VG Soundtrack of the Day 014: Super Hang-On 20th Anniversary Collection

I was watching Slopes Game Room's Super Hang-On: The Complete History two days ago as of the time I'm writing this. (These VG Soundtrack of the Day posts are done in advance). Super Hang-On was planned to be a featured here eventually but watching that excellent, informative video, I felt that the time to give this game's marvelous soundtrack it's due is now.

You're against the clock and while you don't have branching paths like OutRun, you do get to select from four different race classes, Beginner, Junior, Expert and Senior. Beginner is the easiest with 6 stages while Senior is the toughest with 18 stages. Once you get over 280 KM, you can activate your turbo for some serious speed that, thanks to SEGA's super scaler technology, is still impressive even in the year 2020 (or whatever year you happen to be reading this). Also like OutRun, Super Hang-On's songs have quite the run time. Each track comes in at about two minutes before looping back around and you get to choose from one of four before you begin. The most famous is Outride a Crisis but Sprint, Hard Road, Winning Run are all outstanding tunes.

Super Hang-On's music is great all by itself but for a more comprehensive listening experience, you gotta hear the Super Hang-On 20h Anniversary Collection. It includes the soundtrack to Hang-On, Super Hang-On and superb arrangements for select tracks of both games. If this is your first time listening to Super Hang-On's music, I feel kinda jealous. I would love to hear this stuff for the first time all over again.

Super Hang-On 20th Anniversary Collection (Spotify)

VG Soundtrack  of the Day Database

Favorite Tunes #192: Hard Road

Favorite Tunes is back to the usual Saturday slot. In time I may switch it to a later day, but for now, Saturday is it's home date. For this week, I've selected music from Rave Racer, ARMS, and Cave Story to name half the list.

Scrapyard (Mechanica's Theme) - ARMS (NS)

As much as I enjoy hearing ARMS Main Theme get arranged many times over, it was quite refreshing to hear some tracks break away from it. Battling in the scrapyard treats you to a funky, dance-tastic beat. If I had to pick a favorite stage theme in ARMS, it would be pretty close between Ribbon Girl and Mechanica.

Wrong Love - Rave Racer (ARC)

Unlike Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution, Rave Racer never received a PS port. Rave Racer's two brand new courses were included in the PSP Ridge Racer 2005 release as well as a few remixed tracks from the game. Sadly, none of the original songs from Rave Racer have ever been included in any Ridge Racer title outside of the original Rave Racer. Sucks because Rave Racer's soundtrack is really freaking good.

Gravity - Cave Story (Multi)

Originally released on PC in 2004, Cave Story later landed on Nintendo platforms starting with the Wii in 2010. The latest release is Cave Story+ for the Switch, a port of the 2011 Steam release with a remade soundtrack by RushJet1. One of the many great things about Cave Story+ is that includes it all of the remade soundtracks as well as Daisuke Amaya's original score.

Scene 2 Stage 3 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ARC)

Often hailed as one of the best Turtles and licensed games, Konami's beat 'em up  was a shell of a good time (I am not sorry for that). You could partner up with three buddies or three strangers in the arcades to show Shredder what's up. This bad boy finally recieved a home release in 2007 on Xbox Live Arcade but the game was removed years ago, making MAME the only option for anyone wanting to play this arcade classic. Much of the music was 1980s synth goodness, often arranging the main theme of 1987 cartoon show.

Korok Forest (Day) - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U, NS)

Exploring has never felt better in a Zelda game and there a numerous methods of taking out enemies, weapons in hands or not. After going through one of the coolest versions of The Lost Woods, you'll arrive in Korok Forest, home to the Korok race. There are a few arranged themes in Breath of the Wild, but most of the songs are original tracks and I'm all for new music. This just might be my new favorite Lost Woods jam.

Hard Road - Super Hang-On (ARC)

While being different games, Super Hang-On and Out Run do share some similarities. Both games take you around the world and offer an blistering sense of speed thanks to SEGA's Super Scaler technology. Like Out Run, Super Hang-On has a super soundtrack. The game let's you choose from four tunes and each song is quite lengthy. If you're picking the Expert course, which consists of 18 stages total, then you've just gotta have Hard Road as your listening music.

Re-Releases You Should Play Part 3

After a long break, Re-Releases You Should Play has finally returned. This time a well known indie game that got the re-release treatment is mentioned as well as a popular blue mascot.

Sonic the Hedgehog (MS, GG)

No, I'm not talking about the well known Genesis version that everyone and their dog has been exposed to. I'm referring to one of the unsung heroes of the Blue Blur's early days, the first 8-bit adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog. The game does feature some zones from the Genesis game but Green Hill, Labyrinth and Scrap Brain zones in this 8-bit outing all have their own unique designs to further set the title apart from the 16-bit game. Joining those zones are Bridge, Jungle and Sky Base, zones exclusive to this adventure. Given that the hardware this game was designed on wasn't in the same league as the Genesis, this game puts a stronger emphasis on platforming and 8-bit Sonic the Hedgehog is greater game for doing so. Chaos Emeralds must be found within the zones themselves, adding a layer of exploration and the special stages are nothing like the Genesis version and are your only means of gaining continues.

