Runabout (series)
Encyclopedia
Runabout is a series of destruction-themed driving
games developed by Climax Entertainment
. The games in the series were released on PlayStation
, PlayStation 2
and Dreamcast.
in Runabout 3 Neo Age (PlayStation 2
).
The players start off with just a few vehicles, later when they complete a mission, destroy as many as they can or drive without damaging anything they are rewarded with a new vehicle. In the newer games they were also rewarded with paint jobs and special abilities for each individual vehicle.
Although made in Japan, all games in the series featured predominantly English text and dialogue regardless of regional version. Within which, there are some examples of Engrish
such as the message: "Can Not Run" in Runabout 3 Neo Age, when the player's vehicle is wrecked or driven into water.
Common vehicles to all games are a Pickup truck, NSR (Honda NSX
), F1 car, Tank and various novelty vehicles.
While it featured three separate environments and a test course as opposed to the later games' use of one city, the game itself was rather short overall.
Most of the player's time was spent in unlocking the game's many bonus vehicles.
districts as Super Runabout: The Golden State and finally in Japan again as Super Runabout: San Francisco (the updated version).
and Europe
, this third follow up for the PlayStation
series offers just one city, the city of New York
.
The graphics were improved over those of the previous game. Alterations including improved reflections and generally higher polygon counts on the game's vehicle, character and obejct models. Character animations were also improved. The game also featured sections where the player was required to and drift
and crash to get "Drift Crash Points". There were also vehicle-jumping distance and speed records.
Also in the options menu, was the "Bonus Tip" list, where one could keep track of what bonuses were received as well as the criteria for the obtaining of bonuses not yet revealed. The bonuses ranged from unlockable vehicles to extra paintjobs or special actions for the vehicles.
The Surf Coasters, who are known for their Dick Dale
-esque sound.
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
games developed by Climax Entertainment
Climax Entertainment
Climax Entertainment is a Japanese video game development company. Climax got its start during the 16-bit era, primarily developing games for the Mega Drive console...
. The games in the series were released on PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Dreamcast.
Overview
Runabout's main mission has always been that the player drive from A to B and pickup this or deliver that . The earlier games had more than one map to choose from, the later ones had just one real life themed huge city. Those cities are: San Francisco in Super Runabout (Dreamcast) and New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in Runabout 3 Neo Age (PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
).
The players start off with just a few vehicles, later when they complete a mission, destroy as many as they can or drive without damaging anything they are rewarded with a new vehicle. In the newer games they were also rewarded with paint jobs and special abilities for each individual vehicle.
Although made in Japan, all games in the series featured predominantly English text and dialogue regardless of regional version. Within which, there are some examples of Engrish
Engrish
refers to unusual forms of English language usage by native speakers of some East Asian languages. The term itself relates to Japanese speakers' tendency to inadvertently substitute the English phonemes "R" and "L" for one another, because the Japanese language has one alveolar consonant in place...
such as the message: "Can Not Run" in Runabout 3 Neo Age, when the player's vehicle is wrecked or driven into water.
Common vehicles to all games are a Pickup truck, NSR (Honda NSX
Honda NSX
The Honda NSX, or Acura NSX, is a sports car that was produced between 1990 and 2005 by the Japanese automaker Honda. It is equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, powered by an all-aluminium V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control ...
), F1 car, Tank and various novelty vehicles.
Felony 11-79 (Runabout)
Designed and Produced by Kan Naito, the first in the series was known outside of Japan and Asia as "Felony 11-79".While it featured three separate environments and a test course as opposed to the later games' use of one city, the game itself was rather short overall.
Most of the player's time was spent in unlocking the game's many bonus vehicles.
List of Vehicles
- DRM (Dodge Ram 2nd GenerationDodge RamThe Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
) - 318 (BMW 318iBMW E36The BMW E36 is the third generation of the 3 Series compact executive cars produced by BMW. It was introduced in late 1990 for Europe and in late 1991 for US and Canada. It was the successor to the E30 3 Series and was eventually replaced by the E90 3 Series in 2005, though E36 coupes were still...
) - MIN (Mini Cooper)
- VES (Vespa Motor ScooterVespaVespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
) - CIV (Civic SiR (EK)Honda CivicThe Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
) - NSR (NSX Type RHonda NSXThe Honda NSX, or Acura NSX, is a sports car that was produced between 1990 and 2005 by the Japanese automaker Honda. It is equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, powered by an all-aluminium V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control ...
) - GT5 (SkylineNissan SkylineThe first Skyline was introduced in April 1957, by the Prince Motor Company, and was marketed as a luxury car. It featured a 1.5 L GA-30 engine producing 44 kW @ 4400 rpm. It used a de Dion tube rear suspension and was capable of 140 km/h . The car weighed around 1300 kg...
