It’s economics. Arcade machines had thousands of dollars worth of hardware, like an ultra high end gaming PC. Home console could only be the best hardware that $200 could buy.
SEGA’s arcade systems at the time had a ton of expensive hardware to do sprite transformations, it wasn’t until the SEGA CD (or Super NES if you count the limited Mode 7) that the home systems had similar capabilities. The Saturn has a poor reputation for its 3D capabilities, but its 2D sprite manipulation was on-par with the Sega arcade systems that cost several times as much.
@Alex Willis - I swear you originally made this exact same comment a few weeks ago, only stating the 'Sega Megadrive/Genesis,' instead of the 'Sega Saturn' console. I remember replying to it saying I thought the Sega Saturn was the first version to come close to the arcade original. But that original comment thread is now gone. Did you delete it and replace it with this one?
It's amazing how well the Master System version performs. Sega really knew what to do with the hardware. Golden Axe, After Burner and especially this were great ports, considering how outdated the SMS hardware was compared to the arcade originals.
The last one, "OutRun 2006: coast to coast" is very well made - good visibility of the car, the camera angle and position changes gently and just as much as it should, doesn't jump like crazy, also the graphics is nicely done and represents the spirit of the original very well. Other than that, I like the European C64 version. :)
Lovely video, great presentation, amazing how there are 132 comments less than two days after you posted it! I had the ZX Spectrum version, it was not good, but I played it a lot. The 128k music was quite nice. When I upgraded to Amiga I was quite horrified by that version. When I first tried the UK C64 version I was impressed, more fun to play than the Amiga or ZX versions for sure. When I came across the pc-engine version I was amazed how good it seemed. Lately I've been playing Cannonball via Retroarch and that is amazing. Playing in 16:9 is really nice.
@@Vespyr_ One of the fastest racing games turned into the slowest... 😂 And yes, I also wanted to comment about the track, which sounds pretty good. But it seems it's the only one available. Still better than none though.
The Master System port was really solid for its time and quite impressive for a third gen system, much better than the MSX or other computer versions (which are all quite horrible). Then the PC Engine port is surprisingly good in some ways but it lacks some key features such as the ocean on the roadside or many other graphical elements that are supposed to define each stage. Also no digit voices and this version uses the worse international stage layout (which is less balanced and incoherent in some ways). The Mega Drive port on the other hand uses the original and better Japanese stage layout and has some exclusive content such as a fourth selectable tune called "Step on Beat" (which is super nice IMO), an unlockable "Hyper Mode" and some cool cameos depending of how you play. My main complaint with this port is the lack of engine noise as well as a few backgrounds that could have been more polished. The frame rate might not be optimal but lot of racing games of that time have variable frame rate anyway. Then not much fan of the Game Gear port, sadly. It has some exclusive stages though. The Saturn port with its smooth 60 FPS mode and remixed soundtrack is fantastic. 3DS version is technically great but the HD presentation detracts from the genuine original feeling and the lack of Ferrari license simply ruins it. Overall, my favorite versions are Master System, Mega Drive and Saturn. Now @Sega, what about an OutRun 3? :)
The nostalgia of the master System sound always gets me. Its funny, to me the master System had the prefect "crap" sound while the Genesis always seemed to sound a bit too "crap" for the time. Its been forever but I still vividly remember listening to the music in Ys intentionally.
@@nosirrahx the master system sound was decent for its time (and indeed very nostalgia-inducing) while the mega drive sound was amazing! what games did you play?? although regarding Ys, the master system soundtrack rendition is a bit off whereas the mega drive rendition of Ys III is fantastic anyway check out my "VGM" series of playlists as I feel that you need to get a better grasp on the subject ;3
@@ryzmaker11 IMO the Master System was great in that it was distinctive and kind of haunting when done correctly. The genesis had a bunch of great music but always seemed to be too constrained by the sound technology used in the Genesis. Its an uncommon game but IMO Biohazard Battle for the Genesis probably has my favorite music mostly due to how they used bass. On modern speakers it sounds amazing.
@@nosirrahx the mega drive has *myriad* of great music (and that includes bio-hazard battle which does indeed sound amazing) and it keep delivers and always will via new games, demos or even ports of older games such as the recently released darius! the mega drive also has the richest sound hardware of its era with a mix of FM and PCM (coming from the YM2612) + PSG and white noise (coming from the SN76496 which is, BTW, the same sound chip that the master system used) all controlled by a Z80 as sound CPU you can do many things, anything, you can even stream music via the PCM channel while playing sound FX with the other channels I also enjoy other sound hardwares from that time but overall the mega drive strikes the best balance between distinctiveness and high quality
I ran a computer games shop when the US Gold ports were released - pre-orders were crazy right up to release date, but the numbers of subsequent returns across the board were even worse. The ST and Amiga versions still rank amongst the worst conversions of any game ever made, absolutely dire.
I had the Amiga version back in the day. The most amusing thing about the Amiga version is that its framerate maxes out the CPU, so if you have a really fast CPU, the game runs so fast it's virtually unplayable. The time counter works in realtime, though, so the highlight was you could beat the game no problem! So many games were poorly coded back then. I was lucky to have an Amiga 1000, which ran the game a bit faster than on my friend's A500, but not too fast. 8) I would argue that the port of Turbo Outrun (also by US Gold) was even worse than Outrun. The framerate was better, but the rubberband AI made it near impossible to win against the rival car. Those developers were pretty awful.
US Gold didn’t port Amiga Out Run it was Probe Software while ice software a freelance video game developer based in Scotland ported Amiga Turbo Out Run
@@Waccoon Framerate being maxed out by the CPU shows that the games was not designed for the Amiga and is an obvious ST shovelware. While most computers of that time were CPU limited i.e. everything was done by the CPU with very limited help, the Amiga had IO, sound and graphics coprocessors which were all DMA independent from the CPU. The issue with being a different, is that it requires extra attention, and that requires better tools and more time (time = money so the saying goes)
The ZX Spectrum was by far the worst conversion by the looks of it. It's barely moving. I don't know what they were thinking when they released it. No one can seriously defend THAT! It was probably the 128k version shown as well as I couldn't imagine the older 48k version having in game music. Spare a thought for the 48k owners who had to put up with this when everyone and their mum had a better version on other formats. The ZX Spectrum should be air brushed from history. Absolutely appalling machine for games.
