GAME SIX: HANG ON (1985)

INFORMATION:
Publisher/Developer:  Sega
Format: Cartridge
Game Size: 128K (2 games)
Rarity:  2
Game Type: Third Person Behind Vehicle Racing
Region: USA
Other Ways to Play: Wii Virtual Console (SMS) (Tons of microcomputer ports of the actual arcade game.  Arcade original as a bonus in Dreamcast Shenmue.)
Power Base Convertor Playable?: Yes, 6 Button Pad Capable.

PERSONAL DATA:
Price I Paid: Don't remember.  Came with my Master System I got second hand.  In like 1991 or so.
Price I Would Pay: 5 Dollars
Condition: Game, Case, Manual
Game Rating: OK
My History:  It is one half of the original Master System pack in.  DUH!  Played it a bit but.. yeah.

NOTE: Due to the holidays and Picasa currently being a right wanker the full review and pictures may not be up or at least won't be properly formatted until next week as most of the editing was done on my Ipad with the Blogger app. I mean my upload speeds seem to be completely borked.  Which means we might have a double week review to catch up.

  Ahh Hang On.  The pack in title with the original US Master System.  A port of the arcade title which was one of Sega's big scaling title gimmick games.  Many of these had amazing near amusement park type cabinets that your control in the game was felt physically.  Of course like many arcade titles of the mid 80s onwards they were high on technical prowess and gimmicks but very low gameplay when divorced from an expensive arcade cabinet.

  And Hang On is no different.  In our home version they do add a simple 3 speed transmission to add a tiny bit of gameplay to your standard checkpoint racer.

  This is the problem with this game.  It's an ok looking checkpoint arcade racer.  You have a course to race and idiot AI opponents who kill you if you touch them.  Finish the course and keep playing it until you get bored out of your mind, probably within a half hour.

(First four pictures are from Kega Fusion emulator.)

 Game select screen.  I ah.. think they need some sensitivity training...

 Hang On title screen.  Not remotely as fancy as the arcade.

 A little skidding at top gear.

Oh happy day!  We hit a checkpoint!

Images above and below from Arcade Hang On in the Dreamcast Shenmue title.  (32" HDTV in normal box aspect ratio using a SVideo cable.)

So... play SMS launch Hang On or get Shenmue with two direct arcade titles on it, plus tons of minigames, and that actual Shenmue game thingie?

Images from Sega Genesis

 Hanging on.. GET IT HANG ON?

Not the most impressive of crash systems and animations.

Image from Master System

Not exactly Super Mario Brothers is it?

Game Contents
(Once I figure my upload problems out.)

Master System Play:  The game plays fine on both the SMS and Genesis, and controlled solid with every controller I tried.  Obviously the SMS has more of the usual color bleed.

Rating:  The game gets an OK from me.  It isn't awful it's just not a lot of game.  As a pack in game it is basically a joke, especially when compared to the NES and Super Mario Brothers.  Because it shares half a small cartridge with another game it suffers.  There isn't enough tracks or scenery or things to do other than an endurance test to see how far you can go doing the exact same thing on the exact same course. Even Pole Position on my Atari 800 has more content and gameplay modes using the same basic checkpoint arcade racer home port scheme.  And the Atari 7800 had the follow up as a pack in!

Next Time:  Urg.  I don't know if it's my PC, Picasa, my router, or my ISP but uploading images was glacially slow for this review.  But because it's still holiday Hell and I need to catch up next month is Light Gun Month!  Since I covered Hang On why don't I just finish this cart off with Safari Hunt?  That shouldn't be too hard right?