When you think about it videogames are the perfect mistress – they’re loud and exciting at times, peaceful and relaxing at others, turned on when you demand and always there for you when you really need them. They help realise all we ever dreamt we could be, with controller in hand we’re the conquering hero fighting for the honour of our people, we’re the badass cop chasing down criminals and terrorists, we’re the lightsaber-wielding farm boy from a galaxy far, far away. Sometimes we’re just one cool cat driving around in a convertible Ferrari with one hand on the wheel and the other tickling the fancy of the blonde honey sitting beside us. Yes, all things considered living life through our videogames is a preferable existence to the daily grind, screaming kids and marginally overweight partners we have in real life.

But sometimes real life impinges on these stolen moments with our videogame mistress and just when you’re cruising in your Ferrari with the sun on your back and the wind in your hair, instead of whispering the type of things that would make a Caligula blush into your ear your lady is barking orders at you. Rather than leaning back and enjoying the vista you have to hail ass, beat opponents, drift round corners, collect coins and even chase ghosts in order to keep the missus happy. How did this happen? How has our haven been breached by whinging women and a list of breakneck objectives? Well, ask Sega and Sumo Digital who bring Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast to the PSP. The series that appeared in arcades almost two decades ago is now available in the palm of your hand and let us be the first to tell you that (nagging included) it’s the most fun we’ve had behind the virtual wheel in quite some time. Not a watered down version of an age-old console game or some afterthought in the development process, this takes the classic franchise to a whole new level with fresh new courses, cars and a host of challenges to complete.

The first aspect to have mouths dropping lower than a slack-jawed yokel’s, were the visuals – the presentation is nothing short of stunning. Watching each individual locale morph into the next is certainly a sight to behold as the virgin sands of West Beach slowly submit to the bright lights of Casino Town whose hotels then become snowcapped mountains or lush green trees. But it’s the little touches that really catch the eye – whether it’s the parade of ducks flying overhead or the reflections on the water in a distance ravine. It’s all so impossibly smooth and sleek as you coast round corners and weave between traffic. But please don’t go thinking this game is all style and no content as Outrun has a very comprehensive singleplayer mode that’ll have you constantly coming back for more.

The bulk of the single-player action is spent completing race-based objectives set by the portly Flagman and gaining favour with the ladies by meeting more wacky requests. Our friend the Flagman may ask you to beat a certain number of racers or drift for specific period of time, which by the way is no easy feat, as not only are the AI opponents extremely switched on and ready to give you a run for your money, but drifting is a precise science that has to be perfected in order to get the most out of the game. The second portion of single-player action is the Heart Attack Mode where your skills are judged according to how well you perform at challenges set over the entire course. These range from catching ghosts to rolling beach balls down the road while your girl cheers or jeers from the passenger seat.

In classic Outrun fashion, while all these different challenges are being thrown down, your main adversary is the countdown clock which determines whether or not you progress to the next section. Though we’re almost certain everyone is familiar with the Outrun ethos let us refresh your memory as above all else the key objective is to make it to the time checkpoints on the course. At certain stages during the race you have to make decisions that will affect your progress – either veer left for a slightly easier ride or right to make things more interesting. As Outrun 2006: C2C offers track selections from both Outrun 2 and the updated SP your journey is always as surprising as it is varied.

When it comes down to it, the variety is an integral part of the game and is what will have you jumping into the driving seat time and time again. The game has so much to offer in terms of both style and substance; it requires a level of skill that is constantly pushing you to try harder to achieve a better course time or earn more compliments from your girl. The simple control system is perfectly suited to Sony’s portable system making playing Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast an experience no PSP owner should be deprived of.

Keith Hennessey