@@bigbabatunde1218 If you consider how cheap the Spectrum was, in the 1980s, then it becomes excusable. It was a very affordable computer, released in 1982. Think of it more like a computer version of the Game Boy, and also check out a video of the BEST Spectrum games. Some of the best games were awesome compared to their contemporary games. Check out Turbo Esprit and Chase HQ for a couple of great spectrum driving games if you need examples. For me the NES after 1989 when it was absolutely huge, was a joke of a system. It only makes sense when considering that it was first released in 1983. Similar situation with the Atari 2600 being from the 70s.
@@TechRyze I had a Spectrum 48K. Chase HQ on the Spectrum was pretty good for the time but it was still monochrome nonsense compared to what kids really had their eye on, that's why the Mega Drive and SNES were so popular when they arrived as they were the first proper good looking games you could play at home. Don't get me started on the Gameboy. Why anyone wanted one of those is beyond me.
@@bigbabatunde1218 Share the same feeling regarding the Game Boy ; always thought it was atrocious and still can't grasp the "nostalgy" some seem to still have nowadays. Even being cheap, I thought it was still too expensive for the "experience" it was offering. And I knew people who were still playing it in the '2000 !?!... 😬
@@bigbabatunde1218 I was a massive fan of the arcade version so my mum got this for me on the spectrum for Christmas. I played it about 3 times it was just terrible including having to start and rewind the tape recorder after every stage.
Inside Yakuza 0 there's a version of Outrun there, but this version has the appearance of the cars altered so they don't look like a Testarossa, Porsche 911, Corvette, etc. Gameplay wise remains the same.
Thank you so much for making this video. Outrun is one of my favourite games and I love your showcase of the various versions. One of my favourite youtube videos of all time and that’s saying a lot. Great job 👍
Man this brings me back to the arcade days, playing this MK, SF, Mario, TMNT, Terminator, NBA Jam, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Cruis N' World, USA etc 😥I miss those days and I'm getting old. So Outrun was pretty much on every console lol.
Loved this game. I wonder if the versions of the later consoles were built from the ground up. I feel like after a certain point, the hardware advances allowed a faithful EMULATION of the original - Saturn, Dreamcast, etc.
Once I was talking with my dad about video games, he said he played alot of outrun on a PC back in the day. I asked him wich version he played. He said all he could remember was that it had green or blue text in games like Larry. I showed him both the MSX version and the ZX spectrum. I asked if he had one of them, he said yes. He didn't know what version he owned, but he said he didn't have a ZX spectrum, commodore 64 or Amiga. Bam! I knew it at once. It was the msx version he owned.
in my humble opinion there - the only version worth ever having in your own home was the Sega Saturn version onwards. the other 8-bit and 16-bit home computer versions at the time of outrun on the arcade were diabolical.
Wow, the Saturn was the first to really nail the arcade version. Not sure I really care for the PS2 3D version of it though. I had no idea this game was ported this many times, crazy!!
BTW @retrosutra, in case you consider requests, here are some cool ones to cover: - Marble Madness - Sky Shark - Pit-Fighter - Ms. Pac-Man - Lemmings 1 and 2 (and maybe 3D Lemmings too) - Doom
Funnily enough, I was going to request Lemmings, too, since that game was released on nearly every type of computer, console and handheld in the early 90's, and it holds a special place in my heart as it was the first video game series I ever got into. A comparison of each version of Oh No! More Lemmings would be nice as well, even though it was basically an update of the original game but with different levels and music.
The thing I find the most crazy about all of this is that the original Outrun was Inspired by LCD screen racing games. Limitations can lead to such good design sometimes.
yeah, the music, smooth sprite scaling and vibrant color palette of so many unique painted objects gives Outrun it's flair. I can't stand the newer 3D versions, which look dull in comparison. The sense of lighthearted speedery, vibrant colors and unique artistic sprites are gone. e. g. SEGA AGES Out Run (PS2), Outrun 2006 (PC), Outrun Online Arcade (PS3). They are not bad at all but the flair, the perfection of the original is missing. That are not just retro romantic thoughts, we need more (original) Outrun! I hope someone is capable to transfer the beauty of the technical limitations of 2D sprite graphics to the 3D space to create a truly worthy successor in the style of the original.
@@tinovfr I'm right there with you on that one. There is an indie title that has been scratching that itch for me called "Buck up and drive" it has some stylised retro theming but is clearly built in a more modern game engine. Very clearly drew inspiration from outrun. Would definitely recommend to people who liked these old school arcade racing games.
As a UK C64 kid I was always envious of the spectrum version having lorries (trucks) and route split choices. After watching this I now know I got the better deal.
I remember getting Computer & Video Games magazine with an audio tape of the Outrun arcade machine music stuck to the front. I loved it & listened to it loads of times. Brings back memories hearing it again. The big sit in arcade machines that spun round as you drove were awesome as well
If you flick between arcade original, Saturn and Xbox they are identical, down to the same car model. For some reason whoever made the Dreamcast car they thought it was a Dodge or something, even the spectrum tried to make the prancing horse logo for crying out loud :)
Favorite rally racing game ever made. I love the sega ages version on switch! This game is gorgeous, and the music is great. The game can be peaceful or tough depending on what ways you go. Cant beat it!
I had the 48k Spectrum version (the 128k version is on this video) and they compensated for the lack of in game music by including the original 3 Arcade tunes on a bonus cassette tape which you could play whilst playing the game.
Did it ever trip anyone else's OCD that they had to mirror the sprites in the original game when turning which made the horse emblem flip as well. I couldn't stand that. What's even worse is when there's Ferrari licensing issues later on which not only changed the car up, but the emblem as well.
The PC Engine version in 1990 was the first great home port of Outrun. I think all previous ports were pretty disappointing. Especially the Zx Spectrum and Amstrad versions were atrocious.
Loved the Saturn version, it was pretty much arcade perfect! Awesome. Dreamcast was probably the most authentic though, being the original 'pre' Ferrari version. (Think that was on the bonus disc included with the book - Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1 with I'm lucky enough to own, also has Powerdrift on it as well as others!)
