The original release of this game was already in English, but the updated version that later came out in Japan that included performance improvements and enhanced content never saw an English release of any kind, even via a Title Update from Xbox Live.
This patch changes the updated Japanese version to now be in English.
Specifically, it changes the default script to the English one, updates it for compatibility with the new pointers and lines, reinserts the original font, and updates all image-based text to be English as well.
In terms of content, this includes all in-game text, all menu text (even that for Xbox Live), and also includes all the Gallery text, which even has new content that was not in the US/EU original versions.
OutRun 2 (JPN) English Translated
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This game was already brought over to the US and Europe, fully in English. In fact, when it arrived on the original Xbox, the US and Europe were actually the first regions to get the game, and Japan would have to wait a few months before anyone there could get their hands on it.
It turns out, in that time, Sumo and AM2 saw fit to fix a few bugs, update some content, and smooth out performance, and none of these changes ever saw their way to western territories, hence the reason for this patch.
This patch changes the default script to the English one, updates it for compatibility with the new pointers and lines, reinserts the original font, and updates all image based text to be English as well.
This includes all in-game text, all menu text, even that for Xbox Live, and also includes all the Gallery text, which even has new content that was not in the US/EU original versions.
Did you need this patch before to have fun in the game? Probably not, but it does make playing through and earning those unlockables a little more enjoyable.
Installation
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You'll need a redump verified disc image of OutRun 2 (Japan), with a CRC-32 of "911c6e70".
The patch is in xdelta format, and you will need version 3.1 of xdelta to execute it. You can get this bundled with the xdeltUI application in the Utilities section of Romhacking.net
The patch can take a few moments to apply. Even though the patch itself is fairly small, as I tried to keep changes minimal to overall structure, you're still writing out an almost 8 GB image file, so it can take some time.
CRC-32 of the output should be "26A5AE71".
After you patch this, it should be fully compatible with programs like extract-xiso, Repackinator, etc. I tested and verified this patch on real hardware.
IMPORTANT:
Anyone who has played both versions before may already know this, but for anyone new or for anyone who needs a refresher, if you swap between the US/EU and JPN versions of the game on the same console, regardless of whether or not you use this patch, you must clear your cache before launching the game.
The updated JPN version has swapped around files in its Pack audio libraries it stores in the cache, and this will lead to a whole lot of car revving noises on the main menu, as well as crashes in game if you try to pause.
Note also that the saves are not compatible between the two versions, so be prepared to hit those missions.
Changes Between US/EU and JPN Versions
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I'll try to itemize what I know about the ways the JPN version is different from the previous release here.
Menu:
-Gallery is now a part of the main menu.
-Use a button press to contextually access respective Rankings in each different mode, as opposed to the Gallery.
-The original OutRun Arcade now shows on the main menu when unlocked.
-All title text is now rendered using image assets, as opposed to the in-game font, and they along with all text is now center justified.
Modes:
-Party Missions is removed from this version.
-System Link is now limited to only 4 players, down from 8, (performance related?), but Xbox Live still allows for 8 players.
-You can no longer enter codes, which may be due to the entire English entry system, or them just not wanting to allow easy access to all the content.
-Certain missions have had their details, layouts, or flows tweaked, in certain cases making them harder.
Unlockables:
-The Original Outrun game is now harder to unlock, requiring either all missions completed, or a certain amount of OutRun Arcade played.
-The character cards had their text changed to some flavor text, including some background details, motivations, and light history.
-The Challenge Cards have all been changed to various tips about the game, including driving tips, how to see secrets across the various modes, etc.
Enhancements:
-Several documented crashes and bugs from the US release have been fixed.
-There is now a control option to toggle your handling between 3 different types.
-The Course Tracker that displays during mission mode has been greatly improved, in that it can be completed hidden now, either from the option menu or from the press of the white button, and the opponent distance meter has been moved to the top in a more logical position, and more out of the way.
-The female characters are dressed in their original attire from the arcade, both in menu and in game.
-Performance is noticeably improved. It's rare to drop below 60 fps, if it ever happens meaningfully.
-The Bonus stages have been updated to be more animated, include more background details, assets, etc.
There's possibly more, but this is what I found in the process of implementing this patch. Lot's of good reasons to choose the JPN version of the game, but I could see why some multiplayer focused persons might prefer the US/EU originals.
Notes:
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I was going to do this quick and dirty, and just change the text, leaving all font and image assets the same, but in the end decided to try to get the original font back in there. Hopefully it was worth it haha.
I tried to also leave the main program the same, so I believe it should work just fine online if somehow some Xbox Live surrogate ever brought this game's online functionality back to life. That would be great as I implemented all the Online text translations and assets, but don't really have a way to test it all. I'm hoping it's all good, and I don't have to touch anything, but I would update and fix it if needed.
One bit of trivia: I think this is the only time the Original 1986 OutRun was officially licensed by Ferrari.
Redump
Name: OutRun 2 (Japan).iso
CRC32: 911c6e70
MD5: cd5597da26ef6e0d0e5b46180747b06d
SHA-1: 0b46174dff5bff241106bfa6dd9f6410473d6bfb
