Retro Arena: Super Hang-On, Power Drift, or OutRunners?

[Leon Retro]

Super Hang-On - Sega 1987

Power Drift - Sega 1988

OutRunners - Sega 1992

Which one do you like the most?

[Arashikage]

OutRunners for sure. It's a really cool spin off of the main Out Run games that is even more arcadey than Out Run claimed to be, it's just anarchic fun. Plus the arcade cabinet has you turning a key in the ignition to start the game, a novel factor that other driving games don't have. While Super Hang-On is pretty cool I've never been much of a fan of Power Drift. A messy looking game that doesn't feel like it has any structure.

It also exemplifies the tragedy of so many Sega sprite scalers not being ported home in any way. Sega tends to port the same games over and over again (as much as I love Out Run, just how many times can it be ported?) Where are games like OutRunners (MD version notwithstanding), Racing Hero, AB Cop, Line of Fire, Enduro Racer? I'd love to see some of their lesser known titles on a compilation.

[CMcK]

Air Bike Cop is fantastic. I pumped many a 20p coin into it.

[Team Andromeda]

Power Drift for me, that was SEGA Japan at their very best... Leading edge Tech, fab fun pick and play gameplay and a soundtrack that left all others standing.

One of the best games, even now. I so wish AM#2 would make a sequel

[Baseley09]

Oh yeah get me AB Cop indoors such a great arcade game!

As much as i liked the 2 player Outrunners cab that Super Hang On soundtrack is one of Sega's greatest in history.

[Atticus]

Power Drift for me. Love the madness of those roller coaster levels that look impossible to navigate at speed, yet you can, feeling almost Jedi-like in the process. The game has a load of character too ... the different cars and drivers really add to the fun

I have very vague memories of Outrunners. Just looking at that screenshot I'd love to play it now.

[Yakumo]

It's got to be Power Drift simply because there's nothing else quite like it, ever!
Playing Power Drift back in the day on Sega's full size cabinet was amazing. Well, all Sega cabs were but there was something about the roller-coaster stages of Power Drift that stood out.

[Leon Retro]

Where are games like OutRunners (MD version notwithstanding), Racing Hero, AB Cop, Line of Fire, Enduro Racer? I'd love to see some of their lesser known titles on a compilation.

Yeah, it's a shame that games like OutRunners, Racing Hero, AB Cop etc.. weren't ported to the Saturn. I think lots of people were happy with OutRun, Space Harrier etc.. on the Saturn, so Sega should have kept porting their old sprite scaling games to the machine.

Power Drift for me, that was SEGA Japan at their very best... Leading edge Tech, fab fun pick and play gameplay and a soundtrack that left all others standing.

One of the best games, even now. I so wish AM#2 would make a sequel

Yeah, the tech was really powerful for its time. It looked amazing, and the soundtrack is brilliant. I've always thought the gameplay was a bit clunky, but you can get used to how it plays. A sequel could refine the gameplay to make a great modern arcade racer. I wish Sega would put some money into that sort of thing.

that Super Hang On soundtrack is one of Sega's greatest in history.

The music helps to make the game such a classic. Super Hang-On is my favourite game of the three.

Power Drift for me. Love the madness of those roller coaster levels that look impossible to navigate at speed, yet you can, feeling almost Jedi-like in the process. The game has a load of character too ... the different cars and drivers really add to the fun

Yeah, it's a crazy game full of creative flair. I really like how you have a range of characters to choose from and race against.

I have very vague memories of Outrunners. Just looking at that screenshot I'd love to play it now.

If you can get the controls working well in MAME, it's definitely worth playing.

I
Playing Power Drift back in the day on Sega's full size cabinet was amazing.

I'll never forget how impressive it was back then.

[charlesr]

Yeah, power drift for me too. Only played in Arcade and C64 - even on the latter it was roller coaster fun. And the jet plane cheat!

[Protocol Penguin]

SHO I love, but it’s rather limited. Outrunners I unfortunately haven’t played. Power Drift has ‘80s full-on colourful graphics, great soundtrack and is still a unique games experience all these days years later. So PD gets my vote. Surprising that Sega never revived it in any way (unless you count Sonic Drift games for some reason).

[Leon Retro]

and C64 - even on the latter it was roller coaster fun.

The developer did a great job with the C64 version. It may not be much like the arcade version, but it's cleverly designed for 8-bit hardware.

[QualityChimp]

Another vote for Power Drift here for the same reasons as above.

Bonus point because it's the only one with a hydraulic cabinet.

[charlesr]

I never played Outrunners. Tell me more.

[Leon Retro]

I never played Outrunners. Tell me more.

It's very much like OutRun 2, only with sprite scaling instead of 3D polygons. It's far less refined than OR2 in all areas, but worth a go if you like old school sprite scaling racers. The Mega Drive port is very basic compared to the arcade version.

[Neon Ignition]

For the longest time I'd have gone with Power Drift, used to gravitate to it every time I saw it in an arcade, but these days probably just about Outrunners as though Power Drift is technically impressive I don't feel it's aged as well.