If Microsoft's Days of Arcade is a seven course meal, its second to last release, "OutRun Online Arcade", is the palate cleansing sorbet. Its light, tasty, attractive but not too flashy, and doesn't take long to consume. Sure its served a little out of order (in most seven course meals the sorbet is served 4th, don't say you never learned anything from a game review) but its still refreshing.
Most old school gamers remember the original OutRun as an 80's coin-op classic. Its moving cabinet with the energetic blonde riding shotgun was a natural fanboy favorite. A visually stunning title for its time, gamers enjoyed choosing their own race path, cruising through different environments, and selecting their own music to drive to.
The new, updated version of OutRun, an exclusive Xbox Live Arcade port, does its older brother proud. Gamers still get all the features from the original game, but with plenty of new bells and whistles.
Instead of only being able to drive one unlicensed Testarossa, there are now 10 different Ferraris to choose from. You can even pick your own color. The graphics have been given a Ty Pennington-sized makeover, and for those with a sense of nostalgia, the original soundtrack makes a triumphant return. OutRun remains addictive, like most classic driving games its easy to learn but tough to master. This is no Gran-Turismo-punish-you-with-realism racer, its plain and simple high speed action with enough drifting to make Little Bow Wow cheer.
Some gamers will lament not being able to use music from their own hard drive and the lack of local multiplayer, but with five modes, fifteen courses, a smooth online multiplayer offering and your girlfriend back at your side waving at passersby and telling you how cool you are, players are certain to get their money's worth with this title.
Pros: Classic arcade racing successfully ported to the Xbox 360, reasonably priced, smooth running online multiplayer, high replay value
Cons: No local multiplayer, Why can't I drive to songs from my hard drive?
Sound: 4.0
Control: 4.25
Graphics: 4.0
Fun Factor: 4.5
Editor's Choice
The Info - Platform: XBLA, Publisher: SEGA, Developer: SUMO Digital, ESRB: E, Players: 2-6, Price: 800 MS Points ($10)
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