Hardcore Gaming 101 pointed something out a few weeks ago http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2012/10/yu-suzuki-game-works-vol-1-outrun.html Turns out the copy of OutRun in Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1 on the Dreamcast isn't merely an emulated version of the arcade original as people suspected - it's an updated "HD" version of the game, with good chunks of the graphics being redrawn for the 640x480 resolution. I originally thought only the car was different (altered so that it doesn't resemble a Ferrari Testarossa anymore), but turns out backgrounds were replaced too. The result is smoother gameplay, and you can now read some of the signs in the intro! For the record, this is the same version of OutRun seen in the Shenmue II. HG101 can't confirm whether similar techniques have been applied to After Burner II or Space Harrier, only that the copies of Power Drift and Hang-On seem to be straight ports. YouTube doesn't help because the quality of the videos up there are crap.
Really interesting! Frustratingly, Game Works Vol. 1 isn't emulator-friendly right now, but it might be worth burning a disc and seeing how the game plays.
I own this game/book bundle and besides of the different car never noticed this. This is the same as the version used in Shenmue II by the looks of it as well (much like how Hang on on the disc is from Shenmue I). Will have to check this out again when I get back home.
I remember Hang-On had some changes as well (the text in the billboards was different), but I'm not sure if they also "enhanced" the graphics like that.
Yep, there's quite a few changes to the Dreamcast version of OutRun beyond the Ferrari. It's a conversion based upon the original code, rather than emulation as far as I can tell. The scaling you see on the signs will simply be because the game is run in a higher resolution, as opposed to the graphics themselves being in higher res. The "Marlboro" sign (removed for obvious reasons) is stored at better resolution in the sprite ROMs, but simply loses visibility when scaled down at 320x224. And here's an image to prove it:
After some discussion in the comments on my blog, we think the Dreamcast scaling might actually be an emulation bug. But either way, I've added a higher resolution mode to Cannonball.
The level with the stone "tunnels" looks so gorgeous with 60FPS and hi-res... Again, amazing work man! EDIT: That test level is pretty interesting, too!
Yes, if you go back to original FPS, 4:3 ratio, remove the extra sprites and low-res it almost starts to feel like a different game. A lot of the effects are quite subtle when used independently, but combined they are adding up to something cool!
Can you explain what you mean? In any case, thanks to these pictures, now I want to buy this for my Dreamcast! I only have Wetrix+ and Sega Rally for it right now, so another game is probably a good idea. :v:
See the fourth comment here: http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5633037&postID=9188073634970533894
Thanks! So, these graphical enhancements are lucky side-effects of the emulators rather than specifically new features in the code itself? The higher resolution looks pretty great, either way.
For the Dreamcast emulators, yes. On Cannonball it's intentional (and optional!) Edit: Here's a video from the Dreamcast and you can see the start sign isn't so defined. (so the game is running at 320x224 internally).
I've tried the full screen mode and it runs very slow in my computer... The windowed mode runs flawlessly, though.
Try lowering your desktop resolution before starting Cannonball. For full-screen mode, I don't change or lower your desktop resolution. So if you're running in a very high resolution, the scaling will be slow.
With all this talk about a modified Outrun, what's the story with the Saturn version in the Sega Ages disc? if I recall, that one was modified to fun at 60fps...
Yeah, the Saturn version can run at 60fps. The import disc from Japan also had an arranged soundtrack.
