Play OutRun Online

Summary

The MSX2 version of OutRun brings the legendary arcade road‑trip to a home computer without losing the sense of speed that made the original a cultural touchstone. Even on the modest MSX2 hardware, the game keeps the pseudo‑3D perspective of a Ferrari Testarossa convertible, with the camera low to the ground so the road seems to roll beneath you. The familiar sprite‑scaling technique that powered the arcade’s smooth curves and dips translates surprisingly well, letting players dodge traffic and chase checkpoints just as they would in the cabinet.

What really sets the port apart is its faithful recreation of the selectable soundtrack. Players can switch between "Passing Breeze," "Splash Wave" and "Magical Sound Shower," each evoking the Latin‑caribbean vibe that Hiroshi Kawaguchi composed for the arcade. The music isn’t just background noise; it feels like a radio you can tune while you race, reinforcing the feeling of cruising along a sun‑lit coastline.

Overall, the MSX2 OutRun captures the essence of Yu Suzuki’s vision—an exhilarating drive where skill, timing and a good tune combine to make you feel "superior" behind the wheel, all from the comfort of a living‑room desk.

Storyline

Out Run on the MSX2 puts you behind the wheel of a Ferrari Testarossa convertible, viewed from a classic third‑person rear angle. The game’s world is split into a series of stages, each ending at a checkpoint that rewards you with extra time to keep racing. Near the end of every stage the road splits, offering a choice of routes that lead to five distinct final destinations, each representing a different difficulty level. Depending on which endpoint you reach, the game closes with its own unique scene – from the Ferrari sputtering to a breakdown to the driver being handed a trophy. The locations were drawn from Suzuki’s European scouting trip, featuring spots like Frankfurt, Monaco, Rome, the Swiss Alps, the French Riviera, Florence and Milan.