I've played this game on: first Commodore 64 (European version), Arcade version, Sega Genesis/Megadrive (cool port) and "OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast" on my old PC. This is one of my favourite games.
The Amstrad CPC version looks like you're driving through a public park at 15mph on Christmas Eve. The slow speed gives you plenty of time to react which I imagine is handy as it looks near uncontrollable.
I used to love the ZX Spectrum version, kinda wish I'd not seen it again, it looked awful. It was a double cassette, 1 had the music on the other had each stage on it. At each checkpoint the game paused and you ejected the music to load a new stage.
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La versión para Amstrad CPC, que padecí en mi infancia, es infame. Por suerte venía la banda sonora en una cinta aparte, jajajaja. De las versiones domésticas, aparte de la de Megadrive que está muy bien, me sorprendió la de TurboGrafx.
Outrun Mastersystem looks good but road side objects scrolling is wayyyyy to choppy 😭 there are like only 3 positions for road side objects 💦 At low speed under 100km/h it is not that choppy but at high speed it's really awful
They tried (and failed as they would) to do an accurate arcade conversion. The tracks are too wide with undulation and curves, that is a massive CPU hog on it's own. After the track used so much of the systems resources the rest is all down hill from there! you have to have the track side objects, then every car has to be controlled, tracked and tested for collision, it's just too much. It's always an issue with conversions as to how accurate you want it to be (or in many cases what's allowed to be changed). In this case they would have been better off if they had narrower tracks but kept the look of the sprites to keep the outrun "feel".
@@daishi5571 I wonder if any programmers of today could make a better conversion on the ZX Spectrum than they managed back in the day. It would be interesting to compare.
@@temporaryuseraccount0012 If they were to cut back on track size (which I think was a huge performance hit) it would most certainly allow for faster frame rate which is really what is the biggest issue.
It was a great comparison, but I would have liked to see footage of the Sega Saturn in 60fps mode. I also wish they had chosen Testarossa for the final Outrun 2.
Saturn version is my favourite. Arcade perfect in my eyes. The PS2 version looks different but plays really well by the looks of it and seems even faster than the arcade. I never realised how slow the Speccy version was. Something is very wrong when the C64 version is quicker! Outrun 2 is a fabulous game, I've spent many an hour trying to shave milliseconds off my race times.
I still own it on all these versions: 1:27 Master System (1987) 3:09 ZX Spectrum (1987) 5:37 Amstrad CPC (1987) 8:06 Commodore 64 (Europe Version) (1988) 9:30 Commodore 64 (USA Version) (1988) 10:51 MSX (1988) 14:54 Amiga (1988) 16:33 Atari ST (1988) 17:48 PC DOS (1989) 20:18 Game Gear (1991) 22:52 Genesis / Mega Drive (1991) 25:34 Dreamcast (2001) 26:59 Xbox (2002) 28:27 Game Boy Advance (2003) 29:45 PlayStation 2 (Sega Ages OutRun) (2004) Even though the Spectrum version appears to be the worst it's still my favourite one!
The GG version wasn't correctly captured. The sound is stereo and only the left channel is used here as the mono sound. That's why some elements are missing.
Okay, some of these ports are just abysmally bad... the ZX Spectrum version for example. But it's actually quite impressive what some of the 8- and 16-bit ports are able to pull off. They're working with very modest hardware but several of them are able to reproduce that "feeling of speed" that's so characteristic of the original. By contrast look at what a failure the Amiga port is. I'd much rather play the SMS port and I did not expect that
Amstrad, Spectrum and MSX-1 needed more horsepower, the conversions would have been decent if they were not so sluggish. C64 is a passable racer but plays nothing like Outrun. Almost all the US Gold versions use a screenshot that kind of looks like the arcade as intro picture, then the actual gameplay looks totally different and it is one of the biggest disappointments in the history of the Amiga/ST. They would have been better off using the Master System version as a reference, as converting the arcade was clearly not something they could properly do. Kudos on the other hand to the guys that made the DOS version, for the IBM PC specs of that time, it wasn't half bad!
Amstrad and spectrum had 3.5Hz clock the C64 has a 1Hz clock. The road on C64 games is not perspective aligned it just shifts from side to side, even in Turbo OutRun. If it was to do proper perspective it would be awfully slow , look at Chase HQ for a shining example of this. Speccy and Amstrad can pull off driving games at speed. Also Turbo Esprit , WEC Le Mans , and Continental Circuit are other examples. Amstrad is by far the biggest disappointment of all the versions, especially when compared to Chase HQ, poor port of a poor spectrum port. Amiga and ST could have been so much better. No Acorn Archimedes version, this could be arcade perfect back in the day, so much more powerful than Amiga/ST. DOS version was pretty good for the time. Master system and Genesis were good for the time too. All the others are later versions ported long after Out Run was in the arcades.
@@ojbeez5260 Probably my wording wasn't the best. I did not mean that ZX, CPC and MSX (which I owned) were underpowered in general, but simply that they were so in regard to this particular completely unoptimised conversion. A Probe fault, not the machines. The word "sluggish" was meant to be attached to conversions not to the computers :)
The C64 version is not bad, but Turbo Outrun is way better: it's one of the (if not the) best C64 racing game ever made. P.S. I didn't know there was an exclusive American version, are Americans unaware of its existence too? I've never seen it mentioned anywhere else.
@@souljastation5463 the American version is a revised version of the European, made by the same people and published by Sega of America themselves rather than US Gold. I think it's well known since the same thing happened with Space Harrier and Afterburner. They also have a different and better USA version.
@@souljastation5463 Out Run is one of the worst conversions on the CPC although it has perspective. The perspective does not move right on most C64 racing games the road just shifts from Left and Right making it not very playable. The low clock speed meant it could not be programmed to do perspective correctly without shuddering to almost a halt. (see ChaseHQ).
The Amstrad CPC music came on an accompanying cassette tape which is why there is no in-game music. Graphics would have been even more dire. It was a huge flop and nobody had anything good to say about the 1980s coin-op conversions.
