Two Wednesdays ago, I was sitting in a posh penthouse in the swanky Royalton Hotel in New York City playing Outrun 2, and somehow, I managed to look past the game's sheer awesomeness and come to the following realization: Even after all these years, this game's still kicking my butt.

Not that this is a bad thing. Yu Suzuki's arcade and Sega Genesis port is a classic, the greatest racing experience of the 16-bit generation, and worthy of sequel. Well, my friends, the sequel is upon us. Courtesy of Sega and developer Sumo Digital, the Xbox port of Outrun 2 is a little more than three months away, but rest assured that this is not only one of the greatest games ever made, but also so much more than a simple arcade port. It's pure gaming gold, with a sheen bright enough to light the eyes of a million gamers even in the darkest of basements, and the best part is, Sega's still pumping extras into it.

In case you joined the videogame revolution a tad late, the original Outrun is a racing game where you zip along various highways in a Ferrari while listening to some very catchy tunes on your radio. It's about as much a simulation as Grand Theft Auto is a Football game. It's pure arcade crack, a speed burst that'll still leave you choking on its dust if you're not paying attention.

Ok, so now that we've all had the brief history lesson, let's take a look at Outrun 2. Keeping the core formula intact, it very much resembles the original. You still zip through various locales at speeds well over 150 mph, but this time, the game's undergone a massive overhaul. For starters, its graphics take full advantage of the Xbox hardware. More than 15 tracks (Which can be raced backwards.) have been modeled off real-world locations such as Paris, Palm Springs, Rome, and Denmark, and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. You'll shoot through stretches of road surrounded by palm trees and coastline, and then you'll instantly wind up admiring lush fields full of green, and all of this happens at a frame rate that never falters. Ever. The visuals are truly a sight to behold.

But wait! Exactly how are we seeing these exotic locales? We're obviously riding in cars, but just not any automobiles. Outrun 2 features eight fully-licensed Ferraris including the Dino 246 GTS, the Enzo, the 365 GTS/4 Daytona, the 360 Spider, the Testarossa, the 288 GTO, the F40, and the F50. Each has been painstakingly recreated and looks photo realistic, and while they all look different, they all have speed in common. These monsters go fast. They're so incredibly quick that you can't take your eyes off the road for a second, which is a shame considering how beautiful the scenery is, but believe me, you'll pay the ultimate price.

Gameplay-wise, Outrun 2 purrs like a well-fed cat. You race from point A to point B to point C, etc., burning through checkpoints and making split decisions that can affect the gameplay on the fly. For example, when you approach a fork in the road, one way may make the game easier, while the other will kick things up a notch and really test your skills. Make no bones about it! Outrun 2's hard!

While the main game can keep you busy for hours, Sega's decided to add some serious longevity by implementing several new features and extras exclusive to the Xbox version. First and foremost, the game features Xbox Live support for up to eight players, but that's not all. There will also be downloadable content that'll include new levels! However, if you don't have a Live account, the game will also feature system link play.

In addition to the game's online components, Sega's included 100 missions exclusive to Xbox, as well as a Heart-attack mode where your passenger, a lovely blonde woman, instructs you on special moves to perform that'll make her pulse race and win you brownie points. It's actually a lot of fun, but it's not easy. One slip up can result in you losing hearts faster than loose change.

After some brief playtime with it, I'm pumped for this game. It's a flawless arcade experience that shouldn't be passed up by even the most casual of gamers. Sure, the cars can't take damage because they're fully licensed, and yeah, the gameplay is rather simplistic, but all I ask is for you to perform a single power slide, a single drift across the open road, and you'll be hooked. Outrun 2 is a next-gen game based off old school principles. You don't need a million buttons to have fun with it. All it asks of you, is that you give it a chance.