California Run

Extremely mediocre game; graphics are very basic, and the controls and playability are lacklustre at best. That might be almost forgivable at its budget price if it weren't for its blatant attempt to present itself as an Out Run clone. (Was this decision taken before or after the game was written?) I can imagine some poor kid getting this home and *really* hating it when he realises what he's actually got.

I presume you can't blame the team behind 'California Run' for trying but this game comes out so much as an awfully bad "Out Run's Poor Man" that it's not only laughable but especially sad as the Atari 8Bit never got a decent Out Run port. The same team tried to bring 'Ghost'N'Goblins' via "Day Of The Undead" and "Lombard Rally" via 'Speed Run' on the A8bit but never got its act right. Sad. In comparison, the "Rampage" conversion by Anthony J. Wilson and Russell Knight (who also did their share of so-so games) can be considered a masterpiece. Back to "California Run", the controls, game progression, animation (...) are so much lacking that it's almost unplayable. Where was Quality Control ? ;-)