This 1989 adaptation of the popular Sega arcade game to IBM-PC format is quite playable and even more addictive. For aficionados of racing genre games, this was one of the most popular that graced many Putt-Putt and shopping mall arcades during the 1980s. No telling how many quarters were sunk into the Sega beasts trying to get on the top scores... probably enough to pay a good potion of the NEC 286AT (the first PC I ever used to play 'Outrun').
A hot, little red convertible and a rather demanding, accusatory blond as your passenger, hauling buns down a California highway dodging lime green VWs, Sega semis and other "Sunday drivers" .
This 1989 adaptation of the popular Sega arcade game to IBM-PC format is quite playable and even more addictive. For aficionados of racing genre games, this was one of the most popular that graced many Putt-Putt and shopping mall arcades during the 1980s. No telling how many quarters were sunk into the Sega beasts trying to get on the top scores... probably enough to pay a good potion of the NEC 286AT (the first PC I ever used to play 'Outrun').
A hot, little red convertible and a rather demanding, accusatory blond as your passenger, hauling buns down a California highway dodging lime green VWs, Sega semis and other "Sunday drivers" ... what's not to like?
Aside from the PC speaker-based music and effects, (for those
who like to don the headphones and 'lose' themselves in these diversions, as I do) and the blocky little graphics, the designers of the period still did a decent job of providing enough scenery changes to the recurring template highways that must be navigated to the finish line. Although it's hard to compete with a full-sized arcade game with "abuse able" steering wheels and gearshifts, thus was the nature of the beast with most arcade/PC conversions. But enough of the carping on graphics and such.
The joy in this game is testing your reflexes as one weaves in & out of traffic for the purpose of getting yet another entry on the top scores. There are waypoints during the race that allow extended time if you have negotiated the legs proficiently. If you compete them all, you get a cheesy little graphic that shows the route you took to get there. This has its challenge also, in that you want to not only get fast times but you want to explore all of the different routes to get to the finish.
Aside from the vehicles that you must avoid to complete the course, there are obstacles on both sides of the highway that, depending on how hard you hit them if you veer off of the highway, can slow you down considerably or can flip your convertible, throwing you and your female passenger out onto the street. No injuries or carnage here... you just get a tacit berating from the mini-skirted girl, and then you are back on your way again. Too many accidents and/or "rear-enders" into the other vehicles and you can forget the extended time.
Again, this little jewel is not about graphics or sound (though it was a "good" experience for it's time) this is about reflexes and beating the posted times. A very fun way to pass the time when there are many other pursuits you probably should be taking care of.
