Out Run 2 Xbox Enhancements Analyzed 24
Thanks to GamesRadar for its Edge-reprinted cover article interviewing UK developers Sumo Digital on its conversion of Sega's arcade title Out Run 2, and trying to explain why "Sega has handed the Xbox conversion [of the new AM2-developed arcade game] to an unknown dev studio responsible for exercise bike software." The developers discuss the issues is conversion: "The arcade board has essentially got twice the memory that the Xbox has... and most of that was used", before explaining a new-for-Xbox Mission Mode which "will feature in excess of 50 missions consisting of Heart Attack-style challenges, marathon routes and AI character challenges", and also revealing "[Xbox] Live compatibility, which promises score uploading and ghost downloading while also permitting online play."
Re:Was Out Run really that good? (Score:1, Interesting)
All these years later, I still remember and listen to the music. Very nostalgic, if you were an arcade-head in the 80s and early 90s. The Daytona soundtrack is also memorable, for the same reason, even though the quality of the music is far removed from that of Outrun. "I wanna fly-y-y sky hiiiiigh..."
Never played the current Outrun, but having heard bits of the soundtrack, the magic is gone. Back to chiptunes for me.
You might also want to look into the difference between arcade-style racing and racing sims. Outrun and Gran Turismo are about as different from each other as both are from Mario Kart Double Dash and F-Zero AX.
Re:Sega Xbox Arcade Machine (Score:1, Interesting)
Dreamcast has less RAM than NAOMI and similar hardware. All NAOMI-DC ports are superb (blatantly superior to NAOMI-PS2 ports of the same games).
GameCube has less RAM than Triforce and similar hardware. F-Zero GX is as gorgeous and fast as in the arcade version, F-Zero AX.
I don't expect this UK dev to have much trouble downporting from Chihiro to Xbox. It would be an embarrassing break from tradition if they did.