When did Hang-On release?

Hang-On was first released on July 1, 1985.

Hang-On

Jul 1, 1985RacingSportArcadeSega Master System/Mark IIISG-1000MSXPC-88

Hang-On — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Hang-On on?: Hang-On was released on Arcade, Sega Master System/Mark III, SG-1000, MSX, PC-88.
When did Hang-On release?: Hang-On was first released on July 1, 1985.

About Hang-On

Hang-On is an arcade game designed by Yu Suzuki and released by Sega in 1985. In the game, the player controls a motorcycle against time and other computer-controlled bikes. It was one of the first arcade games to use 16-bit graphics and Sega's "Super Scaler" technology that allowed pseudo-3D sprite-scaling at high frame rates. It also introduced a motion-controlled arcade cabinet, where the player's body movement on a large motorbike-shaped cabinet corresponds with the player character's movements on screen, inspiring arcade games that followed and anticipating the modern motion control trend.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

68/100

from 22 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Master System	1986	—	—	—	6 reviews	Low (look-alike)

Also released on: Arcade · Sega Master System/Mark III · SG-1000 · MSX · PC-88. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28

Loose

—

Complete

—

Sealed

—

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$20	$21	$275
European (PAL) release: Sega Card version	$12	—	—
Japanese release (Hang On)	$22	$48	—

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number
North America	September 1986	—
Europe / PAL	August 1987	—
Japan	20 October 1985	C-502

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Master System software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published only where both agree on the same cartridge dump; Japanese numbers also checked against Sega Japan's software list. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU+JP
Released: 1986
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages and Virtual Console, are not tracked hereLow look-alike risk

Sega Master System prices, all games & how to spot a fake

Sega's motorcycle racer, best known as the pack-in that came with the console, and a low-risk pick-up.

Hang-On on the Master System is a port of Sega's arcade motorcycle racer. A Master System version was produced in Japan in 1985 and released there on October 20, with North America following in September 1986 and Europe in August 1987. In the US it was the system's pack-in game, on a multicart together with Safari Hunt.

ACE praised the quality of the conversion, though it noted some minor graphics jerks compared to the original and the loss of the arcade game's crash graphics. Sega Pro called the Master System port a damn fine racing game, and Computer and Video Games and Mean Machines also reviewed it positively.

What the press said at the time

Computer and Video Games		25/30
Génération 4		75%
Tilt		13/20
Mean Machines		8/10
Sega Pro		78%
VideoGame (BR)		3/5

Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Sega Master System version.

Also on other platforms

Arcade · SG-1000 · MSX · PC-88

Arcade

Sega

How the other versions reviewed

Arcade	Computer and Video Games	Positive
Arcade	Sinclair User	Positive
Arcade	Computer Gamer	Positive

These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.

Before you buy

This game turns up in several forms. The US version was the pack-in cartridge, shared with Safari Hunt, and there are European and Japanese releases as well as a European Sega Card version. A Sega Card needs a console with a card slot, which the Master System II lacks. The look-alike risk is low. If a copy was sold as American but has text in five to eight languages on the box, it is European.