OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast review (Xbox)

As you complete races, you'll earn points, or OutRun miles, which you can use in the game's showroom to unlock tons of content. Not only can you unlock all of the game's 13 Ferraris, ranging from the classic Testarossa and 328 GTS to the exotic F40 and now-infamous Enzo, but you can purchase different colors for the cars as well. The showroom also lets you purchase new tracks, primarily the reverse versions of the tracks from the single-player game. You can purchase different colors for the cars, too. You'll also use points to unlock remixes of the background music tracks, including the original mixes of the songs from the first OutRun arcade game. Considering how much is available in the showroom, it could take you quite a bit of racing to unlock everything the game has to offer.

While there are no split-screen modes available on the PS2 or Xbox, multiplayer action is available online for up to six players or through system link. The PSP also supports six-player multiplayer both online and through local ad hoc play. The online population is a little sparse, but our bouts of head-to-head racing yielded good results on all platforms. Network play was smooth and lag-free, and the game lobby gives the game creator a number of options beyond just choosing the course. You can restrict cars of certain classes, and enable or disable catch-up handicaps as well as collisions. Players are assigned rank points depending on how well they do, and if you sign in online, you can also check the worldwide high scores on various courses as you play the single-player game.

Coast 2 Coast for the PS2 and Xbox appears to use the same graphics engine as its predecessor. Not much has changed since OutRun2 as far as the visuals go, but the environments and the cars still look great, with a good amount of detail and shine on the car bodies, as well as some nice smoke coming off the tires as you drift around corners. You'll see some interactive elements on the tracks, such as traffic cones to kick around, and the variety of settings you'll race through and the steady frame rate on the PS2 and Xbox make for a great-looking racing game that gives a nice sense of speed. The graphics on the PSP don't take a backseat, as they're every bit as detailed and vibrant as on the larger consoles. The frame rate can take a bit of a dip here and there, but for the most part they hold up well, and it looks amazing on the PSP's small screen. Coast 2 Coast's sound is also excellent, thanks to an awesome soundtrack anchored by classic songs such as Splash Wave, Risky Ride, and Magical Sound Shower, all of which hardcore OutRun fans will remember from the original game. The engine-rev noises and the screech of your tires squealing around a tight corner also punctuate the game's audio quite nicely.

If you're looking for a fun arcade racer with lots of Ferraris and the ability to do some fast and furious drifts, you won't go wrong picking up OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast. Those who've already played OutRun2 may find the experience to be largely the same, but it's definitely still a worthwhile experience, especially for PS2 and PSP owners who may have missed out on that game. For Xbox owners who've already played OutRun2, there's less of a compelling reason to buy Coast 2 Coast. You'll have to figure out how much you really love OutRun before you shell out another 30 bucks for a very similar game.