Manx TT Super Bike
| Manx TT Super Bike | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) |
Sega AM3, Sega-AM4 Tantalus Interactive (Saturn) Psygnosis (Windows) |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) |
Arcade
Saturn
Microsoft Windows |
| Genre(s) | Racing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Cabinet | Sit-down |
| Arcade system | Sega Model 2 |
| Display |
Raster, standard resolution horizontal orientation |
Manx TT Super Bike[1] is a 1995 arcade racing game developed jointly by Sega AM3 and Sega-AM4. It was later brought to the Sega Saturn by Psygnosis and Tantalus Interactive and then ported to Windows by Perfect Entertainment. It was the first motorcycle racing game built for the Sega Model 2 arcade board. Up to 8 players can race in this game if enough cabinets are linked together, following on from Daytona USA.
The game's setting is the Isle of Man TT - the world-famous and demanding motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man. There are two courses to race on; the Laxey Coast course for novices and the more difficult TT ("Tourist Trophy") Course for veteran players. While the TT Course is based on the actual course on the Isle of Man, the Laxey Coast is a fictional course designed by the game developers,[2] though its scenery is drawn from the Isle of Man.[3]
The arcade game was known at the time for its impressive graphics and innovative cabinet. Many arcade motorcycle games incorporated a bike-like machine that tilted so the player could maneuver the on-screen bike through the physical "bike"; to do this, the player would need to push their feet against the floor. The Manx TT machine, however, was sensitive enough to tilt just from the rider shifting their weight, allowing the player to keep their feet on the machine and use their body weight to control the on-screen bike, making the game feel more realistic.[2]
Many of the unsold cabinets were converted into Motor Raid, a futuristic Model 2 motorcycle racing game released in 1997.
The Saturn and PC releases have the game soundtrack as standard Red Book audio which can be listened to in any CD player.
This game features a cheat code which has the player ride the course on a sheep instead of a bike against a grid of unmanned other sheep, and a remixed version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
Development
Gaming fans and journalists assumed that the Saturn version of the game would be developed by the same internal Sega CS team which handled the Saturn conversion of Sega Rally Championship, but the team was busy with Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition, which Sega considered a more important release.[4]
Saturn to PC conversion
The PC conversion, based on the Saturn game both ported by British studio Psygnosis, offered enhancements to the visuals and gameplay modes.
- Full bike shadows instead of the mesh effect shadow in the Saturn version.
- Perspective correction to remove polygon warping.
- Increased draw distance.
- Higher resolution than the arcade version.
- 3dFx compatibility for filtered textures.
- 8 player multiplayer, like the arcade game.
- Newer voices.
Reception
Following a strong audience reaction at the Amusement Trades Exhibition International show, the game's UK distributor sold out of Manx TT Super Bike cabinets.[5]
Notes
- ↑ Some later releases refer to the game as Manx TT SuperBike or Manx TT Superbike.
- 1 2 "You Little Manx!". Sega Saturn Magazine (3) (Emap International Limited). January 1996. p. 18.
- ↑ Hickman, Sam (March 1996). "You Know Nothing!". Sega Saturn Magazine (5) (Emap International Limited). pp. 20–23.
- ↑ "Manx TT Confirmed!". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine (Emap International Limited) (7): 127. June 1996.
- ↑ "Sega's Fighting Frenzy!". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine (Emap International Limited) (4): 128. March 1996.