<s>
It	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
arcade	O
games	O
to	O
use	O
16-bit	B-Device
graphics	O
and	O
uses	O
the	O
Super	O
Scaler	O
arcade	O
system	O
board	O
,	O
created	O
with	O
design	O
input	O
from	O
Yu	O
Suzuki	O
,	O
as	O
technology	O
to	O
simulate	O
3D	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yu	O
Suzuki	O
began	O
development	O
of	O
Hang-On	B-Application
after	O
deciding	O
to	O
design	O
a	O
motorcycle	O
racing	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
torsion	O
bar	O
in	O
an	O
arcade	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
market	O
research	O
suggesting	O
GP	B-Application
500	I-Application
racing	I-Application
was	O
popular	O
,	O
Suzuki	O
took	O
inspiration	O
from	O
world	O
champion	O
Freddie	O
Spencer	O
and	O
his	O
style	O
of	O
racing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hang-On	B-Application
was	O
very	O
popular	O
at	O
launch	O
and	O
sold	O
well	O
for	O
Sega	O
,	O
becoming	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
1985	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
and	O
then	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1986	I-Application
in	O
both	O
Japan	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
started	O
the	O
trend	O
of	O
"	O
taiken	O
"	O
motion	B-General_Concept
simulator	I-General_Concept
games	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
,	O
which	O
Sega	O
followed	O
with	O
hits	O
such	O
as	O
Space	B-Application
Harrier	I-Application
(	O
1985	O
)	O
,	O
Out	B-Application
Run	I-Application
(	O
1986	O
)	O
and	O
After	B-Application
Burner	I-Application
(	O
1987	O
)	O
;	O
this	O
helped	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
market	O
recover	O
during	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hang-On	B-Application
has	O
been	O
recognized	O
as	O
a	O
well-remembered	O
and	O
influential	O
arcade	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
a	O
behind	O
the	O
motorcycle	O
perspective	B-Architecture
,	O
the	O
player	O
races	O
a	O
linear	O
race	O
track	O
divided	O
into	O
several	O
stages	O
within	O
a	O
limited	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hang-On	B-Application
was	O
the	O
second	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
by	O
Yu	O
Suzuki	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
being	O
1984	O
's	O
Champion	B-Application
Boxing	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Hang-On	B-Application
began	O
with	O
a	O
project	O
brought	O
to	O
him	O
by	O
a	O
colleague	O
who	O
asked	O
him	O
to	O
implement	O
a	O
torsion	O
bar	O
into	O
an	O
arcade	O
game	O
design	O
—	O
although	O
the	O
bar	O
proved	O
too	O
difficult	O
to	O
implement	O
in	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
design	O
and	O
springs	O
were	O
used	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
had	O
a	O
desire	O
to	O
make	O
his	O
game	O
better	O
than	O
Pole	B-Application
Position	I-Application
,	O
a	O
Namco	O
game	O
which	O
had	O
beaten	O
out	O
Sega	O
's	O
Turbo	B-Application
in	O
popularity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
,	O
he	O
specified	O
the	O
design	O
of	O
Sega	O
's	O
new	O
Super	O
Scaler	O
arcade	O
system	O
board	O
—	O
initially	O
known	O
as	O
Sega	O
Hang-On	B-Application
hardware	O
—	O
enhanced	O
from	O
the	O
existing	O
VCO	O
Object	O
system	O
board	O
that	O
would	O
use	O
multiple	O
CPUs	B-General_Concept
and	O
back	O
end	O
DSP	B-Architecture
compatibility	O
to	O
create	O
3D	O
effects	O
,	O
while	O
using	O
16-bit	B-Device
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Suzuki	O
himself	O
was	O
a	O
fan	O
of	O
dirt	O
bikes	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
motocross	B-Application
and	O
Enduro	B-Application
,	O
and	O
dirt	O
bikes	O
would	O
later	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
Suzuki	O
's	O
Enduro	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Sega	O
's	O
market	O
research	O
concluded	O
that	O
road-based	O
GP	B-Application
500	I-Application
racing	I-Application
was	O
more	O
popular	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Suzuki	O
had	O
additional	O
features	O
he	O
wanted	O
to	O
implement	O
that	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
done	O
due	O
to	O
cost	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
gyroscope	B-Application
to	O
simulate	O
motorcycle	O
acceleration	O
and	O
deceleration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hang-On	B-Application
is	O
considered	O
well-regarded	O
for	O
its	O
music	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Hiroshi	O
