changed my mind on a third go of it - although i cant stress enough how utterly alien it feels if youre playing it after outrun, especially on your first attempt. a lot of the mechanical additions and alterations here admittedly do make sense from a design point of view, especially if one was looking to produce an economical sequel to outrun. why don't we introduce a rival? why don't we introduce a boost? why don't we double down on visual effects? why don't we introduce upgrades? textbook stuff.

unfortunately, while the game can offer small doses of fun, i think it tampers with a sacrosanct formula - one centered largely around purity - far too much for its own good. if i had to chalk it up to a design maxim, i would say the goal in turbo outrun is to 'try to feel cool', whereas in outrun the goal is 'being cool'. crucial difference there. outrun is a skill-based, meditative game that asks you to feel breezy wind pass through your hair and to soak up locales, and it accomplishes this by offering three distinct tone-changing tracks to set whatever mood you feel you can groove to. in turbo outrun's railroaded experience (both mechanically and sonically, you don't get to pick music or routes this time) you're chased by cops, deal with oil slicks, and are harrassed by some punk loser who can steal your girlfriend if youre not driving faster than him. this is madness, sega. she's my girl.