Sega used to be the master of arcade games in the ’80s. Hit after hit would come out every few months and most of them were made by the legendary Yu Suzuki. This guy had more creative ideas than anyone else in the field and his legacy has lived on to this day. One of his earliest games, Hang-On, was such a big hit that he eventually took that same concept and expanded it to include a car.
This gave birth to Out Run, a game that pushed the boundaries of graphical technology and was one of the first titles to offer non-linear progression. You were tasked with racing a car at high speeds down a highway to reach one of five endings before a timer ran out. Traffic peppered the roads in an attempt to prevent you from hitting that goal, along with your ability (or lack thereof) to make turns with split-second decisions. It was a hugely addicting game with colorful graphics, lots of great music, and plenty of charm.
Does it still hold up, though? While there may be some better examples of this particular type of racer, the new Sega Ages release of Out Run proves Yu Suzuki struck gold 33 years ago.
Source: Destructoid Review: Sega Ages Out Run