Several years ago, one of the most popular arcade titles littering piers and holiday parks everywhere was OutRun. Once the kid who sat in the driving seat turning the wheel and stamping the pedals without actually putting any money had been dragged away, I would often spend my whole month's pocket money trying to reach destinations in the designated time, with the non-paying kid breathing cheesy Wotsits on to the back of my neck the whole way.

It was a classic of the arcade genre, which quickly migrated across to the Amiga and Sega Master System with equal success. Many will remember OutRun as the game that promoted racing around the streets with a beautiful blonde beside you. The disappearance of the most famous back of a head in gaming history brought about many a rumour. Whether you believe that he hung up his driving gloves because his vehicle just didn't have enough room in the back for a baby seat, and racing in a Renault Espace just wouldn't have worked, or whether you agree with the whispers that racing with an attractive blonde male next to him was frowned upon, either way, OutRun looked dead and buried.

But as Sega turn their attention to monopolising the games development industry by buying up every concept available, they have also given us a remake of this classic racing title, OutRun2, which came out exclusively on Xbox, and now the follow up, OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast. This is a game aimed at those nostalgia hungry gamers who believe that titles these days just don't possess the same enjoyable level of gameplay that resided on previous consoles.

Coast 2 Coast has several modes, split into single and multiplayer events. In single player mode you can choose from a variety of different game options; Coast 2 Coast, the game's namesake, involves a race across a variety of stages that span the width of the USA. OutRun is the old arcade classic mode for which many will buy the title and involves you and your girlfriend racing through courses against the clock. Then there's Heart Attack, where like any man in a relationship, you have to drive about adhering to your girlfriend's ludicrously irrational demands. Finally there is Time Attack, which involves breaking records for each of the 30 available courses using the system of ghost cars.

Almost a decade ago, the graphics on OutRun were on a new plateau, but the fact is, as retro as old games are, advancements in the games industry benefit those titles that utilise this and leave the ones that missed the opportunity obsolete. The problem here is that developers Sumo Digital have obviously tried very hard to capture the feel of the old game whilst adding the benefits of the modern development tools. Unfortunately, it hasn't really worked and the game lands between the realms of realistic racing simulator and cartoon wacky racing. There are also some shocking moments of animation, such as striking another vehicle from behind causing them to spin around several times and then continue driving. In my opinion, these days the two genres of racing are the accurate simulator such as TOCA Touring Car and Gran Turismo, and the arcade racers such as Burnout. Too many of OutRun's features fall into the abyss between these two distinctly different racing styles. The graphical aspects have some positive aspects however, such as the stunning courses available and the equally stunningly produced vehicles from the likes of Ferrari, of which there are over a dozen. My favourite set of animations takes place whenever you fail a mission. I won't ruin it for you, but if you've ever left the toilet seat up, looked at a woman's jubblies, or just done anything at all at the wrong time of the month, then you will recognise these scenes all too well.

The gameplay is a strange cross between Burnout and Mario Kart, flying along at a pace of over 200 kilometres per hour but having the time to shake hands with passers by before drifting round corners as the rear of your car swings out further than that of a member of Destiny's Child. It's all just so surreal and although I totally understand the whole OutRun nostalgia element here, within thirty seconds the novelty has worn off and you're left with a racing game that's just inferior to many games of this nature that are available these days. Colliding with other vehicles is almost comically similar to Mario Kart and although this is an arcade-style game, there needs to be some difference to a game where two plumbers race a cast of muppets.

A saviour for this title is the classic soundtrack. With many developers opting for classic pop tunes as the theme music for their games, fewer and fewer composers get to chance their arm at game soundtracks. Along with some brilliantly designed driving tunes, there is also a major treat for OutRun fans, with the original background music from the 1986 version of the game to enjoy!

It's possible to extend your gaming community to the world with online play, where there are a fair few nostalgic geeks ready to battle for OutRun champion of the world. But even with the prospect of competing against five other players (which is quite likely, as the lobby is often busy) the few qualities this title possesses just don't hold up long enough. OutRun is also one of the few titles to have a go at cross save functionality between Sony's platforms, meaning that you can play at home, save your game and then transfer it onto your PSP to continue playing on the way to work.

Over the decades that gaming has enriched our lives, we have endured some stinking titles and some masterful strokes of genius. In 1986 we were blessed with OutRun, which quickly became an absolute classic. Unfortunately, its return to the gaming scene has not done it justice. When the concept of OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast was pitched there would have been a decision made, go retro and incorporate as much of the older title with some new elements, or make a new and revolutionary racing simulator. The result was to sit in the middle and therefore the end result is essentially a mediocre title. It's a shame, but it seems that OutRun has finally run out of time.

Reviewed by Rob Byron for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).