| OutRun 2 | |
| Developer: | Sega AM2 (Arcade) Sumo Digital (Xbox) |
| Publisher: | Sega (Arcade) Microsoft Game Studios (Xbox) |
| Director: | Makoto Osaki Daichi Katagiri |
| Producer: | Yu Suzuki |
| Artist: | Yasuo Kawagoshi |
| Designer: | Shin Ishikawa |
| Series: | Out Run |
| Release: | Arcade Xbox |
| Genre: | Racing game |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Arcade System: | Sega Chihiro, Sega Lindbergh (SP DX) |
| Platforms: | Arcade Xbox |
is a 2003 racing game released by Sega for the arcades and later by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox in 2004 and 2005.
OutRun 2 stays true to the race format from the 1986 original, in which the player is behind the steering wheel of a Ferrari sports car with a friend in the passenger seat through 5 of 15 stages. As before, the player can choose their course and the soundtrack.
Sega licensed seven Ferrari vehicles for OutRun 2, including the Testarossa from the original game.
The soundtrack was completely rearranged, bringing in seven pieces of music with styles ranging from instrumental rock to upbeat ballads. The original 1986 music is also unlockable.
OutRun 2 has been overhauled with 3D graphics and a local networked multiplayer system.
OutRun 2 provides three single-player game modes: "OutRun mode", "Heart Attack mode" and "Time Attack mode":
All unlockable bonus secret tracks are from Scud Race and Daytona USA 2 on the Xbox version.
Developing the game precipitated some changes for its developers, Sega AM2, who had historically written their games using Unix systems. Writing for an Xbox-based system meant they had to adapt to the Microsoft Windows kernel.
In 2004, Sega released an upgrade to the OutRun 2 arcade game, titled OutRun 2 SP. The upgrade added 15 all-new courses which are predominantly based around a New World theme.
OutRun 2 SPs new courses, songs and game elements appear (alongside the originals and new content) in the home video-game .
An update entitled OutRun 2 SP SDX was shown at a privately held Sega show on July 7, 2006. This updated version of OutRun 2 does not run on the Sega Chihiro, but rather the Sega Lindbergh. This iteration is displayed at a resolution of 800*480 rather than the previous versions' 640*480 and features cooperative play involving both players sitting next to each other in replica Ferraris, taking turns driving the same car with their own set of controls. The 2-player cabinet is designated as DX (Deluxe), and the 4-Player cabinet is designated as SDX (Super Deluxe), with raceview cameras on the players, and a live leaderboard over the center units.[1]
In 2004, OutRun 2 was released on the Xbox. The task of coding was shared by Sega AM2 and UK-based developers Sumo Digital. The game was released in Europe on October 1, followed by the U.S. release on October 25.
The Xbox version preserves the look and feel of the arcade original, but with the additions of 480p anamorphic widescreen support and tweaks to make it more suitable for home play. The game includes a straight port of the arcade called "Outrun Arcade" plus two other modes: OutRun Challenge, which includes 101 missions distributed over the 15 stages, and OutRun Xbox Live, featuring online play. Tracks from Scud Race and Daytona USA 2 can be unlocked as a bonus.
In addition, some content from the arcade game is locked away alongside new, unique content, such as extra cars, extra music tracks, and even the original Out Run game itself. This content is unlocked as the player completes the OutRun Challenge missions. Some slight changes were made to the Arcade mode, such as the 3D model for the newer Testarossa Spider being replaced with a customised Testarossa from 1984. The Japanese version of the game was slightly altered further, fixing some glitches and modifying the bonus stages.
The Xbox version received "favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.
