When did Turbo OutRun release?

Turbo OutRun was first released on February 11, 1989.

Turbo OutRun

Feb 11, 1989RacingArcadeArcadeCommodore C64/128/MAXZX SpectrumSega Mega Drive/GenesisAtari ST/STE

Turbo OutRun — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Turbo OutRun on?: Turbo OutRun was released on Arcade, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Atari ST/STE, DOS, FM Towns, Amiga, Amstrad CPC.
When did Turbo OutRun release?: Turbo OutRun was first released on February 11, 1989.

About Turbo OutRun

The sequel to OutRun features similar basic gameplay to the original, with the action viewed from behind the car, and the challenge being to complete each stage within the time limit. Contact can cause the car to spin, slow down or even flip; in each case you will lose time. There are 16 stages set across the US, gradually moving from east to west, all depicted differently visually. After every 4 levels, you go into a shop screen, with a choice of upgrades. As the title implies, you now have a turbo booster installed, which speeds up the car, although over-use can cause the engine to overheat, and it is not recharged until each shop section. You have 5 continues, and failure to complete the course within the time limit costs you one.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Developer: Sega AM2
Publisher: U.S. Gold
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

58/100

from 15 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1992	$22	$60	$113	42%	Low

Also released on: Arcade · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Atari ST/STE · DOS · FM Towns · Amiga · Amstrad CPC. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29

Loose

$22

Complete

$60

Sealed

$113

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Japanese release	$41	$74	—

How often it sells

Loose: about once a month
Complete: about once a week
Sealed: about 2 times a year

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $6.17 in Apr 2018, $24 five years ago, and $22 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2019	$17.15	$27
Jan 2020	$21	$30
Jan 2021	$24	$38
Jan 2022	$21	$39
Jan 2023	$24	$42
Jan 2024	$18.43	$56
Jan 2025	$23	$47
Jan 2026	$14.88	$80
Oct 2026	$22	$60

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date
Europe / PAL	1992
Japan	27 March 1992

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Mega Drive software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published where both agree on the same cartridge dump, or from the libretro records alone where MAME lists no number for that dump. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: EU+JP
Released: 1992
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages, the Genesis Mini and Nintendo Switch Online, are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Sega Genesis prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A poorly regarded 16-bit conversion of Sega's arcade follow-up that is a middling-priced European cart.

This is the Mega Drive version of Turbo OutRun, the 1989 arcade follow-up to Out Run in which you drive a Ferrari F40 across the United States, from New York to Los Angeles, with a Porsche 959 as a rival. Tiertex developed the Mega Drive game and Sega published it in Europe in 1992 and in Japan on 27 March 1992.

Mean Machines Sega felt Sega had fumbled the chance to improve on the Mega Drive Out Run by handing the conversion to Tiertex, and the 16-bit conversions in general received negative reviews.

What the press said at the time

Mean Machines Sega Issue 3

December 1992

42%

“Turbo Outrun is a complete failure. Go for Road Rash and Super Monaco GP and put all Turbo Outrun-related thoughts out of your mind.”
— Mean Machines, March 1992

“every other aspect of this sad shambling mockery of the classic arcade game is miles worse. A grand disappointment of the highest oraer.”
— Mean Machines, May 1992

“the same programmers have made a complete pig's ear of the Megadrive conversion. The graphics are awful, with an unrealistic 3D playing area and a lack of speed.”
— Mean Machines Sega, October 1992

“Apart from being a titchy bit harder than Outrun (not difficult since that game was as difficult as poking a hole through wet bog roll), every other aspect of this sad shambling mockery of the classic arcade game is miles worse. A grand disappointment of the highest order.”
— Mean Machines Sega, December 1992

How the Sega Genesis version differs

Mean Machines dismissed the Mega Drive version with an overall rating of 42%, with only the high-scores screen design earning real praise.

Mean Machines Sega blamed the result on Sega handing the programming to Tiertex, the people behind the poorly received US Gold computer versions.

Also on other platforms

Arcade · Atari ST · Commodore 64 · Amiga · ZX Spectrum · Amstrad CPC · MS-DOS · FM Towns

Arcade

Sega

Commodore 64. The Commodore 64 version was well received; Jeroen Tel's soundtrack won Best music on 8-bit computer 1989 at the European Computer Trade Show.
ZX Spectrum. The Spectrum version got 70% from Your Sinclair, 78% from Sinclair User and 79% from Crash.

Before you buy

Among European-only carts it sits above the middle. The Japanese cart usually costs more than the European one, especially loose, and it is a different cartridge shape. A complete copy usually costs well above a loose cart.