Turbo OutRun (1989)

Developer: Sega AM2
Publisher: U.S. Gold, Sega Enterprises, Ltd., Sega of America, Kixx
Platforms: Arcade, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Atari ST/STE, DOS, FM Towns, Amiga
Genres: Racing, Arcade
Rating: 2.9 of 5, 13 player ratings

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Blast across 16 US stages in this turbocharged arcade racer with upgrades and tight time-limit pressure.

racingarcade-stylefast-pacedroad tripretroupbeat

About

The sequel to OutRun features similar basic gameplay to the original, with the action viewed from behind the car, and the challenge being to complete each stage within the time limit. Contact can cause the car to spin, slow down or even flip; in each case you will lose time. There are 16 stages set across the US, gradually moving from east to west, all depicted differently visually. After every 4 levels, you go into a shop screen, with a choice of upgrades. As the title implies, you now have a turbo booster installed, which speeds up the car, although over-use can cause the engine to overheat, and it is not recharged until each shop section. You have 5 continues, and failure to complete the course within the time limit costs you one.

Screenshots

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More by Sega Sammy Holdings

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.