Developed and published by Sega in 1989 Follow me on Twitter: / al82_retro Add me on Google+: For today's video, I decided to take a look at the Mega Drive version of Super Hang-On, a conversion of Sega's high-octane bike-riding racer from the arcades. Sega were renowned for turning their arcade games into full-on experiences, usually by introducing elements of activity into the cabinets themselves and Hang-On was no exception. The machine incorporated a sit-on bike frame, handle-bar controllers and a massive CRT built into the front of the unit to display the game; it really was quite the spectacle. Although I wasn't under the illusion that the home console version could rival the arcade hardware, I did have relatively high hopes; after all, if anyone could produce a great conversion for the home market then it was bound to be Sega, right? The game features 2 distinct game modes: arcade and original mode (which we'll come back to later). The arcade mode is, as you might expect, a conversion of the original arcade game mode - a series of point-to-point races against the clock. Speed is of the essence as every second counts and it's possible to achieve an even higher top speed by making use of the bike's turbo mode. This can be activated once you've the magic speed of 280 km/h, boosting you to a maximum speed of 324 km/h. As you might expect, this is great when on the straight, but not recommended when cornering as you'll go sliding off the track pretty quickly. In addition to beating the clock, the player must be sure to avoid rival bikers on the road. Learning to manoeuvre between these riders is an art-form you'll need to master if you wish to beat the game, especially on the tougher difficulty stages where there are plenty of opportunities to crash and burn. Sadly, I'll admit that I felt quite let down after playing this and nothing like the arcade game. This is mostly down to the leaden controls, taking too long to change direction; I appreciate it's meant to convey the sense of the biker shifting his weight, but all this is does is result in something that feels completely unresponsive. In addition to the arcade mode, players may also opt to play 'Original' mode, a career-based effort that sees your biker earn money from sponsors for winning races, upgrading components of their bike etc. You might think this is an interesting addition to the game, but all it does is force you to race atop a bike with about as much power as a clapped-out Vespa, but with even worse handling and performance than in arcade mode, at least until you upgrade enough components to see an improvement. I played through the first race and figured that there was no way I was going to sit through three hours of grinding just to get to the end. Graphics are reasonable enough, boasting some nicely drawn sprites for the various bikers in the game. Scrolling, however, can only be described as pedestrian next to the arcade (which moves at a solid 60 FPS). The game features recreations of the arcade versions music tracks, which are reasonable enough, but don't hold a candle to the likes of OutRun's Magical Sound Shower or Splash Wave. Sound effects are also pretty basic, with warbling engine noises and shrill turbo boosts that sound more at home on 8-bit machines than on Sega's 16-bit powerhouse. If the game ran a bit faster and the handling a bit sharper then Super Hang-On on the Mega Drive would have been a really good conversion. Unfortunately, it pails when compared to OutRun (and even Road Rash) - it's not what I'd call a terrible game, but it's not one I'd recommend either. #retrogaming
