Sega 3D Classics Out Run
Road Trip Simulation
1 Player
System: 3DS
Developer: M2
Year of Release: 2015
Beaten: April 4th, 2017
Playing through this game left me with a really odd sensation, at least at first. Video games typically don't illicit a feeling of nostalgia that I can't place. Smells, or sounds might do that on occasion, but usually if I play a video game I'll know why it's making me feel warm and fuzzy. As a child I played Out Run quite a bit and I somehow completely forgot. A day care I used to go to as a young child had several arcade machines, one of which was Out Run. Booting up this 3D remaster(?) brought me back to a time that might have been forever lost had I not.
Out Run is a super simple game. You, a babe, a convertible, the road ahead of you and a time limit. Aside from dodging cars and making sure to clear corners the main game play aspect is the transmission. Switching from low to high gear and back again at the right time is critical to not crashing. Every so often you hit a fork in the road, after picking a direction you hit a check point which earns you some more time. There are fifteen different roads you can take which leads to a number of possible paths I'm unwilling to figure out for you, but it's a decent amount of replayability.
It's just so chill. I can't really place it beyond that. There's nothing outstanding about the game, but whenever I start it up I'm drawn in for at least an hour. Maybe it's residual nostalgia that I'm still coming to terms with, but Out Run just exudes style. It's presentation, much like it's gameplay, is very simple but it just works so well. Especially in motion. I remember as a kid I never got terribly far, maybe to the third fork, but now it took very little practice to manage to complete a run. There's even a different winning animation depending on which of the five final routes you take, and they follow the simple but good rule Out Run loves so vehemently.
The 3D version adds a few things to make the experience even better. For one the 3D is particularly good. M2 tends to do a really good job of making the 3D effect not only look good, but is actually playable. A few parts might be a little disorienting though. As you complete the different endings you'll also unlock car upgrades, these improve various aspects like turning, braking, speed. You can freely turn these on or off, but there is a separate leader board for having any of them activate. Once you've finished each ending you'll even unlock an arcade accurate version of Out Run, though I'm not totally sure what all of the differences are. None of these touches are mind blowing, but all these years later the simple yet effective approach makes Out Run so appealing.
If you have never given Out Run a chance I highly recommend giving it a go. This 3D version in particular is splendid. However, if you can somehow find an arcade machine that would be the best way to experience it. There's just something about playing original arcade games in that environment that just feels right. No matter how you get your dirty mitts on it though, just give Out Run a chance, cheapest road trip around.
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