Out Run really was ahead of its time. Released over 30 years ago, Yu Suzuki tapped into the racing market like never before, with a sit-down car-like arcade cabinet and an exploration-based concept. In Out Run the objective wasn't to really "finish first" despite the time limit mechanic. It was all about the journey, providing choices for where to go by way of forked roads, leading to multiple playthroughs, and even other choices that weren't typical at the time, like radio stations. The game broke my preconceived notions of what the medium could do at the time as a young runt, and still stands as one of Sega's crowning achievements. It was a magical experience stepping inside one of those cabinets, and although Highway Runners [$1.99] doesn't really hit all of the same notes, it's a nice little homage to a bygone era.
I was pretty surprised at how to the point Highway Runners was. From the title screen to an actual run is roughly 10 seconds -- you just have to sift through a quick tutorial before you're on your way. It's short and sweet, and teaches players about the accelerometer movement and tap-to-drift system, as well as the ability to "graze" other cars for points and your quest to collect coins and continue credits. (Also worth noting is the game was promptly updated following its release with a new touch controls option, for those who aren't big fans of tilt control.) There's no lengthy "trial" mode, menus to sift through, or gates of ...