Hang-On
Encyclopedia
Hang-On is an arcade game
released by Sega
in 1985. It is the world's first full-body-experience video game. In the game, the player controls a motorcycle
against time and other computer-controlled bikes. It was one of the first arcade games to use 16-bit graphics
and Sega's "Super Scaler" technology that allowed pseudo-3D
sprite-scaling at high frame rate
s. The game was also built into some versions of the Sega Master System
.
Using a behind the motorcycle perspective
, the player races a linear race track divided into several stages within a limited time. Reaching a checkpoint at the end of each stage extends the time limit. The game ends if the time runs out.
The arcade game contains in-game billboards for Bridgestone
(and their Desert Dueler tires), Shell
, Garelli Motorcycles
, TAG
, John Player Special cigarettes, Forum cigarettes, and for "Marbor," an obvious parody of Marlboro cigarettes. There would be a controversy over cigarette ads in games marketed to children upon the release of another Sega racing game, Super Monaco GP
in 1989.
designs—the usual upright machine, only with a handlebar and brake levers (instead of a joystick
and buttons), and a sit-down version which looked roughly like a real motorcycle
. To steer, the player leaned to tilt the bike, which then steered the in-game bike. The screen
was mounted into the windshield area of the bike.
for arcade, and later for a range of platforms including the Sega Mega Drive
, ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
, Amstrad CPC
, Commodore Amiga and Atari ST
. A polygon based sequel, developed by Genki
, was released for the Sega Saturn
, named variously Hang-On GP '95 (Japan), Hang-On GP (USA) and Hang-On GP '96 (Europe). It also appeared for the Game Boy Advance
as part of the compilation Sega Arcade Gallery.
In Power Drift
, the motorcycle is a hidden vehicle and can only be accessed by finishing first place for all five tracks on courses A, C, and E. It is only playable in the Extra Stage.
In Sonic Riders
, there is an unlockable Gear called the "Hang-On", which plays the song from this game during use. Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
has this gear as an unlockable (in the form of the sit-down arcade cabinet), however, collecting 100 rings and pressing a button during a race changes the gear (and main music) to the sequel
's sit-down arcade cabinet and Outride a Crisis from said game. In Sonic Free Riders
both the "Hang-On" Gear and the "Super Hang-On" Gear can be bought in the shop, both feature their respective music when racing.
The Dreamcast games Shenmue
and Shenmue II
both feature "Hang-On" as a mini-game as well as the ability to win miniature toy versions of the bikes from gashapon
machines.
In Daytona USA, if "H.O" is entered on the high score table, a clip of the main theme from Hang-On will play.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
released by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
in 1985. It is the world's first full-body-experience video game. In the game, the player controls a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
against time and other computer-controlled bikes. It was one of the first arcade games to use 16-bit graphics
History of video game consoles (fourth generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the fourth generation began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of Nippon Electric Company's PC Engine...
and Sega's "Super Scaler" technology that allowed pseudo-3D
2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
sprite-scaling at high frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
s. The game was also built into some versions of the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
.
Gameplay
Perspective (graphical)
Perspective in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is an approximate representation, on a flat surface , of an image as it is seen by the eye...
, the player races a linear race track divided into several stages within a limited time. Reaching a checkpoint at the end of each stage extends the time limit. The game ends if the time runs out.
The arcade game contains in-game billboards for Bridgestone
Bridgestone
The is a multinational rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese....
(and their Desert Dueler tires), Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, Garelli Motorcycles
Garelli Motorcycles
Garelli Motorcycles is an Italian moped, and motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1919 by Alberto Garelli.At age 22, Adalberto Garelli received a degree in engineering and dedicated his work to developing and perfecting the 2-stroke engine for Fiat. Garelli quit in 1911 due to Fiat's lack of...
, TAG
Techniques d'Avant Garde
TAG Group SA is a private holding company based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. At the head is Mansour Ojjeh son of the founder of the TAG Group Akram Ojjeh, who was a wealthy Saudi entrepreneur...
