Calling Outrun an arcade racing game is pretty much a "duh" comment. The original game was released in 1986 to the arcade community and quickly garnered a following, and still remains a hot name on the market today, thanks to its inclusion in the Sega Classics Collection for PS2 and its sequel, Outrun 2, on the Xbox. Now, we have this new version, Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, which is basically a director's cut of Outrun 2, with new features supplied onto the old game. This may not be everyone's hot cup of java, but those who take a sip will still feel revived by its arcade-based fruits of labor.

Basically, what we have here is the original Outrun 2, but supported by a number of new tracks from the supplementary arcade release Outrun 2SP, bumping its track count to sixty (thirty, regular and reverse), as well as a number of new vehicles, a couple of new challenge modes, and plenty of goodies to stock up on. Like that sequel and the original before it, you basically hop into a souped-up sports car with your moody girlfriend (and, boy, do I mean moody), and then take to the open road, connecting through a number of circuits as you try to outrun the opposition and make your way to the finish line and outrunning glory.

Those expecting anything technical...well, you're shopping in the wrong store. Outrun 2006 blissfully runs on its arcade roots, with a control scheme that barely makes any kind of difference across the cars you choose. You have high speed antics, walls to avoid colliding into, and the most ridiculous power drift system known to man, with drifts that can last longer than ten seconds and leave your girlfriend raising her arm in full appreciation. If you drove like this in real life, you'd have to replace the tires every twenty five miles. But the controls still work fine for a game of this nature, and even if you get into a nasty collision, you're flipped over four times, land on your wheels, take a quick chew-out from your beloved, and continue on your way. Realism hasn't just taken a rain check, it ran out on the tab.

This might spell a problem for those who didn't get into the first two Outrun games, because, like I said, the cars don't really play that differently, and the gameplay never really gets complicated. Only the challenges surrounding it (I'll talk about that in a second) do. But some people seem well-suited for a game of this nature, so if you fit into that category, continue your reading.

The graphics looked wonderful back on the Xbox, so how's the PS2 representation hold up? Not bad, honestly. The new tracks and old tracks still look as detailed and gorgeous as they ever have, and the frame rate holds up just fine, as do some great car reflections and other little details. There's a bit of fuzziness here and there, but nothing to distract you too hard from the race. Three camera options are available, and each one has their own distinct view of the road. You're bound to find a favorite. As for music, it remains just as cheesy as it's ever been (the Magical Sound Shower for the win!!), but also includes some hidden tracks from the original arcade game that are worth the discovery.

The game features a number of modes. You can run through Outrun mode and simply run around from point A to point B, but the real fun lies in the multiple challenge modes. You can run through Heart Attack mode and try to impress your girl with a number of tasks, like avoiding traffic and doing a crapload of drifting (again, realism is gone as your tires hold up as if they were steel belts from hell). You've seen these before. The main new mode that will garner your interest, though, is Coast 2 Coast mode, loaded with all sorts of outlandish new challenges. Ever try to avoid UFO's that want to abduct you? Or kick around a beach ball at high speeds? Well, that's just the beginning. And there's a great sense of difficulty with all these, so they're not impossible, but they take some mastering.