GT-R (R33)) - BUS (BusBusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
) - DTK (Dump Truck)
- LIM (Lincoln Towncar Limousine)
- PCS (RX-7 (FD3S)Mazda RX-7Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...
) - GT1 (SupraToyota SupraThe Toyota Supra is a sports car/grand tourer that was produced by Toyota Motor Company from 1979 to 2002. The styling of the Toyota Supra was derived from the Toyota Celica, but it was both longer and wider. Starting in mid-1986, the Supra became its own model and was no longer based on the Celica...
Super GTSuper GTThe Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC , is a grand touring car race series promoted by the GT-Association...
) - DBL (Lamborghini Countach LP400Lamborghini CountachThe Lamborghini Countach is a mid-engined supercar that was produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars...
) - VPR (Dodge Viper GTS)
- ELS (Lotus EliseLotus EliseThe 1996 Lotus Elise weighed . Because of its relatively low weight, it was able to accelerate 0- in 5.8 seconds despite its relatively low power output of...
) - 360 (Subaru 360Subaru 360The Subaru 360 was the first automobile mass-produced by Fuji Heavy Industries' Subaru division. A number of innovative features were used to design a very small and inexpensive car to address government plans to produce a small "people's car" with an engine no larger than 360 cc when most in...
) - GTK (Garbage Truck)
- SSP (Street Sweeper)
- FML (Formula One carFormula One carA modern Formula One car is a single-seat, open cockpit, open wheel racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver. The regulations governing the cars are unique to the championship...
) - PLC (Oldsmobile CutlassOldsmobile CutlassThe Oldsmobile Cutlass is a line of automobiles made by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. The Cutlass began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate car....
Police CarPolice carA police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
) - TNK (TankTankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
) - RCC (Radio-controlled Car)
List of Runabout 2 Vehicles
- 1500 (Chevrolet C/KChevrolet C/KThe C/K is the name for Chevrolet and GMC's full-size pickup truck line from 1960 until 1999 in the United States, from 1965 to 1999 Canada, from 1964 through 2001 in Brazil, and from 1975 to 1982 in Chile. The first Chevrolet pickup truck appeared in 1924, though in-house designs did not appear...
) - A156 (Alfa Romeo 156Alfa Romeo 156The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
) - REVU (Autozam RevueAutozam RevueThe Autozam Revue/mazda 121 was a subcompact car from Mazda's Autozam marque, introduced in 1988. The demise of that marque led to the cars being renamed the Mazda Revue in some markets...
) - REVUⅡ
- CAB (Honda Super Cub)
- DELIVERY
- ROAD (Mazda MX-5Mazda MX-5The MX-5, also known as Miata in North America and Eunos Roadster in Japan, is a lightweight two-seater roadster, of front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, built by Mazda in Hiroshima, Japan. The model was introduced in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show...
) - NSR (Honda NSXHonda NSXThe Honda NSX, or Acura NSX, is a sports car that was produced between 1990 and 2005 by the Japanese automaker Honda. It is equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, powered by an all-aluminium V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control ...
) - BEZ・V (Mercedes-Benz VianoMercedes-Benz VianoThe Mercedes-Benz Viano is a multi-purpose vehicle based on the popular Mercedes-Benz Vito commercial panel van. The first generation went on sale in 1996; it is presently in its second generation, having undergone a number of changes - including a new name - in 2004...
) - MIUR (Lamborghini MiuraLamborghini MiuraThe Lamborghini Miura was a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1972. The car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars...
) - TRACTOR (TractorTractorA tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
) - TRACTORⅡ
- FIRE (Fire Truck)
- HALEY (Harley‐Davidson MotorcycleHarley-DavidsonHarley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
) - HALEYⅡ
- Y800 (Toyota Sports 800Toyota Sports 800The Toyota Sports 800 was Toyota Motor Corporation's first production sports car. The prototype for the Sports 800, called the Toyota Publica Sports, debuted at the 1962 Tokyo Auto Show, featuring a space age sliding canopy and utilizing the power train of the Toyota Publica 700, a Japanese market...
) - Y800･GT-1
- F500 (Fiat 500Fiat 500The Fiat 500 is a car produced by the Fiat company of Italy between 1957 and 1975, with limited production of the Fiat 500 K estate continuing until 1977. The car was designed by Dante Giacosa....
) - F500 LUPIN
- CORV74 (Chevrolet Corvette 1974Chevrolet CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
) - CB427 (AC Cobra 427AC CobraThe AC Cobra, also known colloquially as the Shelby Cobra in North America, is an Anglo-American sports car that was produced during the 1960s.-History and development:...
) - FERA250 (Ferrari 250 GTOFerrari 250 GTOThe Ferrari 250 GTO is a GT car which was produced by Ferrari from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category....
) - WRC (Toyota Corolla WRC)
- N390 (Nissan R390)
- N390 ROAD
- K･PAT (Honda TodayHonda TodayThis Honda Today was a kei car produced by the Japanese automaker Honda beginning in 1985. Its production ended in 1998.-Early:The first generation Today was introduced in September 1985 as a three-door hatchback, on a wheelbase of...
