Dashy Crashy pays homage to SEGA during its ‘Arcade Season’ – starting with OutRun

For those of you with a good memory, you might recall that we reviewed a very enjoyable ‘endless runner’ game two years ago called Dashy Crashy, developed by a new (at the time) studio called Dumpling Design.

Now, while Dashy Crashy isn’t a SEGA-made or owned game, we wanted to give it some coverage, because it was heavily influenced by SEGA and some of the team involved had previously worked at Sumo Digital, on the brilliant OutRun 2 and the excellent Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing series (plus some other big non-SEGA franchises), so the pedigree was there for a good SEGA-style game – and they didn’t disappoint.

Well since our review, the game has been consistently updated over the past two years and Dumpling Design has just launched a new update called ‘Arcade Season’ – which is bringing in new vehicles that players get to drive for a limited time period, unless they beat a set challenge for each car – then they can keep them for free!

Here’s a quick blurb from our good friend, Travis Ryan (from Dumpling Design and former Sumo Digital dev) on the update:

“We’ve just kicked off ‘ARCADE SEASON’ in Dashy Crashy! In tribute to the arcade racing classics that inspire us to this day, we’ll be releasing a collection of new vehicles and game-modes, plus a surprise for those who collect ’em all! Each week throughout Sept./Oct. we’ll be giving you a new car(s) to test-drive and a new objective to clear. Successfully clear the event to keep the car for FREE! If not, it’ll be returned to be won as loot, rented or bought directly (with the exception of the season’s Secret Car).

“It all starts with the OUTRUNNER ’86! which is live NOW!”

These new vehicles are said to all be from some classic arcade racers, including several SEGA-inspired cars. To kick-off the Arcade Season, Dashy Crashy‘s first new vehicle addition is the “OUTRUNNER ’86” car – a Ferrari-eqsue car that gives a big nod to OutRun (note: non of the vehicles that are based on other franchises use their exact names, I’m guessing for legal reasons).

What’s more, it’s not just the vehicles that show their love for these arcade classics – each new addition, we are told, also brings a new style of gameplay: the OUTRUNNER ’86 update brings a new time-limit and branches/splits in the road at certain points, which then lead to different locations – just like in OutRun! Although because this is an endless runner, you won’t reach an end goal, but after you visit 195 locations, you unlock the OUTRUNNER ’86 car for free.

Dumpling Design has teased the silhouettes of the upcoming cars, some of which you might recognise. It’s going to be interesting to see exactly which SEGA-themed cars will make the cut, I’m personally hoping from some Daytona or SEGA Rally-inspired vehicles to appear in the game.

If you’re interested in Dashy Crashy, then be sure to check it out on the AppStore and Google PlayStore, or visit the game’s website, here.