, John Player Special cigarettes, Forum cigarettes, and for "Marbor," an obvious parody of Marlboro cigarettes. There would be a controversy over cigarette ads in games marketed to children upon the release of another Sega racing game, Super Monaco GP
Super Monaco GP
Super Monaco GP is an arcade-style Formula One racing sim released in arcades and multiple platforms by Sega Corporation in 1989. It is a sequel to the arcade game Monaco GP....
in 1989.
Arcade cabinet
There were two arcade cabinetArcade cabinet
A video game arcade cabinet, also known as a video arcade machine or video coin-op, is the housing within which a video arcade game's hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the JAMMA wiring standard...
designs—the usual upright machine, only with a handlebar and brake levers (instead of a joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
and buttons), and a sit-down version which looked roughly like a real motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. To steer, the player leaned to tilt the bike, which then steered the in-game bike. The screen
Display device
A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form...
was mounted into the windshield area of the bike.
Sequels and ports
In 1987, it was followed by a sequel Super Hang-OnSuper Hang-On
is a 1987 motorcycle racing arcade game from Sega, and the sequel to the acclaimed Hang-On. A version of this game, in the full simulated-motorcycle cabinet used by the original Hang-On was released in 1991 as Limited Edition Hang-On....
for arcade, and later for a range of platforms including the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Commodore Amiga and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
. A polygon based sequel, developed by Genki
Genki (company)
Genki is a Japanese developer of computer and video games. It was founded in October 1990 by Hiroshi Hamagaki and Tomo Kimura, who left Sega to form the company. Genki is best known for its racing game titles.-History:...
, was released for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, named variously Hang-On GP '95 (Japan), Hang-On GP (USA) and Hang-On GP '96 (Europe). It also appeared for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
as part of the compilation Sega Arcade Gallery.
In Power Drift
Power Drift
is an arcade game released by Sega in 1988. A racing game, it made high use of sprite-scaling to create a 3D effect, similar to contemporaries Out Run and Hang-On.-Gameplay:...
, the motorcycle is a hidden vehicle and can only be accessed by finishing first place for all five tracks on courses A, C, and E. It is only playable in the Extra Stage.
In Sonic Riders
Sonic Riders
is a video game spin-off produced by Sega and developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with NowPro, for the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. It is the fourth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, preceded by Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic R.The game was released to start...
, there is an unlockable Gear called the "Hang-On", which plays the song from this game during use. Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity released in Japan as , is a hoverboard racing video game published by Sega and developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with NowPro. It is the fifth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, following Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic R and its predecessor, Sonic Riders...
has this gear as an unlockable (in the form of the sit-down arcade cabinet), however, collecting 100 rings and pressing a button during a race changes the gear (and main music) to the sequel
Super Hang-On
is a 1987 motorcycle racing arcade game from Sega, and the sequel to the acclaimed Hang-On. A version of this game, in the full simulated-motorcycle cabinet used by the original Hang-On was released in 1991 as Limited Edition Hang-On....
's sit-down arcade cabinet and Outride a Crisis from said game. In Sonic Free Riders
Sonic Free Riders
is a motion controlled racing video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is the third installment in the Sonic Riders series, following Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. The game utilizes Microsoft's Kinect peripheral...
both the "Hang-On" Gear and the "Super Hang-On" Gear can be bought in the shop, both feature their respective music when racing.
The Dreamcast games Shenmue
Shenmue
is a 1999 open-world adventure video game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki. Suzuki coined a genre title, "FREE" , for the game, based on the interactivity and freedom he wanted to give to the player...
and Shenmue II
Shenmue II
is a adventure game for the Dreamcast and Xbox. It is the sequel to Shenmue, and was produced and directed by Yu Suzuki of Sega AM2.Due to exclusivity rights obtained by Microsoft, the North American Dreamcast version was cancelled. Because of this, no English dub was recorded for the Dreamcast...
both feature "Hang-On" as a mini-game as well as the ability to win miniature toy versions of the bikes from gashapon
Gashapon
is a Bandai brand trademark widely used throughout the world for their capsule toys. It is also referred to as ." Both gashapon and gachapon are Japanese onomatopoeia, made up of two sounds: "gasha" or "gacha" for the turning of a crank on a toy vending machine, and "pon" for the sound of the toy...
machines.
In Daytona USA, if "H.O" is entered on the high score table, a clip of the main theme from Hang-On will play.