After nearly 20 minutes of dross, the Turbografx-16 comes along and makes everything better! (19:08) To me, this is the ideal conversion - not too crude, yet not too 'perfect' either. A limited palette, pixellated graphics, simple audio. But enough power to make a decent port. I especially love the music. I grew up with a Spectrum (the 'worst' one here). It's a very charming machine, and I love its simplicity. However, it wasn't cut out for driving games. The Spectrum OutRun music makes me cringe, it's _so wrong!_ I recently made all the OutRun music myself on the Spectrum (just for fun) and it sounds a lot more accurate to the original! :-)
It is interesting that the Spectrum version tried to be authentic to the arcade (check the width of the road!) on a system that is massively underpowered while the more powerful TG-16 took the (system appropriate) cut down approach.
I don't rate that Turografx-16 version. It may have a faster frame rate than some of the inferior versions, but the game still looked nasty and had a not very convincing scrolling effect. I don't think any version comes close to the Arcade original until the Sega Saturn / Sega Dreamcast versions.
@@Games-bw5ee All I can say is that if I'd had the Turbografx-16 version at home in the 80s/early 90s, I would have been thrilled. Instead I had garbage like the Spectrum and Amiga vesions!
I missed out on this game since I never owned a Sega console nor any non-Sonic Sega collections, but it seems like a solid racing game. It takes the established format of _Pole Position_ and builds on it while also taking it in a different direction-away from racing circuits and onto public roads. I can see where a lot of racing games that followed took inspiration from this one. As for my favourite port, I'll go with the one I consider the most impressive given the hardware: the Game Gear port. It's remarkably close to the arcade version despite being on an 8-bit handheld. While the Saturn and Dreamcast versions look like direct rips of the arcade original, I'd expect consoles from the mid 1990s and onward to be able to play 1980s arcade games without issue.
great video! been looking for a true show all versions video. I have to vote for the pc engine version for doing the best on the old hardware and vote for sega saturn for the best arcade perfect version.
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Ohh I just like c64
So it took 10 years of home console development and the release of the Sega Saturn to match the original arcade graphics.
Indeed. That's how far ahead arcade machines were in terms of graphical power compared to home consoles and computers back then.
It’s economics. Arcade machines had thousands of dollars worth of hardware, like an ultra high end gaming PC. Home console could only be the best hardware that $200 could buy.
SEGA’s arcade systems at the time had a ton of expensive hardware to do sprite transformations, it wasn’t until the SEGA CD (or Super NES if you count the limited Mode 7) that the home systems had similar capabilities. The Saturn has a poor reputation for its 3D capabilities, but its 2D sprite manipulation was on-par with the Sega arcade systems that cost several times as much.
@Alex Willis - I swear you originally made this exact same comment a few weeks ago, only stating the 'Sega Megadrive/Genesis,' instead of the 'Sega Saturn' console. I remember replying to it saying I thought the Sega Saturn was the first version to come close to the arcade original. But that original comment thread is now gone. Did you delete it and replace it with this one?
@@Games-bw5ee I think I remember reading that comment, but it wasn't me. I don't delete anything.
The PC Engine version is amazing that little 8 bit machine was a powerhouse for a machine released in 1987
Yes very understinated for capability.
It's amazing how well the Master System version performs. Sega really knew what to do with the hardware. Golden Axe, After Burner and especially this were great ports, considering how outdated the SMS hardware was compared to the arcade originals.
It's pretty smart how they shift to a static perspective when the large road objects appear.
Outrun 2 seriously took it to another level. It was so beautiful and appreciating of them
The last one, "OutRun 2006: coast to coast" is very well made - good visibility of the car, the camera angle and position changes gently and just as much as it should, doesn't jump like crazy, also the graphics is nicely done and represents the spirit of the original very well. Other than that, I like the European C64 version. :)
2006 was so much fun. I am glad I bought it on Steam before they yanked it years ago.
I didn't know 2006 existed. All versions are pretty expensive
Lovely video, great presentation, amazing how there are 132 comments less than two days after you posted it! I had the ZX Spectrum version, it was not good, but I played it a lot. The 128k music was quite nice. When I upgraded to Amiga I was quite horrified by that version. When I first tried the UK C64 version I was impressed, more fun to play than the Amiga or ZX versions for sure. When I came across the pc-engine version I was amazed how good it seemed. Lately I've been playing Cannonball via Retroarch and that is amazing. Playing in 16:9 is really nice.
ZXSoectrum looked like trash but that music was respectable. I liked the arrangement.
@@Vespyr_ One of the fastest racing games turned into the slowest... 😂
And yes, I also wanted to comment about the track, which sounds pretty good. But it seems it's the only one available. Still better than none though.
I love the way you edit your videos. Good job, mate. I usually skip to Amstrad CPC 464, Spectrum and Amiga for the nostalgia.
The amstrad was a great machine.
Favourite game was werewolves of London.
Love the C64 version. The music was excellent.
Almost always, C64 music is the best version. Most of the time even better than Amiga versions
@@orhunkabakli And the EU version is a total different league than the US one, where the SID rendition is rather uninspiring.
@@lovemadeinjapanthe EU and US versions have the exact same music.
The C64 version is remarkable for music and framerate!
Yeah i went from c64 to atar ST and was underwhelmed by the outrun port.
The C64 music makes my ears bleed.
Strange enough only the European version, the US one is very weird.
@@lovemadeinjapanit looks like the same game except they made the car uglier.
I had the Commodore 64 version. Oh, how I miss that machine.
Unsurprisingly the best 8-bit port is Master System, the best 16-bit port is Mega Drive and the best overall version is Saturn.
Best 8-bit version is PC-Engine
@@zaneiken07 PC Engine is mostly a 16-bit console.
my favorite version is the one on the 3ds
@@camulodunon Only its GPU is 16-bit. Its CPU is 8-bit, being based on the MOS Technology 6502.
@@poblewhy is 3DS your favourite port (version)?
The Master System port was really solid for its time and quite impressive for a third gen system, much better than the MSX or other computer versions (which are all quite horrible).
Then the PC Engine port is surprisingly good in some ways but it lacks some key features such as the ocean on the roadside or many other graphical elements that are supposed to define each stage. Also no digit voices and this version uses the worse international stage layout (which is less balanced and incoherent in some ways).
