In a devastating turn of events, Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is no longer available for purchase digitally on PC. This loss is attributed to the expiration of the Ferrari license back in 2010. The removal of this excellent and stylish racing game from digital platforms has left many fans in despair. However, for those lucky enough to own a physical copy, there is still a glimmer of hope. Recently, a fan-made update has been released by developer emoose, offering improvements that enhance the game’s performance on modern machines.
The update includes a “wrapper DLL” and a replacement executable that is compatible with both the Steam and disc versions of the game. Some of the notable improvements brought by this update are enhanced reflections, borderless windowed mode, UI support for different aspect ratios, framerate fixes, and improved loading times.
The graphics have received a significant overhaul with the UI now capable of scaling to various aspect ratios without distortion. Additionally, game textures can now be dumped or replaced, allowing for customization. Other graphical enhancements include the elimination of Z-buffer precision issues, reduced pop-in of stage objects, improved rendering resolutions for reflections, and the ability to force anisotropic filtering and transparency supersampling.
In terms of gameplay, a built-in framelimiter has been implemented to prevent speedups, while the XInput rumble code from the Xbox release has been restored. Bug fixes include addressing save corruption issues when remapping controls with multiple input devices connected and resolving ranking scoreboard update problems on Steam and other platforms due to faulty anti-piracy checks.
Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is not just a racing game; it is a work of art. Many consider it to be the best installment in the OutRun series, and its absence from digital platforms is truly a tragedy. Imagine being able to experience this masterpiece on the Steam Deck without the need for a physical copy or assistance from others.
For fans eager to relive the magic of Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, the latest release of OutRun2006Tweaks, along with installation instructions, can be found on GitHub. It’s time to bring back this iconic racing game and preserve its legacy for generations to come.
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