3D Super Hang-On (2013, 3DS)

3D Version of: Super Hang-On (1987, Arcade)
Original Developer: SEGA AM2
Original Publisher: SEGA
3D Developer: M2
3D Publisher: SEGA
Clear Platform: New 3DS
Clear Date: 6/4/24

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Why should I care?
All of the SEGA arcade classics on 3DS look cool as hell in stereoscopic 3D.

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Super Scale Me

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Super Scaler games kick ass on 3DS. It’s just so fuckin’ cool. If you don’t know, “Super Scaler” was what SEGA called their sprite scaling tech that they used to render more convincing 3D back in their late-80s/early-90s arcade games. It was pretty neat shit for the time, and the games released for the platform just look terrific on the 3DS’s screen. As someone who often leaves 3D off on a lot of 3DS games, I do quite the opposite when it comes to these. It just sort of feels like a science fiction made real situation as it relates to what the developers were originally trying to accomplish.

Now, Super Hang-On itself isn’t really the first game I’d go to for this particular thrill, but it’s all right. It’s a simple racing game in which you’re trying to beat the clock to stay alive in endurance races that take places on the various continents of Earth. It’s the typical fare of the time where prudence with the throttle is necessary to avoid time-consuming crashes that will ruin your run and eventually cause you to Game Over.

So, not particularly enamored with this one, I cranked the difficulty most of the way down and breezed through all the levels in around an hour. And that’s where these 3DS ports shine too. An M2 product, this game has every customization and quality of life feature you could possibly hope for in an otherwise arcade-perfect port. You want gyro controls? You got ’em. Want the screen to tilt when you turn? You got it. Want to turn off the time limit? You better believe you can.

Also typical of their work, there’s a little goody thrown in at the end if you clear all the stages: World Mode. In this one, you get to do a race through every course in the game in one iron man sitting. Don’t know if I’ll ever take a crack at it myself, but it’s a fun inclusion! It’s just little things like that that make these 3DS ports feel like labors of love rather than quick cash-ins.

Would this be my first recommendation of the Super Scaler games on 3DS? Absolutely not. But if you get through Space Harrier, Out Run, and After Burner II and still want more, Super Hang-On will be waiting for you. 🏍️