Anyone remember 'Super Hang-On'?

  • Thread starter MC-Chase
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MC-Chase

MC-Chase

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MC-Chase
Does anyone remember this title? I had it on a 3 in 1 cartridge on my Mega Drive as a kid and it was my favorite game by far. There was one of the sit on faux motorcycle arcade machines near my house too but because I was only about 6 years old at the time I was too short to lean the bike properly.

I owned the usual Super Monaco GP and Outrun but neither grabbed me anywhere near as much, and after spending the last week with Super Hang-On again (after resurrecting my old Mega Drive) I think I finally understand why. With other driving games of the era you tap left for full lock left, and tap right for full lock right, but with Super Hang-On you have a few stages of 'lean' that sets your steering angle, leaning takes time so you really have to plan a good apex, brake early, and start turning in early to hit it properly; I find it really rewarding even today.

Anyone else remember this title from their youth? Or still regularly play it today? Do you have good/bad memories of it, or have you never heard of it before?
 
One of the Hang-On titles may be my first experience with a videogame, or almost certainly my first experience with a racing game. My father has recounted the time I sat on his lap at a stand-up cabinet with just the handlebars, and I apparently impressed everyone at the bar with my ability to navigate the course. :lol: I was just a couple years old or so, which would be '88/'89. I also played that 3-in-1 cartridge later.

These days I'm most likely to play the SEGA Arcade Gallery version for GBA, which is easier to handle and has better scrolling than the Genesis/MegaDrive port, as I recall. Yu Suzuki was a brilliant developer; Out Run and After Burner (also in that GBA pack) were a part of my childhood as well. After Out Run 2 and After Burner Climax, I was hoping we'd see a new Hang-On in arcades, but I don't think any such version is planned and now I don't live near any arcades anymore. :(
 
I played Manx TT by Sega in an arcade just a few evenings ago, I believe this is similar to wgat you're describing.

The problem was that the brake didn't work and the second player bike was stuck on left tilt. The grafics were awful and the actual bike was too small for me.

Would have much preferred Road Rash with a controller.
 
Wolfe
These days I'm most likely to play the SEGA Arcade Gallery version for GBA, which is easier to handle and has better scrolling than the Genesis/MegaDrive port, as I recall. Yu Suzuki was a brilliant developer; Out Run and After Burner (also in that GBA pack) were a part of my childhood as well.
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I didn't even know the arcade machine existed way back then :lol:, was probably around '92/'93 when I first remember it. I played a Mame version of the arcade, but I still prefer the home version, I think the challenge is better because the turning isn't instant.

That Outrun re-make turned out really well didn't it? I think we need similar love for Super Hang-On! Thanks for sharing your story anyway pal :D.

W3HS
I played Manx TT by Sega in an arcade just a few evenings ago, I believe this is similar to wgat you're describing.
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That arcade machine looks superb, i want to have a go on that! But no, Super Hang-On was pre polygon era, so it was all sprite scrolling; similar in concept though, ride quick enough to pass checkpoints before time runs out.

EDIT: Bit of gameplay footage if you we're wondering about it.

 
I remember playing Hang-On in the arcade on the big bikes.

I think those games are why we'd always get headaches after playing videogames.
 
Omnis
I remember playing Hang-On in the arcade on the big bikes.

I think those games are why we'd always get headaches after playing videogames.
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Never gave me headaches, always left me with no money though!
 
Yeah, I had it on the Mega Games 1 compilation, along with Italia '90 and Columns.

Good game at the time. Getting to the end took a bit of practice.
 
adam46
Were there arcade machines for the game? If so, I believe there's one at a pier near me.
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The ones I remember were sit-on mock ups of Honda VFR 400R's. Wolfe mentioned there were some stand up arcade machines with handlebars for control, so I presume there was at least a couple of variations of the arcade machines. If you have one of them down your pier you should definitely go throw a few quid at it ;).
 
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MC-Chase
The ones I remember were sit-on mock ups of Honda VFR 400R's. Wolfe mentioned there were some stand up arcade machines with handlebars for control, so I presume there was at least a couple of variations of the arcade machines. If you have one of them down your pier you should definitely go throw a few quid at it ;).
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Yep we have the ones with the motorcycle mock-up.
 
MC-Chase
Does anyone remember this title? I had it on a 3 in 1 cartridge on my Mega Drive as a kid and it was my favorite game by far. There was one of the sit on faux motorcycle arcade machines near my house too but because I was only about 6 years old at the time I was too short to lean the bike properly.