Released on both the Master System and Game Gear, Sonic the Hedgehog is largely the same on both platforms with some differences. On the Game Gear, screen crunch was inevitable but the game still plays marvelously. The GG version is the one that has seen the most re-releases, being an unlockable game in Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut and it is also available on the 3DS eShop. The Master System version has only seen a re-release on the original Wii's Virtual Console and as of this writing, it is still up on the Wii Shop Channel. The digital route is the best way to experience this game without breaking bank and you really can't go wrong with either version. You get a compelling platformer with some music by the great Yuzo Koshiro.

Super Meat Boy (360, PC)

If you've been envious of Xbox 360 owners because they could play one of the toughest platformers on a console, cool your pixels. Super Meat Boy is now available on the PS4, PS Vita and Wii U. This game is not for the faint of heart or for those that are easily prone to rage quit. While the majority of the deaths yo suffer in Super Meat Boy are your own fault due to the tight controls and demand for precision on your part, the game's difficulty is comparable to Ghosts 'n Goblins. The game keeps track of how many times you die so if your counter isn't in the quad digits, you're probably more adept than most players.

Available on: Wii U, PS4, Vita

Drill Dozer (GBA)

The GBA was home to plenty of SNES ports but it also boasted of library of solid original games, one of them being a Game Freak gem that was overshadowed by Pokemon titles and the release of the Nintendo DS. When I GBA games started making their way to the Wii U eShop, I was hopefully that Drill Dozer would make its way down the pipeline eventually and sure enough, Jill has made her long awaited debut. This action/platformer has you using a drill mech with multiple functions to destroy blocks, dismantle bosses and pretty much cement Jill's status as one of the more standout thieves in gaming. If you missed out on Drill Dozer when it was initially released, do yourself a favor and grab the digital version. It'll be one of the best purchases you've ever made.

Available on: Wii U

Super Hang-On (ARC)

When most gamers think of Yu Suzuki's games that involve driving, OutRun is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But Suzuki made another thrill ride and if you think Super Hang-On is just OurRun with motorcycles, you are sorely mistaken. In OutRun you had branching pathes that appeared after each stage. But in Super Hang-On you can select from four tracks from the get go, from Africa, Asia, America and Europe with Africa being the easiest at a mere 4 stages and Europe being the hardest, containing 18 stages. You race against the clock, dodging other motorcycles and other hazards. Just as it was in OutRun, crashing costs you precious time, but unlike OutRun, when you reach the max speed of 280 km, your turbo button can be used to give you even more speed, catapulting your score. Knowing when you cut loose with the turbo and when to brake is key to achieving high scores and staying in the game. Even for a game that was released in 1987, Super Hang-On's sense of speed is blistering and the rush you get from flooring with the turbo is exhilarating. If you want to play the arcade version of Super Hang-On on the big screen, the Wii version is still up for grabs. 3D Super Hang-On comes with lots of cool bonuses as per usual with M2's exceptional work.

Available on: Wii, 3DS

Favorite Tunes #110: Days of SEGA Gone By

Oh, SEGA. You were once one of the greatest console manufactures in the business with some of the best first party software on the planet. Then you got out of the console game and became a third party, but you still cranked out some hits. Alas, you are now a shadow of your former self with the most we see from you being Sonic games with varying degrees of quality. I'd love to see the company return to form but until then, I can always look back on the glory days.

Main Theme - Space Harrier (ARC)

"Welcome to the fantasy zone. Get ready!" These were the words that welcomed players to the world of Space Harrier, SEGA's 1985 arcade shooter. Unlike most games of the genre at the time, there's no overhead perspective and you don't pilot a ship. You control a blonde gent armed with a huge cannon blasting away the bizarre creatures of Dragon Land. The game's main theme was composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi, who is known for composing songs of a more lengthier, yet memorable variety.

North Crimson Wing (Track 5) - Hang On GP (SAT)

This game plays nothing like the arcade Super Hang-On and as such, feels like just another generic racing game. OK, so not every game listed in Favorite Tunes is gonna be a winner in the gameplay department but Favorite Tunes has always been about the audio and that's where Hang On GP shines. While Hang On GP was a console release, the music wouldn't at all feel out of place in one of SEGA's stand up arcade games. This isn't Hiro's work but Shirou Ioroi still does a commendable job. In Japan, this game is known as Hang On GP '95 and Hang On GP '96 in Europe.

