Likely the most famous arcade racing game developed, Out Run was revolutionary in its day for:

  • branching paths
  • smooth, crisp parallex scrolling
  • user-selectable background music
  • its innovative, moving sit-in cabinet.

    As with most of the breakthrough arcade games of the 80's, Out Run (in addition to its cabinet) was designed by Yu Suzuki and his AM2 team.


    The original score to Out Run was composed by Yu Suzuki, the game's designer, and is comprised of four pieces:

  • Magical Sound Shower
  • Passing Breeze
  • Splash Wave
  • Last Wave

    The first three tunes were independantly selectable at the start of any new game, were around five minutes in length, and ranged from bossa nova to latiny synth-pop. Last Wave was the high score theme and a different take on the melody from Splash Wave.

  • A racing game by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis. This isn't really an edge of your seat excitement thing like Ridge Racer. It's more the sort of game you could play to relax. You roll along the road to some pleasant tunes (Magical Sound Shower rules), cheerfully overtaking everything else on the highway, taking in the beatiful scenery, and never feeling that you don't have control of the car. True, there are some tight corners where you have to put your back into turning, but these are well spaced out, and nothing beats that feeling as you speed down the last few kilometres, knowing that no one can beat you now. The game has quite a few of Sega's tademarks, such as the stereo overtaking sound as you tear past someone else's car; and you can clearly see where many of the ideas used in later Sega racers came from. The only critisism I would make is that the lack of engine sound makes it difficult to know when to change gears. Dispite the games five endings, it'll probably take no more than a few days to complete, but even then, I'd say that it's worth ten quid of anyone's money.

    Also available for PC Engine, Sega Master System, and Sega Saturn. (Also numerous 8-bit computers.)

    See also, World Grand Prix (SMS), Super Monaco GP, Outrunners, Virtua Racing, and Sega Rally. Don't see Turbo Outrun (MD).

    Astounding arcade racing game released by Sega in 1986. Designed by Yu Suzuki. Effectively the first modern arcade driving game. The player takes the wheel of a Ferrari and has to drive from California to the east coast of the USA against a strict time limit. The route branches at several points along the way.

    Out Run not only featured super-fast 3D graphics (powered by two 68000s), but also a state-of-the-art pneumatic chair (in the form of a large red Ferrari). The experience was more like a theme park ride than a mere arcade game. All home computer and console versions of this game (of which there have been many) have been pretty much woefully inadequate. Sega went on to do After Burner and Space Harrier with the same basic technology and philosophy, and the rest, as they say, is history.

    Other games in this series/franchise include Turbo Out Run, Out Run Europe, Out Run Europa, Out Run 2019, Outrunners and Battle Out Run.

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