I owned the usual Super Monaco GP and Outrun but neither grabbed me anywhere near as much, and after spending the last week with Super Hang-On again (after resurrecting my old Mega Drive) I think I finally understand why. With other driving games of the era you tap left for full lock left, and tap right for full lock right, but with Super Hang-On you have a few stages of 'lean' that sets your steering angle, leaning takes time so you really have to plan a good apex, brake early, and start turning in early to hit it properly; I find it really rewarding even today.

Anyone else remember this title from their youth? Or still regularly play it today? Do you have good/bad memories of it, or have you never heard of it before?
Click to expand...

I had it for the Atari ST... I got a game pack with the computer and it was one of the games that came with it.

It was one of my favourite games at the time - I've always been into racing games, and Super Hang-On was a cut above the rest on the ST anyway...

Anyway, you may not be aware of this, but you can actually buy it for the PS3 via the PS Store... I bought it last year, although I have to admit, I hardly play it... but its's nice to have. The PS3 version is, of course, different to the ST version, but I believe it is pretty faithful to the SEGA arcade game original. I used to play it using the keyboard on the ST, hence that makes it feel pretty different!!
 
Didn't have any idea it was on PSN, I'll have to check that one out. If it is a near perfect arcade port I'll probably stick with the Mega Drive version, I like the fact leaning takes time.

I never knew it got an ST port, I had a friend who had it on the Amiga 1200 and I honestly don't think I was very impressed at the time ... How did the ST version turn out? I imagine the music was probably pretty good, ST's had built-in MIDI didn't they?
 
The ST version was great, as far as I remember... and the music was good too - although we are talking a very long time ago here!!

I used to have Out Run for the PS3 as well, but it mysteriously disappeared and my PSN wallet was refunded (I think)... it was crap anyway. I had Out Run for the C64 and the music on that was ace, but in general the music on the Atari ST was on a different level.

Sadly, or maybe stupidly, I sold my C64 to a friend (and he broke it after just a few months) and my parents sold the Atari ST (which my Mum used for work) to someone as a word processing computer, since it had Microsoft Word (and an early version of Windows, believe it or not), a colour printer and a hi-resolution monochrome monitor!

My older cousin used to get bootlegged games for me (as well as the occasional 'adult' game, which were hilarious, and the hi-res monitor came in pretty handy!) and even made physical security keys to enable some games that plugged into the joystick port of the Atari ST. Soon after, he became a special officer for the police and got his pirated games supplier arrested :lol:
 
Shame about your C64, I'm almost ashamed to say mine is still set up on a 21 inch Sony CRT in my den - complete with tape deck i might add! Honestly, as much as I love the C64 i think it very much struggled with the late 80's arcade releases - Outruns soundtrack is great on it, but the game itself is nothing on the SEGA releases - in my opinion :sly:.

I still have Outrun on my PS3, though I remember they removed it for sale on PS Store because their license ran out with Ferrari, mines still on the hard-drive somehow though. Either way, you've peaked my interest to go youtube a few videos of the ST version!

Thanks for telling us about your memories of the game!
 
Super Hang On, oh the memories ... LOL.

One thing newer gents here may not know (or remember) is that the helmet depicted was a (reversed) replica of the one used by the multi champion Freddie Spencer (from an era when a driver's helmet design was simple, was part of his racing identity and did NOT change every other race).

images


So, all players from that era impersonated a champion, now a legend. The only guy EVER to be world motorcycle champion (now MotoGP) of the two major classes then existent (250 and 500) in the same year (1985) :crazy: 👍
 
Hun200kmh
Super Hang On, oh the memories ... LOL.

One thing newer gents here may not know (or remember) is that the helmet depicted was a (reversed) replica of the one used by the multi champion Freddie Spencer (from an era when a driver's helmet design was simple, was part of his racing identity and did NOT change every other race).

images


So, all players from that era impersonated a champion, now a legend. The only guy EVER to be world motorcycle champion (now MotoGP) of the two major classes then existent (250 and 500) in the same year (1985) :crazy: 👍
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That's a very nice piece of trivia! Thanks for that, I had no idea that was the case. I'm not sure if you played the Mega Drive game to the end, but when the rider takes off their helmet at the end of the game it's a woman; in the arcade game I believe the rider is an old man who smokes a pipe! I was also under the impression since a young age that the bike was a Honda VFR400R, but checking Freddie Spencer's wikipedia page I guess I was wrong, it would make sense it's an NSR500.

Also is that a plus 8 in your profile picture? My uncle owns one of those!
 

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