Runabout is a series of -themed driving games developed by Climax Entertainment. Games in this series have been released on PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast and Nintendo 3DS. Runabout's main missions consist of the player driving from point A to point B in order to pick up or deliver an item. The first game had more than one map to choose from, whereas the later ones utilized one city map modeled after an actual location—San Francisco in Super Runabout and New York in Runabout 3 Neo Age. Players start off with just a few vehicles. When players complete a mission, destroy as much as they can, or drive without damaging anything, they are rewarded with a new vehicle. In the newer games, players are also rewarded with paint jobs and special abilities for each individual vehicle. Although made in Japan, all games in the series feature mostly English text and dialogue regardless of the region. Vehicles across all games include a pickup truck, NSR, F1 car, tank, and various novelty vehicles such as the RCC.
''Super Runabout: San Francisco Edition'' (''The Golden State'')
''Runabout 3: Neo Age''
Released only in Japan 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 included improved reflections and character animations, and generally higher polygon counts on the game's vehicle, as well as character and object models. The game featured sections where the player was required to drift 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 was an "Object List" in which every crashable object in the game was displayed. The names were written in colors to reflect their scarcity. 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 obtaining bonuses not yet revealed. The bonuses ranged from unlockable vehicles to extra paint jobs or special actions for the vehicles.
Reception
On release, Famitsu magazine scored the game a 31 out of 40.
Felony 11–79, Super Runabout and Runabout 3 Neo Age all feature soundtracks performed by Japanese surf bandSurf Coasters, who are known for their Dick Dale-esque sound.
