OutRunners (Genesis)

OutRunners
Developer: Sega Publishers: Sega (JP), Data East (US) Platform: Genesis Released in JP: May 13, 1994 Released in US: 1994 This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused music. This game has regional differences.

Virtua Formula and Extra Songs

In the Japanese version, press Left, Right, Left, Right, B, C, A at the title screen. A jingle should confirm this. Two things become unlocked:

• You can play as Virtua Formula (the car from Virtua Racing and the final boss of Original Mode) in Arcade Mode.
• Several songs are unlocked in the Sound Test: the associated themes for Virtua Formula (the menu theme when it appears in Original Mode, its starting theme, and the theme you hear when that race ends), the staff roll music, and an unused song.

The US version checks for the cheat code and plays the jingle, but does nothing. The cheat can still be enabled using Pro Action Replay code FF807F:0001 (FF807E:01 for Gens/GS).

Unused Song

The above code unlocks the song "Jingle Bell", which is an arrangement of Jingle Bells. The arcade version also had an arrangement of Jingle Bells as an unused track.

(Source: for both sections, multiple, including nineko and Sik)

Build Date

A build date is located in the ROM header, but only in the Japanese version.

SEGA MEGA DRIVE 
(C)SEGA 1994.MAR
 OUT_RUNNERS    
     1994/03/03 
   Ver.FINAL!!  
 OUT_RUNNERS    
     1994/03/03 
   Ver.FINAL!!  

Regional Differences

The Japanese version has a unique Sega screen featuring Sonic and Tails flying past each other, spraying pixels out of their airplanes which form the Sega logo. The logo then turns blue and splits into two, one for each "screen", then fades away. The US version features a standard Sega logo screen, followed by a Data East logo screen.

The Japanese version also features a few Sonic billboards, based on the cover artwork for the first game, near the start and finish of the race. These were completely removed from the US release.