The Mega Drive port on the other hand uses the original and better Japanese stage layout and has some exclusive content such as a fourth selectable tune called "Step on Beat" (which is super nice IMO), an unlockable "Hyper Mode" and some cool cameos depending of how you play. My main complaint with this port is the lack of engine noise as well as a few backgrounds that could have been more polished. The frame rate might not be optimal but lot of racing games of that time have variable frame rate anyway.
Then not much fan of the Game Gear port, sadly. It has some exclusive stages though.
The Saturn port with its smooth 60 FPS mode and remixed soundtrack is fantastic.
3DS version is technically great but the HD presentation detracts from the genuine original feeling and the lack of Ferrari license simply ruins it.
Overall, my favorite versions are Master System, Mega Drive and Saturn.
Now @Sega, what about an OutRun 3? :)
The nostalgia of the master System sound always gets me. Its funny, to me the master System had the prefect "crap" sound while the Genesis always seemed to sound a bit too "crap" for the time. Its been forever but I still vividly remember listening to the music in Ys intentionally.
@@nosirrahx the master system sound was decent for its time (and indeed very nostalgia-inducing) while the mega drive sound was amazing! what games did you play?? although regarding Ys, the master system soundtrack rendition is a bit off whereas the mega drive rendition of Ys III is fantastic
anyway check out my "VGM" series of playlists as I feel that you need to get a better grasp on the subject ;3
@@ryzmaker11 IMO the Master System was great in that it was distinctive and kind of haunting when done correctly. The genesis had a bunch of great music but always seemed to be too constrained by the sound technology used in the Genesis. Its an uncommon game but IMO Biohazard Battle for the Genesis probably has my favorite music mostly due to how they used bass. On modern speakers it sounds amazing.
@@nosirrahx the mega drive has *myriad* of great music (and that includes bio-hazard battle which does indeed sound amazing) and it keep delivers and always will via new games, demos or even ports of older games such as the recently released darius!
the mega drive also has the richest sound hardware of its era with a mix of FM and PCM (coming from the YM2612) + PSG and white noise (coming from the SN76496 which is, BTW, the same sound chip that the master system used) all controlled by a Z80 as sound CPU
you can do many things, anything, you can even stream music via the PCM channel while playing sound FX with the other channels
I also enjoy other sound hardwares from that time but overall the mega drive strikes the best balance between distinctiveness and high quality
I'd like to see them start by bringing outrun 2 to modern consoles (especially switch) before they went for outrun 3
I ran a computer games shop when the US Gold ports were released - pre-orders were crazy right up to release date, but the numbers of subsequent returns across the board were even worse. The ST and Amiga versions still rank amongst the worst conversions of any game ever made, absolutely dire.
The Amiga and Atari ST conversions are absolutely atrocious compared to what other similar types of games could achieve on both platforms.
I had the Amiga version back in the day. The most amusing thing about the Amiga version is that its framerate maxes out the CPU, so if you have a really fast CPU, the game runs so fast it's virtually unplayable. The time counter works in realtime, though, so the highlight was you could beat the game no problem! So many games were poorly coded back then.
I was lucky to have an Amiga 1000, which ran the game a bit faster than on my friend's A500, but not too fast. 8)
I would argue that the port of Turbo Outrun (also by US Gold) was even worse than Outrun. The framerate was better, but the rubberband AI made it near impossible to win against the rival car. Those developers were pretty awful.
US Gold didn’t port Amiga Out Run it was Probe Software while ice software a freelance video game developer based in Scotland ported Amiga Turbo Out Run
@@Waccoon Framerate being maxed out by the CPU shows that the games was not designed for the Amiga and is an obvious ST shovelware. While most computers of that time were CPU limited i.e. everything was done by the CPU with very limited help, the Amiga had IO, sound and graphics coprocessors which were all DMA independent from the CPU. The issue with being a different, is that it requires extra attention, and that requires better tools and more time (time = money so the saying goes)
I'm pretty sure the Amiga was over rated crap, anyway.
Anything Tramiel had his name attached to became garbage.
I can really feel the speed in all 6 frames of the ZX Spectrum version
The ZX Spectrum was by far the worst conversion by the looks of it. It's barely moving. I don't know what they were thinking when they released it. No one can seriously defend THAT! It was probably the 128k version shown as well as I couldn't imagine the older 48k version having in game music. Spare a thought for the 48k owners who had to put up with this when everyone and their mum had a better version on other formats.
The ZX Spectrum should be air brushed from history. Absolutely appalling machine for games.
@@bigbabatunde1218
If you consider how cheap the Spectrum was, in the 1980s, then it becomes excusable.
It was a very affordable computer, released in 1982. Think of it more like a computer version of the Game Boy, and also check out a video of the BEST Spectrum games. Some of the best games were awesome compared to their contemporary games.
Check out Turbo Esprit and Chase HQ for a couple of great spectrum driving games if you need examples.
For me the NES after 1989 when it was absolutely huge, was a joke of a system. It only makes sense when considering that it was first released in 1983. Similar situation with the Atari 2600 being from the 70s.
@@TechRyze I had a Spectrum 48K. Chase HQ on the Spectrum was pretty good for the time but it was still monochrome nonsense compared to what kids really had their eye on, that's why the Mega Drive and SNES were so popular when they arrived as they were the first proper good looking games you could play at home.
Don't get me started on the Gameboy.
Why anyone wanted one of those is beyond me.
@@bigbabatunde1218 Share the same feeling regarding the Game Boy ; always thought it was atrocious and still can't grasp the "nostalgy" some seem to still have nowadays. Even being cheap, I thought it was still too expensive for the "experience" it was offering. And I knew people who were still playing it in the '2000 !?!... 😬
@@bigbabatunde1218 I was a massive fan of the arcade version so my mum got this for me on the spectrum for Christmas. I played it about 3 times it was just terrible including having to start and rewind the tape recorder after every stage.
Inside Yakuza 0 there's a version of Outrun there, but this version has the appearance of the cars altered so they don't look like a Testarossa, Porsche 911, Corvette, etc.
Gameplay wise remains the same.
I enjoy the arcade port on Saturn,3DS and Switch. As far as home ports i like Master System and Genesis. Great comparison video.
