Exclusive: OutRun2 Huge Media Blowout

At long last, we bring you the ultimate showdown of OutRun2 direct feed media goodness, including the stunning bonus tracks!

I'll be honest with you, much like OutRun2 itself, this media has been something of an obsession at Kikizo for the last month.

Ever since we agreed with Sega that we'd be able to show the world the conversion and its then-secret bonus goodies in full-quality glory, we've had the difficult task of playing through the game and producing these astonishing video downloads.

For slightly convoluted reasons best left in Virtua City, despite having the media ready to go, we've had to wait close to a month to actually publish this stuff - but finally the wait is over, and the game's impressively large hardcore following can get downloading right away. We know you're gagging to see it.

Finally, the wait for ultimate OutRun2 media is over!

Of course, you'll need to bear in mind that these gameplay attempts were some of our first, so don't expect the skill factor to blow you away, although we did have the decency to finish all five Arcade Mode destinations without unlocking the time limit - but admittedly it was on a setting one notch lower than normal. Fine, we're crap, but that's not the point.

Direct linkers of any media will be run over!

The point is surely how fantastic the game looks. Our exclusive video downloads are 720x576 in resolution, over two megabits per second in bitrate, and best of all, a pure sixty frames per second, to deliver full justice to the title as much as the medium of the Interweb will allow. (For those wondering why we're using PAL resolution with NTSC refresh rate, that is a long story again best saved for another time). Make no mistake: these are not your average gaming video downloads.

All the arcade tracks are "arcade exact".

Important: Your monitor will need to be set to 60hz refresh rate (the default for many anyway) for best playback - although there is a certainty that lower spec PCs will not play back the videos smoothly. To this end we have included lower resolution, lower bitrate versions of the videos - but they're still sixty frames!

Naturally, these smaller versions are better for less patient or less interested users, or those with slower connections. But first try closing other applications to make sure you have enough free memory to play the large videos, that might work. Alternatively, try upgrading to the shiny new Windows Media Player 10, as this has resolved the problem for some users. If you're anything less than "confident" about your PC's performance, go for the smaller vids.

Superb new music remixes have been added.

Perhaps best of all, you can now watch both bonus courses in their entirety. Ever since AM2 design chief Makoto Osaki exclusively told Kikizo about the existence of bonus tracks that "might surprise" fans, they've had us all in an absolute drool frenzy (and this teaser article might have had something to do with it as well).

As many of you will now know, Sega's classic arcade racers that never made it to home console, Daytona USA 2 and Super GT (US) / Scud Race (UK/JAP), are both gloriously represented in the conversion, with each track joined together in continuous OutRun stylee, forming two completely riveting bonus tracks. They are not labelled as "Daytona" and "Super GT" / "Scud Race" in the game, for unexciting licensing reasons.

Your first look at the sensational Scud Race / Super GT track

Needless to say the bonus tracks look sensational. But another cool thing Sega Europe had the good sense to add to the conversion was remixes of the original's three legendary OutRun tunes - Splash Wave, Magical Sound Shower and Passing Breeze, from none other than a certain Mr Richard Jacques.

More from the Scud Race / Super GT track.

Known as the Euro Remixes, you can hear all three of them in our videos, and an Official Soundtrack CD with the remixes - as well as the original 1986 renditions which are also included in the game - will soon be available in limited numbers. (Stay tuned for details). The conversion's unlockable remixed music is obviously in addition to arcade OutRun2's seven total music tracks.

The Daytona USA 2 circuit looks amazing in motion.

The new bonus tracks and the remixed and original music are all part of an extensive unlockables line-up in the game, with the addition of Mission Mode central to the player's progress. Aside from the fact that the conversion is technically perfect, they are what make OutRun2 one of the best arcade conversions of all time.

Enjoy these videos, and stay tuned for our imminent full review. (Update - review now live)

OutRun2 is release exclusively for Xbox on October 1st and in North America on October 25th.

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Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com