I LOVED Outrun in the arcades. Outrun was a game that changed everything. Awesome graphics, memorable tunes, and a pretty nifty hydraulic machine to play it on. There was a time when if I could wish for anything, I would wish for an Outrun machine. (I still wouldn't mind one, actually!). This was at a time when we had 8bit home computers - those arcade games were leaps and bounds ahead in technology. It's probably why arcade games have declined in popularity so much these days. They aren't that much more impressive than your latest PC/console hardware.
So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Sega was making an [url="www.gamershell.com/news_BOutrun2Bunveiled.shtml"]Outrun 2[/url]. Looking at the pictures, they've definately captured the feel right... the beaches, the fluffy clouds, and racing along huge trucks.. I hope they have some real nice tunes too, like the original had.
Bring back those arcade racers, I say! Who cares about realistic car physics and simulation... I've had enough! I want more brainless arcade racing action, where you can drive as hard into a curve, break as you go around the bend, and floor the pedal as you leave!
"They aren't that much more impressive than your latest PC/console hardware."
In fact a lot of arcade machines are based on the same hardware as the consoles. Porting a game from the arcade machine to the similar console is pretty much as simple as burning it onto a dvd instead of into a chip!
CYer, Blitz
And that's probably one of the big reasons why arcade games have declined in popularity nowadays.. Arcade games have to hark back like the older days, and be miles ahead than the Gran Turismo 3 etc console games that we're all used to now. I'm talking realistic looking games with all the physics, cloth/muscle deformation, and shaders you can throw at it.. [:)]
Outrun 2 does look very cool though.. coming to the Xbox!
After Burner! Now that was an arcade machine!! they should upgrade them to the 21st century, hook em up daytona style and rejig the gameplay for some air racing action and dogfights. sic muate!