Turbo OutRun (Second Review)


Title		Turbo OutRun (Second Review)
Game Type	Driving
Company		Sega/U.S.Gold
Players		1
Compatibility	All (With WHDLoad Patch)
HD Installable  Yes (With Patch)
Submission	Martin Smith Profiled Reviewer

Review
Although the practice had stopped by the time the Sonic phenomenon was
unleashed on the world, in the 1980's Sega tended to release conversions,
through US Gold, of many of their biggest arcade hits. However, many of
these were so appalling that they may have been a deliberate ploy to get
us all to buy a Master System. The uselessly buggy conversion of
RoadBlasters, the botched Bonanza Brothers and the badly thought out
conversion of 1942 are all examples, but OutRun is the worst of all,
especially on the 8-bits, still inducing shudders from those who remember
it.

OutRun was one fo the first racing games to use the sprite based, third
person perspective (viewed from just above and behind the car, so you can
see it, and get a wider view than you do from an in-car view) as seen in
titles such as the Lotus trilogy and Crazy Cars. The aim, as with this
sequel, was to get through the stages within the time limit, avoiding the
other cars as you go. Sounds simple and easy? Well it is. Especially the
'easy' part.

With Outrun's sequel, Turbo Outrun, a better technical job was done, but
more or less by default. De fault with de first one, that is. Visually
rather neater but still suffering from an element of the circuit seeming
to move backwards rather than the car moving forwards, which was common to
lots of older arcade racers. The sixteen levels were simulated accurately,
and they made for a real variety. But all this is undone by the
astonishing ease with which the game can be completed. It took me a grand
total of 24 minutes to play through, on my first go, using precisely one
continue. On my second go I completed it without a continue. Suffice to
say there was no third go. I don't know how Sega would've made money out
of this in the arcades. Mind you, it may explain why it got released on so
many home systems; once you've bought it, 25 pounds is gone. Thank God I
got it as part of a compilation.

Overall: 24%






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