This Week in Defunct Games - May 4, 2012

What Is It? Super Hang-On marks the first Virtual Console Arcade game in over a year and the first Sega arcade release since Zaxxon in April of 2010. It was worth the wait. This motorcycle racing game has players speeding their way all around the globe. From the rolling hills of the United States to the rickety roads of Europe. With 48 different stages, players will eventually see every inch of this world.

Much like OutRun, Super Hang-On isn't about coming in first. There are other racers on the course, but they act mostly as obstacles to avoid. Your job is to go as fast as you can and complete each stage in less than 40 seconds. If you can do that you'll earn more time, until you either run out of time or complete all of the stages in the region. While a refreshing change of pace from the racing games of today, the layout prevents most of the best stages from being seen by novice players. Better start practicing.

Does It Still Hold Up? The handling takes a little getting used to (as does the not-so-smooth sprite-based scaling), but once adjusted you'll find that the game holds up remarkably well. The game still looks great and it's going to take a lot to get the infectious tunes out of my head. On the other hand, the steep difficulty means that you have to drive perfectly. All it takes is one wreck to stall out on stage 3.

Is It Worth The Money? I'm impressed that Sega chose to release the arcade original and not the first-generation Genesis port. Super Hang-On remains an addictive little racing game, even if there's nothing even remotely realistic about the experience. The game offers an impressive amount of content, not something you often hear me saying about arcade games. Don't let the nine dollar asking price throw you off; Super Hang-On is one of the best Virtual Console games of the year!

What Is It? Seeing the unprecedented success of Final Fantasy VII, Sony set forth to develop their own big-budget cinematic role-playing game. It took a team of a hundred workers more than three years to develop what they hoped would be a Final Fantasy killer. It wasn't. But just because it didn't make the world stop thinking about Square's long-running franchise, that shouldn't keep you from experiencing this solid RPG on your PlayStation 3, PSP and "soon" on the PS Vita.

You play Dart, a veteran warrior on his way back home after five years of fighting abroad. In true RPG fashion, our hero discovers that his city has been burned to the ground and sets off on an adventure to, you guessed it, get revenge and save a childhood friend. Before long he and a wide assortment of companions take on a grand adventure battling monsters and dragons.

Sony attempted to liven up the usual turn-based combat by adding a fun rhythm game mechanic. In order to get the maximum hit, players have to hit the attack button at just the right moment. This makes the combat a little more interactive, something that players were still coming to grips with at the turn of the century. With multiple battle modes and an interesting story, it's easy to see why so many people are excited about the SEN release of The Legend of Dragoon.

Does It Still Hold Up? You can't talk about The Legend of Dragoon without bringing up the stunning cinemas. Much like Square with Final Fantasy VII and VIII, Sony put a lot of emphasis on making certain parts of this game look as good as possible. Unfortunately, the rest of the game looks incredibly dated. The game's story is painfully cliche, undermining some of the emotional moments amongst the characters. On the other hand, this is a solid role-playing game that still holds up despite a few outdated mechanics.

Is It Worth The Money? Did you know that The Legend of Dragoon is the first PSone Classic developed by Sony in close to two years? Sony has been more than content letting Square, MonkeyPaw and Koei release their best role-playing games. Now that we've had a chance to digest the Final Fantasies, Arc the Lads, Parasite Eves and the rest, you can settle on playing through The Legend of Dragoon. It's not at the same level as the best of Square, but also not as bad as Beyond the Beyond and other early RPG attempts by Sony. Fans of the genre will enjoy some of the fresh ideas found in Dragoon, even if the story could use some sprucing up.