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HANG-ON
review | MASTER SYSTEM
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Publisher: SEGA.
Developer: SEGA. Released: August 1987 (Europe). Genre: Racing. Other versions: SG1000; MSX; PC88. Posted 20th July 2025. By Tom Clare © 2025 |
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Designed and programmed by SEGA legend Yu Suzuki, Hang-On would provide the launch pad to a remarkable sequence of arcade classics. In the space of two years, Suzuki would follow it with Space Harrier, Outrun and Afterburner, an embarrassment of riches with which to propel SEGA’s console market endeavours. The Hang-On series arguably fared the best of the lot when it came to home ports, at least where SEGA’s systems were concerned. Both the Master System and the Mega Drive would enjoy must-buy instalments by the end of the decade.
The Master System port of Hang-On is superb, and by all accounts has flown a little under the radar, perhaps because it doesn’t closely resemble the arcade version. This is the secret to the game’s success, however. Rather than feeling like a compromised version of a powerful coin-op, it feels like it’s been built as a fabulous 8-bit racer in its own right. It doesn’t overcomplicate things, playing to its system’s strengths rather than struggling with aspects the Master System would not have been able to replicate.
City Night proves the visual highlight of a game that focuses primarily on performance and gameplay.
As such, this racer’s defining feature is its frankly unbelievable turn of speed. It’s fast. So fast, that playing its magnificent Mega Drive sequel Super Hang-On immediately afterwards is like riding in slow motion. It isn’t simply a case of SEGA turning up all the dials and seeing how quickly the lines on the road can fly past, either. Games on competing systems have rivalled its furious pace, notably Rad Racer on the NES, but not without issues with scrolling, scaling, graphical bugs, or all three. HO achieves this through outstanding, considered design. Roadsides are populated with just enough scenery to provide useful obstacles and prevent locations from becoming too sparse, but not so much as to compromise the explosively fast action. Silky-smooth scrolling is enhanced by some of the best sprite scaling you’ll see in an 8-bit game. A mammoth draw distance allows players to see rival bikes far up the road, and because the scaling is so good, it’s easy to judge their position on the roads. Opponents never zigzag around in front of you, and this quality is really helpful for judging where to place your bike, especially during corners.
And what is a racing game without its corners? Hang-On is incredibly satisfying to play, thanks to its superbly responsive and surprisingly nuanced handling. It’s a streamlined experience: nothing more complicated than the bike versus the clock, but within this, you’ll find a setup that creates and retains excitement. Every checkpoint adds a minute to the clock, with stretches typically taking a little over 50 seconds to ride. Crashes add pressure to the time limits, but it’s never a case of one error and you’re out. Prolonged periods of fast riding and avoiding incidents allow you to build a slim buffer in case of a collision, which makes the game feel unusually rewarding for an arcade racer. Consistent in its demands of the player, you’ll need a decent amount of practice to conquer the toughest skill level.
And what is a racing game without its corners? Hang-On is incredibly satisfying to play, thanks to its superbly responsive and surprisingly nuanced handling. It’s a streamlined experience: nothing more complicated than the bike versus the clock, but within this, you’ll find a setup that creates and retains excitement. Every checkpoint adds a minute to the clock, with stretches typically taking a little over 50 seconds to ride. Crashes add pressure to the time limits, but it’s never a case of one error and you’re out. Prolonged periods of fast riding and avoiding incidents allow you to build a slim buffer in case of a collision, which makes the game feel unusually rewarding for an arcade racer. Consistent in its demands of the player, you’ll need a decent amount of practice to conquer the toughest skill level.
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Darting between competitors on the straights is fun and nippy, whilst the bikes have various degrees of lean angle in the corners. With some modulation of the throttle, the player can thread in and out of rival riders smoothly, gauging the line between cornering at speed and understeering through skids, which risk pushing the player wide and into competitors or roadside furniture. It’s a delightful balancing act, and a considerable test of concentration. The other riders are more of an obstacle than the courses, as coming into contact with them at any speed results in a fiery crash, and a respawn that saps valuable seconds. Three selectable difficulties relate to the behaviour of fellow riders: the tamest produces quiet, benign roads, whilst the middle option is busier and you may encounter more than one bike at a time. For true speed freaks, the hardest setting ramps up the congestion whilst seeing opponents make deviations from their racing lines, which is especially perilous in the corners.
A playthrough consists of eight courses, each comprising five stages. These feature superficially different settings: a couple of circuits, the seaside, an area based seemingly on Monument Valley, and the self-explanatory ‘City Night’. There’s little in the way of fine detail, with the most notable differences being the times of day, as your journey passes through day, night and sunrise. Each of the eight courses produces a different layout, gradually introducing sharper, more prolonged corners and a greater prevalence of switchbacks. Surprisingly, the biggest banana skin is usually the opening stage, because the player has just 60 seconds to reach the checkpoint, and must do so from a standing start. A single crash here applies instant pressure.
A playthrough consists of eight courses, each comprising five stages. These feature superficially different settings: a couple of circuits, the seaside, an area based seemingly on Monument Valley, and the self-explanatory ‘City Night’. There’s little in the way of fine detail, with the most notable differences being the times of day, as your journey passes through day, night and sunrise. Each of the eight courses produces a different layout, gradually introducing sharper, more prolonged corners and a greater prevalence of switchbacks. Surprisingly, the biggest banana skin is usually the opening stage, because the player has just 60 seconds to reach the checkpoint, and must do so from a standing start. A single crash here applies instant pressure.
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Hang-On's challenge is gauged well, rewarding strong stage performances with a small but often important time cushion
Hang-On’s iconic title music helps ratchet the excitement, and whilst there are no in-game BGMs, the zooming thrum of passing bikes, along with the rugged thud of riding the curbs, prove rather effective. Graphically, the bikes look great, as big sprites animate well and manoeuvre smoothly. Though the tracks themselves sacrifice detail for performance, there are some great moments. The most notable involves the ride into City Night, with its rich blue colour scheme. It seems oddly empty at first glance, but on rounding the first corner, you’ll see the unveiling of a brilliant-gold skyline, in a marvellously evocative moment.
Hang-On wasn’t as adventurous as Outrun when it came to its settings, and it’s a shame there isn’t some form of acknowledgement for finishing the hardest sequence of courses: the game simply loops back to the beginning. That being said, these were the only complaints I could muster for a game that was a wonderful early advert for the Master System’s capabilities. An incredible turn of pace, supreme handling and enduringly exciting gameplay ensure a racer that’s bags of fun. Proof a game didn’t need to be arcade-perfect, as long as it was perfect for the home.
Hang-On wasn’t as adventurous as Outrun when it came to its settings, and it’s a shame there isn’t some form of acknowledgement for finishing the hardest sequence of courses: the game simply loops back to the beginning. That being said, these were the only complaints I could muster for a game that was a wonderful early advert for the Master System’s capabilities. An incredible turn of pace, supreme handling and enduringly exciting gameplay ensure a racer that’s bags of fun. Proof a game didn’t need to be arcade-perfect, as long as it was perfect for the home.
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VERDICT"A perfect early advert for the Master System's capabilities. Hang-On is blisteringly fast, provides a rewarding challenge, and is loads of fun to play." OVERALL: 9/10 |
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Road Rash (1991, Mega Drive)
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MotoGP 20 (2019, PlayStation 4)
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