Classic arcade racer Out Run goes 3D

On the auspicious occasion of its 28-and-halfth-ish birthday, retro Sega classic Out Run has been released in remastered form for the Nintendo 3DS.

The new edition takes full advantage of the handheld console's party trick, pumping out proper 3D visuals without requiring you to wear a pair of embarrassing plastic glasses.

Arriving in arcades in 1986, Out Run was arguably the first game to really capture the majesty of an epic road trip in digital form. Rather than closed circuits, it offered sweeping open roads, an urgent soundtrack and - by the standards of the day at least - spectacular scenery that evolved as you barrelled across the continent.

The only bad news is that the game's iconic chop-top Ferrari Testarossa has undergone some slight cosmetic surgery. Turns out its appearance in the 80s original wasn't approved by Maranello, so it's been tweaked just enough to avoid stumbling into an unpleasant lawsuit.

This minor purist grumble aside, this 3D remake is absolutely the best way to play this stone-cold gaming classic, and exactly the sort of history lesson we can get behind.

There's even an optional mode that replicates the rubbery steering wheel and lurching, clunking motion of the original cabinet. For the full 1980s amusement arcade effect, though, you'll want to pour an entire jumbo Fanta onto your carpet before commencing play.

As with most ancient arcade games, it's mercilessly difficult, but that just means the £4.50 it costs to download from the Nintendo eShop will last you far longer than pumping the equivalent amount in pound coins into the machine used to.

Oh and if you're after some fresh pub ammo, how about this related morsel: there was only ever one officially sanctioned Ferrari Testarossa Spider produced, designed by Pininfarina and given as a gift to then Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli in 1986, the exact same year that Out Run was released...