Battle of the Ports

[Yakumo]

It's also on the Game Gear and the usual home computers.

Looks like this week's show is decided then.

[DeathAdder]

Great. Might have a play on the GG and SMS versions while I wait.

[Yakumo]

Great. Might have a play on the GG and SMS versions while I wait.

I remember the Master System version having some pretty large roadside buildings but I also remember it being crap.

[Hirst]

The main thing I remember about OutRun Europa on the Master System is just how jittery the scaling effect is, I think they'd used background tiles to do scenery which means everything has a really squared-off look and doesn't move properly. Check out the Spectrum version too, I only saw in more modern times, they used dithering on almost everything and it's hard to make out what's even going on most of the time. The water stages have to be seen to be believed.

As much as it gets a bad reputation for being a Chase HQ rip-off, Battle OutRun was ten times better than Europa. Ran smoothly too.

[Yakumo]

Can this seriously be considered an Out Run game?

Out Run Europa on this week's Battle of the Ports

[DeathAdder]

I bought this on Game Gear thinking it was Out Run gameplay. I was disappointed but had some fun playing it back in the day.

Looks like the C64 is the only other even slightly playable version.

Love the footage of the first port where you are making about five metres progress at a time in the boat before blowing up, again and again, and helicopters are bombing you even though you’ve just exploded.

[Protocol Penguin]

I remember reading about Outrun Europa as early as 1988 in magazines, so it must’ve been in development hell for a while. Always thought the final product felt like an Outrun style microcomputer game which was given the licence for marketing reasons, like how Outrun 2019 was an unrelated game given a familiar brand.

[Protocol Penguin]

Apparently the Spectrum conversion can be colourised with Pokes: https://tcrf.net/OutRun_Europa_(ZX_Spectrum)

(I remember Stuart Campbell wrote a feature years ago on this blog about how Your Sinclair used fake, mocked-up screenshots of the Outrun Europa in their original review, but the article seems to have been scrubbed off the internet.)

[egparadigm]

I bought this on Game Gear thinking it was Out Run gameplay. I was disappointed but had some fun playing it back in the day.

Looks like the C64 is the only other even slightly playable version.

Love the footage of the first port where you are making about five metres progress at a time in the boat before blowing up, again and again, and helicopters are bombing you even though you’ve just exploded.

This made me laugh. Thanks for doing the request, [MENTION=1524]Yakumo[/MENTION].

[Yakumo]

Apparently the Spectrum conversion can be colourised with Pokes: https://tcrf.net/OutRun_Europa_(ZX_Spectrum)

(I remember Stuart Campbell wrote a feature years ago on this blog about how Your Sinclair used fake, mocked-up screenshots of the Outrun Europa in their original review, but the article seems to have been scrubbed off the internet.)

Didn't they do that with Gradius as well?

[Yakumo]

I bought this on Game Gear thinking it was Out Run gameplay. I was disappointed but had some fun playing it back in the day.

Looks like the C64 is the only other even slightly playable version.

Love the footage of the first port where you are making about five metres progress at a time in the boat before blowing up, again and again, and helicopters are bombing you even though you’ve just exploded.

Lol, yeah, those water sections are very poorly designed.

[Protocol Penguin]

Didn't they do that with Gradius as well?

That was Sinclair User in that particular situation, also using mockup screenshots.

http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/pt1.htm

[Yakumo]

I remember playing this in Aladdin's palace back in Liverpool when it was new. Such an awesome game back then.

[Hirst]

I remember playing this in Aladdin's palace back in Liverpool when it was new. Such an awesome game back then.

I was at the seaside recently and looked at every single (remaining) arcade to see if there was any traces of the old games I used to remember being there. The state of the arcades were really quite depressing, even the biggest ones being full of prize ticket machines and a handful of "Raw Thrills" developed games. Imagine my surprise when I saw this at Bottons Amusements.



And then imagine my frustration when the coin slot mechanism was completely broken, rendering it effectively unplayable. I did find a very hacked-about Daytona USA and Time Crisis 4 though.

[DeathAdder]

I love Manx TT Superbike. I can finish Laxey Coast no problem and then it’s about once in every six or seven games I can finish the longer course without running out of time. Doesn’t matter which Saturn pad I use.

This is probably the game I’d choose to show a non-gamer what rubber banding means. The other bikes disappear into the distance at the start. I soon catch them up and then assumed on my first play that I would leave them to eat my exhaust fumes. After all, having got back into contention for the lead like Max Verstappen, I must be far faster, right? Nope, they stay with you. Not that it matters as the only real opponent is the timer.

I love how the short draw distance means that the course is being landscaped fifty metres or so in front of you. It reminds me of Grommit building the track for the train he is riding in the episode The Wrong Trousers.

Despite the fact that oversteering is almost inevitable this is easy to pick up and play and great fun. And on a console where some games command ludicrously prices, Sega Manx TT Superbike is as cheap as Saturn games get.