Thank you so much for making this video. Outrun is one of my favourite games and I love your showcase of the various versions. One of my favourite youtube videos of all time and that’s saying a lot. Great job 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome video! Thanks a lot! Very appreciated 🙏🙏
Man this brings me back to the arcade days, playing this MK, SF, Mario, TMNT, Terminator, NBA Jam, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Cruis N' World, USA etc 😥I miss those days and I'm getting old. So Outrun was pretty much on every console lol.
even in ps4
@@matthewlumibao7057 Yeah. I liked how every version was also slightly different too.
Loved this game.
I wonder if the versions of the later consoles were built from the ground up. I feel like after a certain point, the hardware advances allowed a faithful EMULATION of the original - Saturn, Dreamcast, etc.
I love the arcade version and The Genesis/Mega Drive version. The PSP and PS2 version are very good version too.
Once I was talking with my dad about video games, he said he played alot of outrun on a PC back in the day. I asked him wich version he played. He said all he could remember was that it had green or blue text in games like Larry. I showed him both the MSX version and the ZX spectrum. I asked if he had one of them, he said yes. He didn't know what version he owned, but he said he didn't have a ZX spectrum, commodore 64 or Amiga. Bam! I knew it at once. It was the msx version he owned.
DOS here :) It's crazy how many versions they had to for the different systems. Now they think it's too hard to make a game work on PC and mobile
What is the difference between old and New Mode on 3ds and switch?
In 1986, the arcade system board for Outrun cost about 300,000 yen in Japan; a Sega Saturn in 1996 cost 20,000 yen.
That stereo effect with the car still blows my mind in the arcade
The C64 version may not be the best but it's so smooth and the music is awesome. So many childhood memories playing that!
Absolutely amazing what the PC-Engine did as the best 8bit console ever..
in my humble opinion there - the only version worth ever having in your own home was the Sega Saturn version onwards. the other 8-bit and 16-bit home computer versions at the time of outrun on the arcade were diabolical.
Wow, the Saturn was the first to really nail the arcade version. Not sure I really care for the PS2 3D version of it though. I had no idea this game was ported this many times, crazy!!
BTW @retrosutra, in case you consider requests, here are some cool ones to cover:
- Marble Madness
- Sky Shark
- Pit-Fighter
- Ms. Pac-Man
- Lemmings 1 and 2 (and maybe 3D Lemmings too)
- Doom
if he/she does doom then he/she should also put ALL the unafishal ports too
and Congo bongo
Funnily enough, I was going to request Lemmings, too, since that game was released on nearly every type of computer, console and handheld in the early 90's, and it holds a special place in my heart as it was the first video game series I ever got into. A comparison of each version of Oh No! More Lemmings would be nice as well, even though it was basically an update of the original game but with different levels and music.
Lemmings includes Pingus (a free clone)?
The Spectrum version was the game responsible for us getting rid of ours for a Commodore 64.
Master system version hits home! Ah childhood memories!!
Saturn, purely because it offers a 60 fps mode. It's quite interesting to see some versions actually avoid mirroring the prancing horse.
The thing I find the most crazy about all of this is that the original Outrun was Inspired by LCD screen racing games. Limitations can lead to such good design sometimes.
yeah, the music, smooth sprite scaling and vibrant color palette of so many unique painted objects gives Outrun it's flair. I can't stand the newer 3D versions, which look dull in comparison. The sense of lighthearted speedery, vibrant colors and unique artistic sprites are gone. e. g. SEGA AGES Out Run (PS2), Outrun 2006 (PC), Outrun Online Arcade (PS3). They are not bad at all but the flair, the perfection of the original is missing. That are not just retro romantic thoughts, we need more (original) Outrun! I hope someone is capable to transfer the beauty of the technical limitations of 2D sprite graphics to the 3D space to create a truly worthy successor in the style of the original.
@@tinovfr I'm right there with you on that one. There is an indie title that has been scratching that itch for me called "Buck up and drive" it has some stylised retro theming but is clearly built in a more modern game engine. Very clearly drew inspiration from outrun. Would definitely recommend to people who liked these old school arcade racing games.
And then it had its own LCD version and that was a nightmare
honestly the gba port is way sicker than i expected
As a UK C64 kid I was always envious of the spectrum version having lorries (trucks) and route split choices. After watching this I now know I got the better deal.
Wow that Speccy frame rate, the great Amstrad music & SFX, the Amiga version on speed, the DOS version sound key all over the place. Great stuff !
Nostalgia for the master system version, but, no kidding, this 3ds conversion really rocks!
Why the hell you had to mute the music in Outrun 2006, TH-cam? Curse you!
The first version was ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ
I remember getting Computer & Video Games magazine with an audio tape of the Outrun arcade machine music stuck to the front. I loved it & listened to it loads of times. Brings back memories hearing it again. The big sit in arcade machines that spun round as you drove were awesome as well
If you flick between arcade original, Saturn and Xbox they are identical, down to the same car model. For some reason whoever made the Dreamcast car they thought it was a Dodge or something, even the spectrum tried to make the prancing horse logo for crying out loud :)
Licensing restrictions
OutRun is the Minecraft of the SEGA franchises: available in so many plataforms
Favorite rally racing game ever made. I love the sega ages version on switch! This game is gorgeous, and the music is great. The game can be peaceful or tough depending on what ways you go. Cant beat it!
but it's not a rally racing game
@@fennex7575 rally racing games are check point games that are the exact same type of game as this game is
BONUS: Cannonball (2012) is the BEST. I have the home arcade and the cannonball running on the switch at the smooth 60fps is amazing.
1. Cannonball
2. Outrun 2006
3. Dreamcast
Does anyone know the difference between Old Mode and New Mode on the Nintendo Switch? They both look identical to me.
C64 for me, was what I grew up on and Outrun was great
I had the 48k Spectrum version (the 128k version is on this video) and they compensated for the lack of in game music by including the original 3 Arcade tunes on a bonus cassette tape which you could play whilst playing the game.
So ironically the Spectrum had the most faithful soundtrack? 😁
@@MD-fu6ly technically yes! Load the game on your cassette player, disconnect it from the Speccy, swap the tapes and off you go!
