riding hero memories
Actually, I went ahead and snipped it for you.
Here it is as it appeared:
Gentlemen,
Here is my whole history with Riding Hero.
The first time I played the game was back in 1991 or so when it first came out for the home system. Keep in mind that the Sega Genesis version of Super Hang On had been released in late 1989. Super Hang on was not an "excellent" arcade translation per say, but it was done pretty well. Also the extra "home" additions that were made to it enhanced the game play options and helped make the game more complete.
So when I plugged in Riding Hero, I was expecting AT BARE MINIMUM to have "as good" of a motorcycle racing game for my NeoGeo as Super Hang On was for the Genny. However I was sadly let down. The graphics were choppy and the gameplay was frustrating. After several failed attempts at trying to pass the first stage, I decided to try the "RPG" mode.
Basically, you build a bike and accessorize it all the while taking on the occasional racing challenge. (very similar in concept to the Genesis Super Hang On)
However, this mode required even MORE patience and "learning", and since the game was over-all not matching up to my initial expectations, I just wasn't willing to "reluctantly force myself" to play the game until I liked it! At the time, the $200 could simply do me better going towards Cyber Lip, Super Spy, or some other title on the shelf.
The second time I got a Riding Hero was around 1994. I purchased it "second-hand" for about $80. I decided to give it another chance. Once again, I was seriously let down. I tried to give it an honest go. I played it over and over, and I just couldn't get into it. It really bothered me. I just couldn't understand how a game could be so bad!? Nor how Sega could do a better game on an inferior system! I also felt that the games difficulty was pretty tough. I couldn't quite figure it out though. I simply assumed it to be a screw up and passed on it once again. I traded it in for something else.
Finally, the last time I got Riding Hero was back in 1998. This time was for keeps though because this was when I had come back to the neogeo. (I abandoned it from 1995-1997) So having it here week after week, month after month, on some rainy sunday morning I got the courage to plug it in yet one more time and promised myself that I would NOT stop playing it until I figured the damn game out! The difficulty of the game seemed impossible! Every time I would finally pull ahead of the pack of racers, I would get "bumped" from behind by the 2 top positions. After hours of thinking and observing, I FINALLY figured it all out! I found a stradegy that worked!
It was IMPOSSIBLE to "avoid" getting hit by the second and third place bikers whenever you would pull into first. They would always be overtaking eachother (and you) until the end of the race. So rather then trying to "avoid" these annoying AI freaks, I realized that "accepting" their "bumps" at the correct "sweet spots" would create a "surviveable" reaction time (and area) for you to avoid a crash. In addition, I would save my "turbos" until the end of the race and activate one at just the right time before the end of the race to ensure that I would be in first place at the cross of the finish line.
With this secret stradegy, I was finally able to beat all eight courses in the "arcade mode" and see the games ending! So in the end, I kind of ended up liking the game as (of course) it grew on me. In the end I think they just made the game too hard and for a player, putting up with "average" graphics is hard enough...but with the added frustration of hard play mechanics, it just makes it a tough game for people to like.
Once I beat it, I placed it on my shelf and have only played it a few times since. However, maybe someday when I REALLY have nothing better to do, I will give the games RPG mode another chance. Well, maybe.
I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit of my neo history.
Billy Pitt
