OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
Gameplay 7
Graphics 7
Sound 7

Very playable and quite addictive in short bursts but ultimately becomes very repetitive and probably a title that’s more suited to portable systems. Still there’s fun to be had especially if you remember the original Outrun.

Gameplay: Fun… in short bursts.

Graphics: Not exactly cutting edge for this day and age but still good.

Sound: Nice if you remember the original games

Summary 7.0 Good
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

Developer: Sumo Digital | Publisher: Sega | Release Date: 2006 | Genre: Racing | Website: n/a | Purchase: Amazon

Released way back in 1986 the original Outrun placed you behind the wheel of a red Ferrari Testarossa with a beautiful girl at your side. The aim was simply to reach each checkpoint in time and hopefully make it to the end of the race in one piece. Highlights included the awesome cabinet the game was housed in and of course the memorable music. Now 20 years down the line the series is still going strong and this latest edition is sure to bring some new fans to the franchise. Gameplay wise not much has changed. The basic aim is still to reach the end of each race by driving through a series of checkpoints in time but a lot more has been added. Outrun 2006 consist of the Outrun 2SP arcade game as well as the new Coast to Coast mode where you drive literally from coast to coast beating your rivals and completing some strange tasks. Some extras like a time attack mode and a showroom where you can buy new cars, music, tracks and missions are also on offer.

Besides the classic Testarossa there’s a whole bunch of new Ferraris to pick from including the F50, 360 Spider, 288 GTO and Enzo Ferrari. It’s still not possible to damage any of the cars but they are looking better and shinier than ever. In fact the whole game looks quite polished and some of the stages look very nice indeed. Despite looking good and running fast even in the highest resolutions you won’t be mistaking this for a next-gen game though. Tracks are littered with blocky spectators who jerk around with about 2 frames of animation each and the look is definitely cartoonier than cutting edge.

The music is rather nice and will bring back fond memories if you played the original games. There’s also remixed and Outrun 2 BGM to buy and listen to while racing as you can only listen to magical sound shower and its ilk so many times before you start blocking it out. Speaking of the audio I was rather disappointed with the sound effects which to be honest are rather woeful. The sounds of your car engine and tires screeching are pathetic and there are no separate volume settings for anything so it all just gets drowned out. The controls are also rather twitchy and playing with a gamepad comes highly recommended. The less said about the horrible rubber band AI the better too.

If there’s one thing Outrun is famous for it’s the ridiculous over exaggerated drifting mechanics and Coast to Coast is no exception. Your car will still slip and slide at ever opportunity and it takes some getting used to unless you are a regular Ridge Racer player who also favors this style of racing. The heart attack missions where you do silly tasks to impress your girlfriend like hitting cars, dodging U.F.Os, dribbling beach balls and avoiding meteors make for a rather refreshing change but sadly it’s not long before repetition sets in. Although there are lots of things to do you’ll soon find that the variety isn’t that great and it’s not a game that you’ll want to play for hours on end. While it’s undeniably addictive and has that “one more go” factor you’ll soon tire of it. If you play it in short bursts however it will keep you busy for ages and I think the PSP version would probably be the ideal one to get.
Even if you weren’t a fan of the original or can’t remember that far back Coast To Coast can provide you with many hours of fast and frantic arcade style racing. Just don’t expect too much from it and you’ll be fine.