) - LUNCH VAN
- M･CARRY
- DRAG
- G･TANK
- PANDA
Super Runabout: San Francisco Edition (The Golden State)
Released in Japan as Super Runabout, it was the first iteration for the Dreamcast. An updated version was made and released in the US as Super Runabout: San Francisco, possibly for easier name recognision/commercial friendly. Released in PALPAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
districts as Super Runabout: The Golden State and finally in Japan again as Super Runabout: San Francisco (the updated version).
Scenario A
- 256GT
- A-C160
- PUMP
- VES
- RAM
- F500
- SGX-11
- BUS
- TYR
- F891
- NSR
- P405
- HAM
- TANK
- RSP
- PIGGIE
Scenario B:
- CHP1000
- SIR
- AST
- PATROL
- 345GT
- LIM
- TAC
- AMB
- 4WB
- CHV
- COMBOI
- BIM
- RAM
- HAM
- TANK
- BUS
Runabout 3 Neo Age
Released only in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, this third follow up for the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
series offers just one city, the city of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The graphics were improved over those of the previous game. Alterations including improved reflections and generally higher polygon counts on the game's vehicle, character and obejct models. Character animations were also improved. The game also featured sections where the player was required to and drift
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
and crash to get "Drift Crash Points". There were also vehicle-jumping distance and speed records.
Extras
The Options menu featured two unlockable sections. One of which, an "Object List", in which every crashable object in the game was displayed. The names were written in colours to reflect their scarcity (items marked with gold being common, and those marked green being special mission objects).Also in the options menu, was the "Bonus Tip" list, where one could keep track of what bonuses were received as well as the criteria for the obtaining of bonuses not yet revealed. The bonuses ranged from unlockable vehicles to extra paintjobs or special actions for the vehicles.
List of Vehicles
- MUS-500 (Ford MustangFord MustangThe Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
) - MIT-TRP (TriumphTriumph Motor CompanyThe Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
) - MIN-MSX (Honda S-MX)
- TRK-DAK (Pickup truckPickup truckA pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
) - BUS-NYT (BusBusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
/CoachCoach (vehicle)A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
) - TNK-MKV (MerkavaMerkavaThe Merkava is a main battle tank used by the Israel Defense Forces. The tank began development in 1974 and was first introduced in 1978. Four main versions of the tank have been deployed. It was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War...
Tank) - KAN-NSR (NSX Type RHonda NSXThe Honda NSX, or Acura NSX, is a sports car that was produced between 1990 and 2005 by the Japanese automaker Honda. It is equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, powered by an all-aluminium V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control ...
) - OLD-A40 (Austin A40Austin A40A number of different automobiles were marketed under the Austin A40 name by the Austin Motor Company between 1947 and 1967.Austin's naming scheme at that time derived from the approximate engine output, in horsepower...
) - SPO-FER (Ferrari TestarossaFerrari TestarossaThe Ferrari Testarossa is a 12-cylinder mid-engine sports car manufactured by Ferrari, which went into production in 1984 as the successor to the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer...
) - FRE-ENG (Firetruck)
- CAB-CWN (TaxicabTaxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
) - MON-RAM (Dodge RamDodge RamThe Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
Monster truckMonster truckA monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
) - CRT-KGR (Champ CarChamp CarChamp Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
) - POL-BRO ('74 Dodge Monaco Police CarDodge MonacoThe Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
) - LIM-LIC (LincolnLincoln (automobile)Lincoln is an American luxury vehicle brand of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln vehicles are sold mostly in North America.-History:The company was founded in August 1915 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac . During World War I, he left Cadillac which was sold to General Motors...
LimousineLimousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
) - WRK-ROD (ExcavatorExcavatorExcavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, stick, bucket and cab on a rotating platform . The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. A cable-operated excavator uses winches and steel ropes to accomplish the movements. They are a natural progression from the...
) - RLY-ESC (Suzuki EscudoSuzuki EscudoThe Suzuki Escudo is an off-road vehicle that has been in production since 1988...
Pikes PeakPikes PeakPikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
Edition) - SP1-BOW (MotorboatMotorboatA motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
) - SP2-KKU (Karakuri ningyo)
- SUB-CHA (Dodge ChallengerDodge ChallengerThe Dodge Challenger is the name of three different generations of automobiles marketed by the Dodge division of Chrysler.The first generation Dodge Challenger was a pony car built from 1970 to 1974, using the Chrysler E platform and sharing major components with the Plymouth Barracuda. The second...
)
Music in Runabout
Felony 11-79 (or Runabout in Japan), Super Runabout and Runabout 3 Neo Age all feature soundtracks performed by Japanese surf bandSurf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
The Surf Coasters, who are known for their Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
-esque sound.