Game: Hang On
Console: Sega Master System
Developer: Sega
Release Date: 1985
Hang On is a simple motorbike racing game, first seen in arcades in 1985. The controls for the arcade game were literally a motorcycle which detected the players movement and translated that onscreen accordingly. The home console version has no such luck unfortunately, with just the regular controller serving to replace the innovative arcade controls. The concept of the game is simple, race through checkpoints to get more time, with which to continue through the course, whilst avoiding obstacles at the side of the road and rival racers.
Graphically Hang-On looks good by 1985 standards, its certainly not the worst rendering of a bike I've seen and although the courses are fairly sparsely decorated, the change between night courses and day courses is a nice touch. Musically, only the menu and Game Over screens feature any sort of soundtrack, which is disappointing considering that the arcade version had a nice version of the Hang-On main theme, and all the home version gets is a small portion of that at the start of the game.
In terms of gameplay, the controls are responsive, but there's not a lot to do, short of staying on the course and avoiding rival racers. The gear system gets in the way more than anything, sometimes putting the bike in a lower gear accidentally can cost you time, or forgetting to change up etc. There's not a lot of replay value in the game, and without the arcade motorcycle control system, it feels somewhat empty. Of course this is a very early game in terms of this type of arcade racer, but it hasn't aged well at all.
My frustrations with this game are compounded by the fact that merely touching a rival racer will cause your motorcycle to stop and explode, thus almost certainly stopping you from making any attempt at reaching the next checkpoint. It's a very difficult thing to make no mistakes at all, and I demand a lot from games which ask perfection of my controller input.
Rating: 45/100
Grade: E
Game: Outrun
Console: Sega Master System
Developer: Sega
Year: 1987
Outrun, like Hang-On was developed by Yu Suzuki, it has a similar checkpoint racing concept and plays much like its elder counterpart. The player controls a car, this time and must once again avoid obstacles at the side of the road and rival racers in their way. There's also a slightly simplified 2 gear system, replacing the 3 gear system of Hang-on.
Unlike Hang-On, there's some musical accompaniment to the game with a choice 3 songs which are very catchy and still feature on outrun games in the present day. There's no engine noise, either from the car, but it seems there's a choice of one or the other from the Master System sound chip. The car is also slightly easier to control than the motorbike in Hang-On, going off the track less often and passing rivals with ease. The problem with the vehicle exploding at the slightest touch has also been fixed, with a couple of car crash animations which vary in severity depending on the speed you hit things at.
Another departure from the Hang-On formula includes the use of forks in the road, so that the player can decide which route they want to take. The different stages add replay value, and there's a different ending at each final stage, also. Although it technically features less stages than Hang-On, the game's level of detail is higher and there's more variety between each stage. The time limit is also slightly more lenient on the player, allowing for one or two mistakes along the course of the game.
Overall, Outrun is a far more rewarding experience than Hang-On with more replay value, an actual game soundtrack, better difficulty settings and tracks and more engaging gameplay. It seems that in the two years between these two games, Yu Suzuki took a look at the problems with Hang-On and resolved to fix some on them. Outrun is far from a perfect game, but it plays well and is enjoyable which is slightly more than can be said for Hang-On.
Rating: 62/100
Grade: C
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