"For some reason I really like this game."

Super Hang-On was released by Sega in 1989, with the launch of the Genesis. It's an arcade port to the sequel to Hang-On, a motorcycle racing game. This would lead one to believe that SH-O is also a motorcycle game--and they would be correct. In this game, well, you're a motorcycle racer trying to race across a continent--or, perhaps, get increasingly big sponsors and money.

Graphics: 7/10- Well there's not a whole lot to look at, really. There's your bike and the competition, which are basically just palette swaps of your ''ride''. Along the side of the road, you can sometimes see trees or signs parodying big-name corporations like Marlboro (Though I'm not really sure what Bird-Bird is supposed to be a parody of), or warning you of a sharp turn ahead. This is one of the cool touches of the game. Another is the flames that flare out of your bike when you activate turbo. The road is just alternating shades of gray, though it looks a whole lot better than Hard Drivin's road. The backgrounds are nicely detailed, but you probably won't be paying attention to these. There's not a whole lot of animation, but you do go up and down hills (No jumps though), which is pretty nice. It's also funny to watch your guy go flying when he hits a sign--then magically reappear back in the middle of the road, as is custom in these early racing games. :)

Sound: 9/10- There are 4 main songs in the game, plus the password theme, course selection theme, and maybe some others. The in-game themes can be selected before you go racing. My favorite is probably Winning Run, though I also like Hard Road. In general, the music is rock, though some jazz also shows through (The piano-led Hard Road). The pre-race song gets you ready to go, and the password theme lets you relax a bit as you put in the mind-numbingly long passwords (More on that later). Not really groundbreaking stuff--once again the Genesis sound hardware kind of gets in the way--but it's darned catchy. Sound effects wise, you have your basic engine sound, plus a higher-pitched one for turbo. One neat sound is the squeal of your tires as you skid through a turn. Other than that, there isn't much, other than the weird sound made when you crash into a sign (Or tree, or...).

Control: 7/10- Some cool ideas here, but also a problem or two. In-game, your bike kind of drifts through turns--the longer you hold down a direction, the harder the bike leans in that direction. This serves to give the motorcycle the kind of control you couldn't get in early racing games--exactly how hard you wanted to turn. But you have to tap the direction if you want to turn lightly, and there's a slight delay between command and execution (Again, not as prevalent as in Hard Drivin', but there). Also, you need to brake--it's a weird complaint, I know, I guess I'm too used to Rock N' Roll Racing. But in any case, you'd better know when a sharp turn is coming so you can be ready for it.
As far as play modes, there are two--Arcade and Original. The Arcade mode is just like the arcade, where you pick one of four tracks to race on, ranging from 6 to 18 checkpoints (Stages). The Original mode could be considered the father of all extra features in Arcade-to-home ports. In this game, you race for sponsorship and money to buy better equipment for your bike, while trying to beat your rival. This customization is very cool, and can be the deciding factor in whether to buy the game. The downside to this? Passwords. Loooong passwords. And if you mess a character in the password up while writing it down, oh boy do I feel sorry for you. I've done this, and it's not fun. At all.

Story: N/A/10- Unless you wanna call ''Get sponsorship and Mo' Money!!'' a story, there really isn't any.

Challenge: 9/10- It's a pretty difficult racing game, especially in the Original mode, where parts can fall off your bike, thus causing major performance problems (Contrary to what was mentioned in another review, however, losing a part DOES NOT automatically make you lose a race--I've gone several races in a row with no muffler, because I'm cheap. :P)--or even making you forfeit the race entirely, depending on which part it is. Some degree of memorization is also required, as mentioned earlier, so that you know where the sharp turns are and can prepare for them. Put it this way--I'd gotten pretty far in the game several years ago (They say once you learn to ride a bike... :P). I tried it again today, to review it, and was promptly reschooled in how to play--ya gotta brake, darnit! The Arcade mode doesn't really leave any room for error, as you seem to have just enough time to get to each checkpoint without falling.

Replay Value: 7/10- The involving Original mode is where the bulk of this games replay value is contained--trying to win as much money as you can, as quickly as possible, while running your opponent into the ground, is what it's all about. Granted, the Arcade mode is fun too, but it pales in comparison to the depth of the Original mode. Still, you can only go through so many rivals (Or crash so many times) before it all starts to feel the same....

Overall: 9/10- For whatever reason--it was my first ''3-D'' perspective motorcycle game, it had customization of your bike--I really like this game (And I'm typically not a big fan of sports oriented games..yes, racing is a sport). Only three things, which are comparatively minor (Except maybe for the last one) keep it from perfection. 1. Imperfect control. 2. Tedious passwords. 3. It's one player only. Doh! Still, if you like motorcycle games and own a Genesis, I highly suggest that you give this one a try.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/27/00, Updated 04/27/00