Ancient Weapon 1 - Panzer Dragoon Orta (XB)

SEGA supported Micorsoft's first console with some great exclusives like Panzer Dragoon Orta. The Panzer Dragoon games were among the best on the Saturn and Orta was another fine entry in the rail shooter series, Among Orta's bonus content was an unlockable port of the original Panzer Dragoon game. You'd think this would be one of those titles SEGA would mine from their extensive back catalog and give it a digital release. You would think, anyway.

Sprinter - Super Hang-On (ARC)

What can I say, despite the the very short amount of games in the series, Hang-On music is undeniably awesome. But then, the music in Super Hang was done by Hiro so, one can expect nothing short of excellence. It's another long, complex musical piece with lots of twists and turns throughout. Sprinter is the probably the most famous Super Hang-On jam, second only to Outride a Crisis.

Long Distance - Monster World IV (GEN)

In 2012, Monster World IV, the pinnacle of the Wonder Boy series was at long last officially translated and given a digital release. It's filled with lots of dungeon crawling, some simplistic puzzles and lots and lots of solid platforming. The game's main them gets reused a lot but the way its done with each piece makes it so it doesn't grow wearisome.

Storm - Super Monkey Ball (GCN, PS2)

Welcome to the final ten floors of Super Monkey Ball's Expert difficulty. These floors will take the sanest gamer and reduce them to a gibberish-spouting lunatic. This rock theme is used on all ten floors to emphasis that monkey business is officially over.

Favorite Tunes Database

Favorite Tunes #14: Arranged Themes

This installment of Favorite Tunes covers some of my fav arrangements of video game tracks. These arrangements are unique in that you won't hear any of them in the games from which they are based off of. Each track comes from an album.

Adrenalyne Kick (Hurry!) 

Final Fantasy VII has some of my least favorite music in the series, but on the whole, I still enjoyed the score. You end up hearing Hurry early on in the game and from there on out, it gets played numerous times throughout your quest. Hurry has been the name of a few tracks throughout the Final Fantasy series, but I honestly think FFVII managed to pull off the best version of it. This OverClocked Remix arrangement of it from the FFVII album Voices of the Lifestream is one of the few instances where I found the remix superior to the original.

Outride a Crisis -Mickey Arrange Ver.-

Super Hang-On is one of my favorite SEGA arcade games and I was very excited to see it get released on the Virtual Console. Like OutRun, you can select your music before you begin racing. You can choose from four songs but the one I pick the most is Outride a Crisis. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Hang-On series in 2007, Wave Master released the Super Hang-On 20th Anniversary Collection album. It contained the music from the arcade versions of Hang-On, Super Hang-On and arrangements for all four BGM race themes for Super Hang-On. It would have been nice if they included the Game Boy Advance version music of Super Hang-On from the Sega Arcade Gallery, but it still ended up being a fantastic album.

Remebrance ~Cammy Stage~

It took Capcom a few years, but they finally realized that they needed to add some more females to the roster in Street Fighter II. Cammy made her debut in Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers. She may not be as popular as Chun-Li, but she's always been a fan favorite and I absolutely LOVE her theme! This arrangement from the 1994 release Street Fighter II Alph-Lyra with Yuji Toriyama is but one of the finest remixes she's ever received.

Girls

Policenauts is game from famed game producer, Hideo Kojima. But unlike the Metal Gear series, this is one of those games that fewer gamers have played, which is a real shame. The theme Girls is extremly calming. This particular version comes from 1996 album Policenauts F/N. Policenauts did get an unofficial fan translated patch released in 2009 and the game can also be purchased on the Japanese PlayStation Network.

East Asia (Stage1)

I firmly believe that East Asia is one of the greatest first level themes from a video game. Manabu Namiki's scores awlays managed to impress me and I've heard numberous arrangements of this theme. But none of them come close to toping Yayushisa Watanabe's rendtion of it. Some beleive that when you stray too far from the source material, you ruin the song. In this case, I think going for a different feel paid off. Most remixes of this song play it safe. Watanabe opted for a different approach and I am ever so greatful for that. This song comes from the dodonpachi DAI-OU-JOU [arrange album] that released in 2009

Unleashing the Ogre

Ever wonder why Double Dragon II carried the subtitle "The Revenge"? That question gets anwsered pretty quickly. In the opening scene (in the arcade version), Billy's gilrfriend is gunned down. Harsh. For all the original Double Dragon did for gaming it hasn't aged very well at but Double Dragon II still holds up nicely. Titled after the game of the same name, Double Dragon II The Revenge contains no music from the actual arcade game, instead housing arranged music across the board. Though it was released in 1990, the quality of these arrangements is mighty impressive.

TECHNOTRIS

I have no clue why Diverse was always getting into fights but since the results of those versus matches were some sweet albums, who am I to complain? From Diverse vs 8bit, Technotris is a techno-infused version of one of the classic BGMs from Tetris.