Outrun was a massive success when first released in the mid-80s. So much so that it was ported to every home console imaginable. Most of the conversions were utterly terrible. The TurboGrafx version was the best of these (with the Genesis version lagging behind it) but to really enjoy Outrun, one has to play it in the arcade.
If you have done you'll know what I mean when you recall the big machine with the seat, pedals, wheels and loud speakers. How wonderful were the three radio stations playing either 'Magical Sound Shower', 'Passing Breeze' or 'Splash Wave'? Once you got going and took off on your trip across America, your Ferrari Testarossa would travel through all the different scenery America had to offer. The graphics were beautiful with big blue skies, gorgeous beaches and awesome sunsets. The game itself felt liberated and hedonistic and those tunes were so funky that they've lasted to this day as some of the best video game tunes ever. Anyone who knows Outrun will know 'Magical Sound Shower'.
Alas, the Sega Genesis version doesn't really do the game any justice. It's far, far too easy (I finished it in 5 minutes on my first go!) and does not show off what the Genesis was capable of. The sound, graphics and gameplay could/should have been much, much better than they were. Even a neo-classic such as Road Rash was far superior to the Genesis conversion of Outrun.
Find the arcade machine and spend all your pennies on that. And if you like it there is still Turbo Outrun, Outrun Europa, Outrun 2019, Outrunners and Outrun 2 for you to get into.
