Riding motorcycles is a passion for most bikers, and it seems that we’re always trying to get some kind of fix even when we’re not able to get out on the open road, whether that’s by going to shows, watching racing on TV, or playing video games.
We’ve looked at some of the console-based video games on Insidebikes before, and they can offer really in-depth simulations that allow you to play for hours on end, tuning and modifying your bike along the way – all from the comfort of your front room!
But what of the granddaddy arcade games, the kind you find in seaside amusement arcades and holiday parks? For some of us, these games inspired us as youngsters, with their large ride-on cabinets and fast-moving gameplay.
The need to appeal to a wide audience, and to give a gaming experience that lasts for a few minutes rather than evenings on end, means that they offer a very different proposition to the games you’ll find on Playstation or Xbox. The best have become gaming icons, and they’re our all-time favourites – from a motorcyclist’s perspective of course…
Super Hang-On
They say that the original is often the best, but in the case of Hang-On, we’ll say that the sequel takes the honours.
When Sega released Hang-On in 1985, it marked a real turning point in arcade machine gameplay.
Sure, the gameplay was nothing special for its time: Much like the acclaimed car driving game, Outrun, the player saw their vehicle from behind and had to ride as fast as possible, avoiding the other bikes and obstacles to make the checkpoints and extend the timer.
The novelty was the control method, which saw the player straddle a plastic motorcycle which could be leaned over to turn the bike, while the even more basic stand-up cabinet featured handlebars to control. For bikers who’d seen car fans catered for with cool cockpits and realistic steering wheels, it was the must-play game down the local arcade.
It was a good game, in the style of Sega racers of the time, and 1987’s Super Hang-On was better still as it featured a selection of stages to take on, along with improved graphics.
Sega Megadrive owners could play at home too – albeit without the fancy cabinet – but actual coin-op arcade machines turn up on eBay from time to time, and are highly sought after by collectors (who no doubt must have large living rooms!)
Manx TT SuperBike
Sega were the masters of the driving game in the 1980s and 1990s, and perhaps the most iconic motorcycle arcade machine came in 1995, when the Japanese company released Manx TT.
Ever-developing technology had seen Sega release some classic car games, most notably Daytona USA and Sega Rally Championship – both of which allowed multiple machines to be linked in order for up to eight players to race against each other over a local area network.
Manx TT SuperBike, to give the game its proper title, used the same Sega Model 2 board as those two car games, and, as the name suggested, was based around the Isle of Man TT races.
Of course, 1990s technology didn’t allow for full renderings of the 37.73-mile Mountain circuit, but the Isle of Man Government officially licenced the game and elements of the real course appeared in the virtual race track. The in-game sprites and the plastic ride-on bike cabinet all resembled Honda’s contemporary RC45, which was the most successful TT racer of the day. Honda’s race team was even involved in a consultative role!
Unlike earlier arcade games, which featured stages where the racer had to make checkpoints in order to progress, Manx TT featured circuits for the rider to lap (although ‘Game Over’ still appeared if checkpoints weren’t made in time), and actual finishing positions.
‘Reproducing every detail of the world’s most renowned, traditional racing!’ proclaimed the cabinet, and players could choose to ride either the fictional Laxey Coast track or the more challenging TT course, which was shorter and a long way from an ultra-realistic simulation of the real thing, but still mind blowing back in 1995.
The impact of Manx TT SuperBike can still be seen 25 years on: It’s hard to go a motorcycle show where there isn’t at least one stand with a cabinet tempting players in! And even though technology has moved on, it remains an addictive game – especially when you’re up against a mate.
Sega used the same cabinet and technology for other bike games, but none could match the appeal of Manx TT. There’s quite a scene for classic arcade machines today, and this is a desirable one – a good version will set you back just as much as a real classic motorbike!
Enduro Racer
Following the success of 1985’s Hang-On and numerous other racing games, Sega looked to expand the genre and in 1986 released this largely-forgotten classic, Enduro Racer.
Enduro Racer had a similar set up to Hang-On, but, as the name suggests, the rider is mounted on a dirt bike and tackling off-road obstacles, like trees and rocks.
Like Hang-On, the ride-on cabinet was a big deal: This one was styled and painted like a contemporary Suzuki Motocross, and there was a feature where the player could pull back on the handlebars to lift the front wheel and instigate jumps. Cool!
It’s probably not the done thing to admit, but we think we liked Enduro Racer more than Hang-On back in the day, even though we really can’t think of any dirt bike successor to it in the quarter of a century since.
MotoGP
As motorcycle racing’s premier class, it’s little wonder that an officially licenced MotoGP game made it to the arcades too.
In 1998, Namco produced GP500, a very fine licenced coin-op which featured real riders, real tracks (Paul Ricard, Jerez and Suzuka), and a choice of Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha two-strokes. The PC game of the same vintage (which was more of a simulator and featured all the tracks) was hugely modifiable, and a cult video game classic, although the coin-op had more accessible arcade-style gameplay, and the de rigueur sit-on cabinet.
It would take until 2015 for another MotoGP game to emerge in the arcades. This time, American developers Raw Thrills created a cabinet game based on the 2014 season and, unlike the more in-depth console games, it was a pure arcade romp with 10 tracks and a grid full of licenced real-life riders.
Realistic it wasn’t! You’d be doing full-on skids around many of the corners, and the nitro boost button wasn’t something we’d ever seen Marc Marquez use in real life…
You’ll still see this one in many an amusement arcade, and although it can be played as a one-player game, it’s definitely at its best when you’re challenging your mates.
Harley-Davidson & L.A. Riders
We like this arcade romp from 1998, which takes a different approach to the typical ‘race ‘em up’ of the era.
Using the latest Sega Model 3 hardware, the Japanese developers hooked up with the iconic American manufacturer Harley-Davidson to make a machine that put the player at the ‘bars of one of four contemporary Hogs, or a 1948 Panhead.
Of course, it had a sit-on plastic motorcycle, and the deluxe version even had hydraulics in it! The aim was to ride around the streets of Los Angeles, collecting tokens before the timer ran down. It was more laid-back than traditional racing games, but no less challenging!
Unlike the other games here, Harley-Davidson and L.A. Riders featured a rider’s eye view, rather than the more usual ‘behind the bike’ view, and it always seemed like a popular choice whenever we popped down to the local arcade.