Did it ever trip anyone else's OCD that they had to mirror the sprites in the original game when turning which made the horse emblem flip as well. I couldn't stand that. What's even worse is when there's Ferrari licensing issues later on which not only changed the car up, but the emblem as well.
The Switch version is driving me nuts now 😆
1:02 'Granma was slow, but she was old... ' It is flat out through that left-right-left combination.
The PC Engine version in 1990 was the first great home port of Outrun. I think all previous ports were pretty disappointing. Especially the Zx Spectrum and Amstrad versions were atrocious.
I don't think spectrum / Amstrad were atrocious given the hardware. I do think Amiga version was atrocious & could have been so much better
Loved the Saturn version, it was pretty much arcade perfect! Awesome. Dreamcast was probably the most authentic though, being the original 'pre' Ferrari version. (Think that was on the bonus disc included with the book - Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1 with I'm lucky enough to own, also has Powerdrift on it as well as others!)
ps2 looks very nice.... almost VR-like and great draw distance.
great video 👍 and pretty impressive driving skills across platforms 👌
First time I played this was on the Master System so I have a soft spot for that port.
I've played this game on: first Commodore 64 (European version), Arcade version, Sega Genesis/Megadrive (cool port) and "OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast" on my old PC.
This is one of my favourite games.
The Amstrad CPC version looks like you're driving through a public park at 15mph on Christmas Eve. The slow speed gives you plenty of time to react which I imagine is handy as it looks near uncontrollable.
293 kmh on the Speccy looks like walking pace.
The ZX Spectra version looks like a Tiger handheld game
ZX Spectrum*
Lol.
I had it. It was a terrible version. Soundtrack was decent though.
Spectrum version looks like it’s not even moving
I used to love the ZX Spectrum version, kinda wish I'd not seen it again, it looked awful.
It was a double cassette, 1 had the music on the other had each stage on it. At each checkpoint the game paused and you ejected the music to load a new stage.
La versión para Amstrad CPC, que padecí en mi infancia, es infame. Por suerte venía la banda sonora en una cinta aparte, jajajaja.
De las versiones domésticas, aparte de la de Megadrive que está muy bien, me sorprendió la de TurboGrafx.
Outrun on the Master System looks better than Rad Racer on the Nintendo (NES).
Outrun Mastersystem looks good but road side objects scrolling is wayyyyy to choppy 😭 there are like only 3 positions for road side objects 💦
At low speed under 100km/h it is not that choppy but at high speed it's really awful
Is this the most ported game ever? It's gotta be the most ported racing game ever.
The most ported game ever is probably _Pac-Man_ if I had to guess.
This is a call out to the PC did version... What the fuck did you do to such an iconic piece of music? For shame.
I miss playing this game with my dad at the laundromat.
アウトランを本当に好きな人が編集したんだと、良く伝わる、最高の動画でした。いいものを見せてくれてありがとう。
I like the Saturn and Dreamcast Versions, they´re very cool. Also good is the PS2 Version.
The ZX Spectrum version literally runs at 5 FPS. The Amstrad version? 4. Why?
They tried (and failed as they would) to do an accurate arcade conversion. The tracks are too wide with undulation and curves, that is a massive CPU hog on it's own. After the track used so much of the systems resources the rest is all down hill from there! you have to have the track side objects, then every car has to be controlled, tracked and tested for collision, it's just too much. It's always an issue with conversions as to how accurate you want it to be (or in many cases what's allowed to be changed). In this case they would have been better off if they had narrower tracks but kept the look of the sprites to keep the outrun "feel".
just a piss poor conversion. something like chase hq proves in the hands of competent programmers the cpc could have made a better fist of it.
@@daishi5571 I wonder if any programmers of today could make a better conversion on the ZX Spectrum than they managed back in the day. It would be interesting to compare.
@@temporaryuseraccount0012 If they were to cut back on track size (which I think was a huge performance hit) it would most certainly allow for faster frame rate which is really what is the biggest issue.
@@mashk Yeah, games such as Chase HQ or Fire & Forget 2 show that Outrun could/should have been way better on those computers.
It was a great comparison, but I would have liked to see footage of the Sega Saturn in 60fps mode.
I also wish they had chosen Testarossa for the final Outrun 2.
Saturn version is my favourite. Arcade perfect in my eyes.
The PS2 version looks different but plays really well by the looks of it and seems even faster than the arcade.
I never realised how slow the Speccy version was. Something is very wrong when the C64 version is quicker!
Outrun 2 is a fabulous game, I've spent many an hour trying to shave milliseconds off my race times.
Outrun 2006 on the PS2 is probably the best arcade racer of all time, it's very good
Master System's version is quite impressive for a 80's home console.
I still own it on all these versions:
1:27 Master System (1987)
3:09 ZX Spectrum (1987)
5:37 Amstrad CPC (1987)
8:06 Commodore 64 (Europe Version) (1988)
9:30 Commodore 64 (USA Version) (1988)
10:51 MSX (1988)
14:54 Amiga (1988)
16:33 Atari ST (1988)
17:48 PC DOS (1989)
20:18 Game Gear (1991)
22:52 Genesis / Mega Drive (1991)
25:34 Dreamcast (2001)
26:59 Xbox (2002)
28:27 Game Boy Advance (2003)
29:45 PlayStation 2 (Sega Ages OutRun) (2004)
Even though the Spectrum version appears to be the worst it's still my favourite one!
The GG version wasn't correctly captured. The sound is stereo and only the left channel is used here as the mono sound. That's why some elements are missing.
To this day nothing AND I MEAN NOTHING beats the original arcade Outrun for pure racing JOY❤❤❤
The zx spectrum version is very cute, love the warez scene sounding music
I played the actual arcade version and the way the seat moved made at first my body a little weird but then I got use to it lol
C64 version actually pretty good 👍
I was pretty happy with the MS-Dos version for PC. Better than the C64 i had played before my dad bought my first PC 🙂
Versão de Master System é boa demais, e muito querida aqui no Brasil. O Port de ZX Spectrum é bizarra demais hehehehe
Nada supera Top Gear de SNES
@@brunodias3804 Outrun supera fácil, digo como uma pessoa que joga Top Gear há anos e foi conhecer esse jogo agora.
a de amiga esta mais rapida, o jogo original é injogavel no amiga, mas tem uma intro dramatica
@@brunodias3804F- zero pra mim supera sim
Master System version will always hold a place in my heart.
