3D OutRun releases in Japan, still no word on western release

The next title in the SEGA 3D Classics series has been released in Japan on April 23, and it’s one people have been wanting since the series has started – OutRun. The SEGA 3D Classics series is a collection of remade arcade and Genesis games for the Nintendo 3DS E-shop.

The series started with Space Harrier and Super Hang-On, and now contains Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Ecco the Dolphin, Galaxy Force II, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, Streets of Rage, After Burner II, Fantasy Zone, and now OutRun joins the list, with the last three remaining in Japan up to this point.

Simple ports these are not,with the capabilities of the 3DS, they’re a little more than that. Japanese developer M2 has done a great job of replicating the arcade experience on the handheld with cabinet graphics and visually reproducing the motion of the SEGA deluxe cabinets. 3D OutRun was just begging to be released this way. Now, it doesn’t have the famous Ferrari Testarossa as we all are accustomed to, but with the special features added to this version of OutRun, M2 more than makes up for it.

3D OutRun is a port of the arcade OutRun, but with minor changes, mostly in the car design. If you’ve ever played Shenmue II or Yu Suzuki  Game Works Volume 1 on the Dreamcast, you probably know what I’m talking about. Otherwise, it’s the arcade OutRun we know and love.

Quite a few new features are added to this version, including two new musical tracks, an option to change the color of the car into a variety of different looks and a tuning parts system as well, reminiscent of Turbo OutRun. Additionally, I believe they added in the 30/60 frames-per-second change option from the Saturn port. That’s a bonus as well.

Still no word if 3D OutRun is coming to America or Europe, though. A pretty recent time ago, Yousuke Okunari, a SEGA producer, said in an interview regarding the 3D Classics games, that if people bought them overseas, there is a possibility the newer games will release in the West.

Here’s hoping or the release of two of my favorite SEGA arcade games: After Burner and OutRun.