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SEGA Fans Chronicles - Chapter II: Taggsta

Welcome to the second chapter of the SEGA Fans Chronicles. This week we go for a Ferrari ride! Take a look at your girl in the passenger seat, buckle up and hit the gas pedal to find out more.

In the second installment on the SEGA Fans Chronicles series of interviews, we're now going "downunda" to talk to an incredible OutRun fan. Meet Sean "Taggsta" Tagg.

 
CHAPTER II: TAGGSTA
 
Who? Sean "Taggsta" Tagg
Where?
    Web: http://outrun86.wordpress.com
    Mail: taggsta[at]gmail[dot]com
    Twitter: @sean_tagg
Why? OutRun fan. Owner of the OutRun 1986 blog. Yu Suzuki fan.
SEGA fan since... Late 70's/80's when he first played SEGA arcade machines.
Favourite SEGA game: OutRun
Favourite SEGA console: Can't decide. Somewhere between the Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast!
 
RadioSEGA: Hey there, Sean! Thanks for taking some time to talk to us. I found your blog a few weeks ago and immediately wanted to interview you and give the rest of the world the chance to know your love for OutRun. Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself?
Taggsta: My name is Sean Tagg and I run the OutRun 1986 blog (http://outrun86.wordpress.com). I'm 38, was born in England but currently reside in Australia with my wife and our two boys (one aged 4 and the other 12 weeks old). My hobbies/likes include Japanese retro games, sunshine, blue skies, Ferraris, palm trees, Xbox360, building arcade machines, blogging and researching OutRun. :)
 
RS: When did your love for SEGA start and why?
T: My love for SEGA started as a kid in the late 70's and 80's. I spent my spare time standing on milk crates playing SEGA arcade machines at my local fish and chip shop, newsagents and amusement center . Some of my favorite SEGA memories in the early days were playing machines like Wonderboy, Choplifter, Shinobi, Golden Axe and Altered Beast.
Each year our family holiday would be a trip to Wales and Blackpool, during the 80's all of the latest arcades were there to be played.
This is where my love for SEGA's larger arcade machines started.
Playing games like OutRun, Space Harrier, Afterburner, Enduro Racer, Hang-On and the R360 G-Loc was a great thrill that you couldn't get anywhere else. As a kid I got a real buzz out of playing these moving cabinets... It was fun to show off your skills to onlookers and see how long that 50 pence could last!
 
RS: What's your favourite SEGA console? Or is it an Arcade system?
T: I used to buy Japanese consoles and games from a local company importer in Stoke-on-Trent (UK) called Console Concepts. I had  most of the Japanese Sega consoles and games before they were ever or never released in the U.K.
It's difficult for me to pick between the Japanese Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast as my favourite games like OutRun, Shenmue & Super Shinobi to name a few span across all of them.
 
RS: Now for an obvious one: Favourite SEGA game?
T: OutRun... surprise, surprise!
The arcade would be my choice, second best would be the stand alone console version for the Japanese Saturn as it has options for arrange mode music and smooth mode scaling at 60hz.
 
 
RS: Tell us about your blog. When did it start and what gave you the inspiration to do something like this?
T: My blog only started at the end of May this year.
I wanted to create a site that would focus mainly on my favourite machine, the original 1986 OutRun arcade, it also touches on OutRun's arcade sequels. I've tried to stay away from spin-offs like OutRun Europa, etc, as they don't really interest me.
There are some good OutRun sites and blogs out there that cover areas of the game but they are rarely updated.
I wanted to create a site that has everything there is to know about arcade OutRun, somewhere for OutRun fans to go where there's information, pictures, music and videos all on one site.
 
RS: What can we expect to find in OutRun 1986?
T: Everything OutRun related. My blog is in its early days but it has pages covering arcade machine variations and rarities, flyers, route videos, music, merchandise, custom built projects from mini machines to building full size replicas from scratch, OutRun appearances in movies and events and fan art.
You will also find some fun stuff too like the video of dancing Flag man from the start line in OutRun.
 
 
RS: One thing I noticed about your blog is the constant updates. I've known many dedicated sites/blogs that feel like people add content once a year. That's not your case at all! Where do you go to find so much stuff?
T: During the first month of getting the blog up and running I was spending at least 15 hours plus a week searching the net for OutRun related content, so the blog expanded pretty quickly.
I'm pretty happy with the visiting numbers. So far there's been over 2000 hits from 32 different countries. I think if you keep adding interesting stuff regularly, fans of OutRun will come back for more.
Other sources of OutRun info come from mine and a friends collection of OutRun games, merchandise and the original arcade machines.
 
RS: You're also a fan of Yu Suzuki, right? Did you ever get the chance to meet him in person?
T: I have always been a fan of Yu Suzuki's games but unfortunately I have not met him. Maybe one day… It would be nice to meet him or at least have him view my site!
 
RS: So... If you had the chance to get a sequel to one of his masterpieces, would you choose Shenmue 3 or OutRun 3?
T: I think I'd better say Shenmue 3... or I'll get hate mail lol. I fully support the following there is for Shenmue 3... the story needs an ending :). I finished the first 2 games in Japanese... and probably spent far too much time in the Shenmue 'You arcade'. [KC Edit: Haven't we all, my friend? Haven't we all?]
I would like to see OutRun 3 but not until there's a big jump to the next generation consoles.
 
RS: I understand you've been to the Game Masters Exhibit in Melbourne recently. What was your favourite part of this?
T: I only really went to the Game Masters exhibit to really see the Yu Suzuki section, it was a great display of his work and I got chance to ride on the old Hang-On machine again and play arcade Virtua Fighter. Unfortunately OutRun was broken :(
There were plenty of other classic non-SEGA arcade machines there like PACMAN, Scramble, Space Invaders and Asteroids. If you're in Melbourne and like retro games it's a good day out.
 
 
RS: Now for our mandatory music question! If you were going to a desert island and could only take one soundtrack to any SEGA game with you, what would it be and why?
T: Could I take the 20th Anniversary box set of OutRun?? 11 CDs should last a while :)
 
RS: Apart from your love for SEGA, how do you spend your free time? Any other hobbies or interests worth mentioning?
T: I mostly spend my free time with my wife and two kids exploring the sights of Melbourne as we've recently moved to Australia from the U.K.
When I do get a minute though I like to build arcade machines. I've made a fully coin operated Bubble Bubble arcade machine from scratch and have a custom Galaga table top machine.
 
 
RS: Thanks so much for talking to us, Sean! It's been a real pleasure to find out more about a truly remarkable SEGA fan! Now, if you'll excuse me, it's kind of hot around these parts, so I'm going to take a Magical Sound Shower while listening to the sound of a Splash Wave... Relaxing! :)
T: Thanks for the chance to be interviewed and congratulations on RadioSEGA, it's a great website :)
 
Be sure to check out Sean's OutRun blog. He's constantly adding content and if you're a lover of all things OutRun you won't be disappointed. Also, feel free to leave any aditional questions for him in the comments section below. I hear he's going to register in our forums so he might just be around to answer them.
 
Thanks for reading and come back next week when we write a new chapter in the SEGA Fans Chronicles!

12th July, 2012 - 20:27 GMT KC Article viewed 1806 times 0 Comments

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