*Review originally published 2006.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows 2000/XP
  • Processor: 1.3 GHz
  • Memory: 256 MB
  • Hard Drive: 1.5 GB Free
  • Video Memory: 128 MB
  • Sound Card: DirectX 8.1 Compatible
  • DirectX: 8.1
  • Keyboard & Mouse
  • CD/DVD Rom Drive
  • GAME PAD STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

Related posts

Close to the Sun

Close to the Sun

Close to the Sun puts you in the boots of Rose Archer, a reporter exploring the quarantined depths of the Helios research ship to find her sister. The Helios is the creation of Tesla as a haven for the greatest scientific minds, but right from the start it is clear that something went terribly wrong. Close to the Sun is inevitably going to draw some comparisons to the Bioshock titles, but it is more of a walking simulator that has a few puzzles and chase sequences sprinkled in for good measure. It's not a bad game, but does feature a few annoying bits and never reaches the heights it could have. Gameplay: Slowly walk through beautiful surroundings while solving puzzles and running away from the occasional foe. Graphics: The levels look great, but the character models and animations let things down slightly. Sound: Decent music and the voice acting isn't too bad either.

Guilty Gear X

Guilty Gear X

It is a pleasant surprise to see the Guilty Gear series appear on PC and with the right setup this game is a blast to play. Gameplay is solid although the last boss is one of the cheapest I've seen in a while. The lack of a story mode is also a downside but if you like your fighting games deep and don't mind getting your ass kicked then this is the game for you. 2D fighting games doesn't get much better than this on PC. Gameplay: More accessible than the last game but also has a lot of depth if you stick with it. Graphics: It would have been nice if the resolution could be increased but the game still looks good. Sound: Good music but muddy sound effects.

The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds combines some of the best elements from Fallout: New Vegas with a retro-futuristic pulp sci-fi setting. It features plenty of dark humor as well as great dialog and a lot of freedom when it comes to getting in and out of sticky situations. The interface could have been a bit better, but the game still had us hooked for the 30+ hours it took us to complete the main quest and most of the side missions. If you enjoy single-player role-playing games, then you are going to love this one. Gameplay: Very addictive and while not as vast in scope as other open-world games, you are still given plenty of freedom. Graphics: The game world is very colorful and there's plenty of beautiful locations. Sound: Great voice acting and a good soundtrack.

Deathsmiles

Deathsmiles

Combine the gothic art style of the early Castlevania games and mix it with the frantic bullet hell gameplay CAVE is so good at and you get Deathsmiles. Although it has been many years since the game first graced arcades and the Xbox 360 its arrival on the PC is still a cause for celebration. The loss of online coop and lack of PC extras is a pity, but the game will still put a smile on any shooter fan’s face. Gameplay: Not the hardest game in the genre, but attaining a highscore still takes skill. Graphics: The arcade mode visuals look a bit dusty, but the rest of the game still look good considering its age. Sound: The soundtrack is nice and energetic while the sound effects are good without being overwhelming.

3D Realms Anthology – Steam Edition

3D Realms Anthology - Steam Edition

3D Realms created some of the best PC titles in the 90s bar none and the opportunity to add the whole bunch of them to your Steam library shouldn’t be missed. Whether you fondly remember playing these games as a kid or simply want to check out why these games revolutionist the Shareware industry don’t hesitate to splash out on this anthology. Just bear in mind that a lot of the titles included in the anthology can also be picked up for free from the 3D Realms website. Gameplay: The anthology features 32 classic games spread across a multitude of genres. Graphics: Since the majority of these games are pushing three decades in age the visuals are a little dated, but certainly not bad. Sound: Many of the games feature great audio and the inclusion of the Re-Rockestrated Soundtrack is also a big plus.

Exo One

Exo One

Exo One is an exhilarating game about traveling across alien planets at high speeds. Using a gravity drive to build up momentum before taking to the skies and gliding takes some practice, but the game is a lot of fun once mastered. The storyline is quite mysterious but remains rather vague throughout the game. Nevertheless, despite some finicky parts, the game is a blast and had us looking forward to seeing what each new level had to offer. Gameplay: Exo One is not a very long game, but it is fun while it lasts and offers a unique experience. Graphics: The art style for Exo One is superb, and while the visuals lose some of their splendor up close, everything looks great when traveling at high speeds. Sound: The hypnotic soundtrack and otherworldly sound effects create an atmospheric experience.

Leave a comment

18 − ten =