Kawaguchi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Suzuki	O
wanted	O
songs	O
for	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
to	O
Hang-On	B-Application
that	O
would	O
be	O
like	O
what	O
a	O
band	O
would	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kawaguchi	O
made	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
hardware	O
's	O
PCM	B-Algorithm
sampling	O
and	O
added	O
drum	O
samples	O
to	O
use	O
Hang-On	B-Application
'	O
s	O
Yamaha	O
YM2203	O
sound	O
chip	O
to	O
its	O
maximum	O
potential	O
and	O
create	O
a	O
more	O
realistic	O
soundtrack	O
featuring	O
rock	O
music	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
uncommon	O
in	O
arcade	O
games	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
debuted	O
Hang-On	B-Application
at	O
the	O
Hotel	O
New	O
Otani	O
Tokyo	O
on	O
2	O
July	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hang-On	B-Application
had	O
a	O
mass-market	O
release	O
in	O
Japan	O
several	O
days	O
later	O
on	O
5	O
July	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
its	O
debut	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
Hang-On	B-Application
'	O
s	O
deluxe	O
cabinet	O
was	O
criticized	O
as	O
being	O
inappropriate	O
for	O
Japanese	O
culture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Previously	O
,	O
Sega	O
Enterprises	O
USA	O
had	O
focused	O
on	O
selling	O
refurbished	O
arcade	O
cabinets	O
,	O
and	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Hang-On	B-Application
,	O
Petit	O
was	O
concerned	O
that	O
his	O
division	O
would	O
be	O
shut	O
down	O
due	O
to	O
competition	O
when	O
he	O
was	O
summoned	O
to	O
Japan	O
to	O
meet	O
with	O
Sega	O
president	O
Hayao	O
Nakayama	O
in	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
brought	O
to	O
be	O
shown	O
the	O
Hang-On	B-Application
deluxe	O
cabinet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
Enterprises	O
USA	O
introduced	O
Hang-On	B-Application
to	O
Sega	O
's	O
American	O
and	O
Canadian	O
distributors	O
at	O
the	O
Red	O
Lion	O
Inn	O
in	O
San	O
Jose	O
,	O
California	O
in	O
October	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
success	O
of	O
Hang-On	B-Application
'	O
s	O
arcade	O
cabinets	O
,	O
both	O
upright	O
and	O
deluxe	O
,	O
were	O
so	O
great	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
struggled	O
to	O
keep	O
up	O
with	O
demand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
SG-1000	B-Operating_System
released	O
in	O
1985	O
was	O
marketed	O
as	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
Hang-On	B-Application
II	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
was	O
essentially	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
simplified	O
to	O
work	O
within	O
the	O
limitations	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
upgraded	O
port	O
for	O
the	O
Master	O
System	O
was	O
produced	O
in	O
1986	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
included	O
as	O
the	O
system	O
's	O
pack-in	O
game	O
along	O
with	O
Astro	B-Application
Warrior	I-Application
or	O
Safari	B-Application
Hunt	I-Application
depending	O
on	O
the	O
package	O
purchased	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
additional	O
arcade	O
version	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Master	O
System	O
port	O
,	O
titled	O
Hang-On	B-Application
Jr.	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1986	O
for	O
Sega	O
's	O
System	O
E	O
arcade	O
system	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Game	O
Machine	O
listed	O
Hang-On	B-Application
on	O
their	O
1	O
August	O
issue	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
most-successful	O
upright/cockpit	O
arcade	O
cabinet	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
remained	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
charts	O
for	O
about	O
six	O
months	O
through	O
January	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hang-On	B-Application
went	O
on	O
to	O
become	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
1985	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1986	I-Application
in	O
both	O
Japan	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
second	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1986	I-Application
in	O
London	O
,	O
just	O
below	O
Nemesis	B-Application
(	O
Gradius	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ride-on	O
cabinet	O
was	O
later	O
Japan	O
's	O
ninth	O
highest-grossing	O
upright/cockpit	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1987	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