Okay, some of these ports are just abysmally bad... the ZX Spectrum version for example. But it's actually quite impressive what some of the 8- and 16-bit ports are able to pull off. They're working with very modest hardware but several of them are able to reproduce that "feeling of speed" that's so characteristic of the original. By contrast look at what a failure the Amiga port is. I'd much rather play the SMS port and I did not expect that
Thought the C64 version was bad, but that Spectrum version...
잘봤습니다. 아웃런이 정말 다양한 기종으로 나왔었네요 ㄷㄷ
impressive amiga version , i find a strong charm to that version as i consider it one of the best early pc ports way way better than the dos version
Sega Saturn/Dreamcast/Xbox versions are best. The PS2 version looks amazing.
that turbo grafx is wow
Amstrad, Spectrum and MSX-1 needed more horsepower, the conversions would have been decent if they were not so sluggish. C64 is a passable racer but plays nothing like Outrun. Almost all the US Gold versions use a screenshot that kind of looks like the arcade as intro picture, then the actual gameplay looks totally different and it is one of the biggest disappointments in the history of the Amiga/ST. They would have been better off using the Master System version as a reference, as converting the arcade was clearly not something they could properly do. Kudos on the other hand to the guys that made the DOS version, for the IBM PC specs of that time, it wasn't half bad!
Amstrad and spectrum had 3.5Hz clock the C64 has a 1Hz clock. The road on C64 games is not perspective aligned it just shifts from side to side, even in Turbo OutRun. If it was to do proper perspective it would be awfully slow , look at Chase HQ for a shining example of this. Speccy and Amstrad can pull off driving games at speed. Also Turbo Esprit , WEC Le Mans , and Continental Circuit are other examples. Amstrad is by far the biggest disappointment of all the versions, especially when compared to Chase HQ, poor port of a poor spectrum port. Amiga and ST could have been so much better. No Acorn Archimedes version, this could be arcade perfect back in the day, so much more powerful than Amiga/ST. DOS version was pretty good for the time. Master system and Genesis were good for the time too. All the others are later versions ported long after Out Run was in the arcades.
@@ojbeez5260 Probably my wording wasn't the best. I did not mean that ZX, CPC and MSX (which I owned) were underpowered in general, but simply that they were so in regard to this particular completely unoptimised conversion. A Probe fault, not the machines. The word "sluggish" was meant to be attached to conversions not to the computers :)
The C64 version is not bad, but Turbo Outrun is way better: it's one of the (if not the) best C64 racing game ever made.
P.S. I didn't know there was an exclusive American version, are Americans unaware of its existence too? I've never seen it mentioned anywhere else.
@@souljastation5463 the American version is a revised version of the European, made by the same people and published by Sega of America themselves rather than US Gold. I think it's well known since the same thing happened with Space Harrier and Afterburner. They also have a different and better USA version.
@@souljastation5463 Out Run is one of the worst conversions on the CPC although it has perspective. The perspective does not move right on most C64 racing games the road just shifts from Left and Right making it not very playable. The low clock speed meant it could not be programmed to do perspective correctly without shuddering to almost a halt. (see ChaseHQ).
40:11 Muted due to some sort of copyright music.
The best version is clearly the Dreamcast version. That framerate is just glorious
The Amstrad CPC music came on an accompanying cassette tape which is why there is no in-game music.
Graphics would have been even more dire. It was a huge flop and nobody had anything good to say about the 1980s coin-op conversions.
After nearly 20 minutes of dross, the Turbografx-16 comes along and makes everything better! (19:08) To me, this is the ideal conversion - not too crude, yet not too 'perfect' either. A limited palette, pixellated graphics, simple audio. But enough power to make a decent port. I especially love the music.
I grew up with a Spectrum (the 'worst' one here). It's a very charming machine, and I love its simplicity. However, it wasn't cut out for driving games. The Spectrum OutRun music makes me cringe, it's _so wrong!_ I recently made all the OutRun music myself on the Spectrum (just for fun) and it sounds a lot more accurate to the original! :-)
It is interesting that the Spectrum version tried to be authentic to the arcade (check the width of the road!) on a system that is massively underpowered while the more powerful TG-16 took the (system appropriate) cut down approach.
I don't rate that Turografx-16 version. It may have a faster frame rate than some of the inferior versions, but the game still looked nasty and had a not very convincing scrolling effect. I don't think any version comes close to the Arcade original until the Sega Saturn / Sega Dreamcast versions.
@@Games-bw5ee All I can say is that if I'd had the Turbografx-16 version at home in the 80s/early 90s, I would have been thrilled. Instead I had garbage like the Spectrum and Amiga vesions!
Link your music 👍
@@Scripture-Man i doubt you did or you didn’t get (have) Amiga Out Run as it was a lazy (rushed) Atari ST remake
I missed out on this game since I never owned a Sega console nor any non-Sonic Sega collections, but it seems like a solid racing game. It takes the established format of _Pole Position_ and builds on it while also taking it in a different direction-away from racing circuits and onto public roads. I can see where a lot of racing games that followed took inspiration from this one.
As for my favourite port, I'll go with the one I consider the most impressive given the hardware: the Game Gear port. It's remarkably close to the arcade version despite being on an 8-bit handheld. While the Saturn and Dreamcast versions look like direct rips of the arcade original, I'd expect consoles from the mid 1990s and onward to be able to play 1980s arcade games without issue.
I have god memories of this game, the soundtrack is great
(I dont speak inglish very good)
great video! been looking for a true show all versions video. I have to vote for the pc engine version for doing the best on the old hardware and vote for sega saturn for the best arcade perfect version.
After watching all of this, I now have the Outrun theme stuck in my head. Thanks :/
I'm glad I didn't have ZX Spectrum :D :D
15:05 Play the Amiga (1988) port at 1.75x speed and that would've been a pretty decent port for the time.
Was overclocking even possible at that time?
I went back and replayed it at 1.75....
You are right!
It woulda actually been playable at that speed LOL
I was going to watch political stuff. But I'm glad I'm here now
Same mate
@рандомный канал depends on who you mean.
Great video my friend