamershub.com) for their extensive collection of retrogaming interest groups to choose from.