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If only more games came out in a year that have the exhilarating sense of fun that Outrun 2 sports from the moment you turn it on. This is a game that's a complete throwback to the consoles of yesteryear. Dreamcast's lineup was littered with games like Outrun 2. It's the type of game that makes you grin from ear to ear while playing it for a few minutes or a few hours. It's extravagant in every way it can possibly be so and doesn't hide in shame from those that would denigrate its sensibilities. If you know what I'm blathering on about, you're going to want this game.
The arcade classic Outrun set the smoky, noisy world of coin operated games on fire when it appeared in 1986. Here was the first racing game that looked like you were really driving into the screen instead of just having pictures getting larger as they approached. You don't need me to explain it though, because the arcade original is easily unlockable in Outrun 2 allowing you to play it for yourself. The arcade emulation is nearly perfect and the game holds up extremely well both visually and aurally. Without the original, we would never have received this excellent sequel. Outrun 2 for Xbox features a superb arcade mode that's actually not all that hard. Just as in the original, you race against the clock and through traffic to reach one of five different end points. Each goal requires you to pass through five stages before reaching the end and the branching path you take is up to you. This beautiful conversion of the Outrun 2 arcade machine runs super smooth and features entertaining driving through gorgeous scenery. You can powerslide through corners, thus scrubbing off minimal speed around each bend to turn in faster times. It's a wonderful skill to master and will serve you well in all the game's modes.  There's a huge Challenge mode where you get to unlock all sorts of goodies. These include new musical selections, the aforementioned arcade original and plenty of other Ferraris to drive. Outrun 2 features all the Ferraris in previous Outrun games along with just about any major Ferrari road car from the last twenty years or more. They all handle differently and have varied acceleration and top speed. Control is superb, always relying on the arcade handling including the mandatory powerslides. Challenge mode is made up of various single and multiple stage tests. Similar to Crazy Taxi's Crazy Box mode on Dreamcast, you play mini-games centered around the game's excellent driving. The goal in each is to gain a score high enough to move on to the next task. All these tests are very enjoyable and leave you feeling pretty fulfilled when you finish them. It's also a nice change of pace when you're tired of running the regular arcade mode as it focuses you on precision driving. This is Xbox, so Live play is expected and it passes the test pretty well. You race against other players in arcade mode where the first person to a split decides the race's course. You can choose to even things out with catch up logic making it easy to play with novice players too. It's a lot of fun to test yourself against others. Time Attack mode is probably the best online mode though. You download a ghost car and try to beat it to raise your rank in the world. Banging out great times in Time Attack mode is an exercise in repetition but it sure does consume you while trying to top that next ghost on the list. You can even narrow it down to your friends' scores and just beat those times if you want to.  There are some downsides to the game, but not enough to put it out of recommendable territory. Obviously, if you hate arcade-style racing, stay far away. Reality is not welcome here. You'll go from day to night to snow to desert all in the span of about five minutes of racing time. The original music for the game is not nearly as inspired as the arcade originals. The 1986 arcade tunes are remixed again and again but still retain their appeal after multiple listens. It would also be nice to have the challenge mode, which can be played by multiple players taking turns at a single Xbox, in the online setting. Those challenges are darn entertaining and multiplayer in a party setting is a blast. It would've translated well to online play but it's nowhere to be found. Outrun 2 is the kind of game we so rarely see appear on consoles today. It's simple, bright, colorful and yet packed with solid technique and skill-based gaming. It's a gorgeous game to just sit and watch. It doesn't take itself too seriously but at the same time kicks you in the pants with challenging play on higher levels. It can be played for fifteen minutes or hours and still be rewarding. It could use a few more extras, but what's here is absolutely appealing and very worthy of your money and time. 
There's really nothing offensive in the entire game. This is the kind of game that kids can really enjoy. There's instant gratification from the color, sound, cars and gameplay but there's long-term enjoyment in mastering the control and unlocking all the stuff. Smaller children will have trouble with the Challenge Mode at first, but with some trial and error, they'll be catching hearts and powersliding around corners in no time. If you want to get your kids some mad skills, put them in front of Outrun 2 and don't let them up until they manage to finish paths A through E.
Kid Factor by Dave Long
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