said	O
it	O
"	O
combines	O
the	O
superb	O
graphics	O
of	O
a	O
Pole	B-Application
Position	I-Application
style	O
race	O
with	O
the	O
physical	O
act	O
of	O
riding	O
a	O
bike	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sinclair	O
User	O
praised	O
Hang-On	B-Application
for	O
its	O
simple-yet-fun	O
gameplay	O
,	O
responsive	O
controls	O
,	O
and	O
unique	O
tilt-based	O
arcade	O
cabinet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gamer	O
magazine	O
's	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
Awards	O
nominated	O
it	O
for	O
best	O
coin-op	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
which	O
it	O
lost	O
to	O
Capcom	O
's	O
Commando	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
arcade	O
sequel	O
,	O
Super	B-Application
Hang-On	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1987	O
,	O
was	O
famously	O
ported	O
to	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
polygon-based	O
sequel	O
developed	O
by	O
Genki	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
named	O
Hang-On	B-Application
GP	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
1995	O
interview	O
,	O
Suzuki	O
said	O
he	O
felt	O
Hang-On	B-Application
was	O
his	O
most	O
impressive	O
game	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
cited	O
Hang-On	B-Application
as	O
the	O
first	O
example	O
of	O
a	O
full-body	O
experience	O
game	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
deluxe	O
cabinet	O
's	O
ride-on	O
controls	O
,	O
and	O
noted	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
being	O
popular	O
,	O
though	O
less	O
impressive	O
than	O
Out	B-Application
Run	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hang-On	B-Application
started	O
the	O
trend	O
of	O
"	O
taikan	O
"	O
motion	B-General_Concept
simulator	I-General_Concept
games	O
in	O
arcades	O
during	O
the	O
mid-to-late	O
1980s	O
,	O
with	O
"	O
taikan	O
"	O
meaning	O
"	O
body	O
sensation	O
"	O
in	O
Japanese	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
followed	O
it	O
with	O
hydraulic	O
motion	B-General_Concept
simulator	I-General_Concept
cabinets	O
for	O
rail	O
shooters	O
such	O
as	O
Space	B-Application
Harrier	I-Application
(	O
1985	O
)	O
,	O
racing	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Out	B-Application
Run	I-Application
(	O
1986	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
combat	O
flight	O
simulators	O
such	O
as	O
After	B-Application
Burner	I-Application
(	O
1987	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
have	O
since	O
continued	O
to	O
manufacture	O
motion	B-General_Concept
simulator	I-General_Concept
cabinets	O
for	O
arcade	O
games	O
through	O
to	O
the	O
2010s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
Sega	O
arcade	O
director	O
Akira	O
Nagai	O
has	O
credited	O
Hang-On	B-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
titles	O
that	O
helped	O
to	O
bring	O
arcade	O
games	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
1982	O
downturn	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
created	O
new	O
genres	O
of	O
arcade	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
Enterprises	O
USA	O
’s	O
Tom	O
Petit	O
credited	O
Hang-On	B-Application
with	O
helping	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
arcade	O
market	O
recover	O
during	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
with	O
its	O
"	O
high	O
level	O
simulation	O
"	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hang-On	B-Application
and	O
Out	B-Application
Run	I-Application
have	O
both	O
been	O
credited	O
by	O
Famitsu	O
with	O
helping	O
to	O
lift	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
industry	O
out	O
of	O
its	O
slump	O
during	O
the	O
mid-1980s	O
,	O
and	O
Play	O
Meter	O
also	O
credit	O
Hang-On	B-Application
and	O
other	O
Japanese	O
video	O
games	O
with	O
helping	O
the	O
US	O
arcade	O
market	O
recover	O
from	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
journalist	O
Ken	O
Horowitz	O
,	O
Hang-On	B-Application
is	O
remembered	O
more	O
for	O
its	O
gameplay	O
than	O
its	O
sales	O
,	O
in	O
part	O
because	O
it	O
was	O
unique	O
in	O
arcades	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
an	O
example	O
that	O
"	O
when	O
it	O
came	O
to	O
arcade	O
innovation	O
,	O
Sega	O
was	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
industry	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Suzuki	O
also	O
considered	O
Hang-On	B-Application
to	O
be	O
a	O
major	O
milestone	O
in	O
video	O
game	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
