Riding Hero

Riding Hero[lower-alpha 1] is a hybrid racing/role-playing arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on July 24, 1990.[1][2][3] It was the first title for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms that featured "Multi Play" (Multi-Link) support, which allowed two systems to be connected via a phone jack port integrated into each cartridge for versus LAN play.[1][4][5]

Riding Hero
Developer(s)SNK
Publisher(s)SNK
HAMSTER Corporation (PS4/Switch/Xbox One)
Director(s)Hiroshi Matsumoto
Producer(s)Eikichi Kawasaki
Artist(s)Kimie M.
Koichi Sakita
Masayo S.
Composer(s)Yasumasa Yamada
Platform(s)Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release
Genre(s)Racing RPG
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer (up to two players via link-up)
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

In the game, players have the choice to participate on a worldwide grand prix tour against AI-controlled opponents, assume the role of a protagonist who embark on a quest to enter the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race or compete in matches against other human players. Riding Hero was first launched for the Neo Geo MVS before being later released for both Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD in 1991 and 1995 respectively, in addition to being re-released through download services for various consoles, among other ways to play it as of date.[6]

Since its initial launch, Riding Hero has been met with a mixed reception from both critics and reviewers alike who felt divided in regards to various aspects such as the visuals, sound design, controls and gameplay, though some regarded the single-player role-playing game mode as a novel concept and the multiplayer offering was noted to be one of the game's positive points. Its multiplayer LAN support would later be re-used in other titles for Neo Geo.

Gameplay
Gameplay screenshot.

Riding Hero is a racing game that uses a behind-the-motorcycle perspective similar to Super Hang-On and Suzuka 8 Hours featuring a grand prix mode, a role-playing single-player campaign mode reminiscent of Final Lap Twin, as well as a multiplayer mode like most other racing titles released in the era.[7] In the grand prix mode, players compete against AI-controlled racers on a worldwide grand prix tour in order to become the champion, while up to two human players can compete on versus matches in the multiplayer mode by connecting two Neo Geo systems via LAN.[4][5][7] Every race in the game is timed and if the players fails regain time by completing a lap, the game is over unless the player inserts more credits into the arcade machine to continue playing. If a memory card is present, players are allowed to save their progress during the single-player campaign at the protagonist's home and resume the last point the game was saved at.[7]

In the role-playing single-player mode, players assume the role of an aspiring motorcycle racer on a quest to enter the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. Players travel over the map, meeting locals and facing small-time racers in order to earn money that can be spent on purchasing new bikes and upgrade their current bike, until enough money is collected to enter the endurance race and face the champion Diamond Dave.[6][7] Both the grand prix and role-playing modes give a set number of turbo boosts to the players before each race that can be used to gain higher speeds and outrun opponents.[7]

Development and release
Riding Hero was the first title developed for the Neo Geo platform that featured multiplayer support via LAN play.

Riding Hero was initially first launched for arcades on July 24, 1990, becoming the first title in the Neo Geo library that featured "Multi Play" (Multi-Link) support that allowed two systems to be connected via a phone jack port integrated into each cartridge for LAN play.[1][2][3][4][5] The game was then released for Neo Geo AES on July 1, 1991 and retained the LAN support for versus play.[4][5][8][9] The title was later re-released for the Neo Geo CD on May 26, 1995, with minimal changes compared to the original MVS and AES versions minus the multiplayer mode.[10][11] It has received a re-release in recent years on various digital distribution platforms such as the PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop and Xbox Live by HAMSTER Corporation.[6]

Reception

Riding Hero was received with a mostly mixed reception from critics and reviewers since its original release.[20][21] RePlay reported Riding Hero to be the fifteenth most-popular arcade game at the time.[22]

Legacy

Although Riding Hero never received a sequel or a spiritual successor of sorts, its LAN play feature would be re-used in SNK's own League Bowling and Alpha Denshi's Thrash Rally, the first of which allowed up to four or eight people for multiplayer.[4][5][23]

Notes
  1. Japanese: ライディング・ヒーロー Hepburn: Raidingu Hīrō

References
  1. "Riding Hero [Model NGM-006] (MVS)". arcade-history.com. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  2. "Title Catalogue - NEOGEO MUSEUM". SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  3. "Oh! Neo Geo Vol. 4 - ライディングヒーロー". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 39. SoftBank Creative. December 1992. p. 150.
  4. "Hot Tip - The Multi-Link Feature". Electronic Gaming Monthly (supplement). No. 31. Sendai Publishing. February 1992. p. 5.
  5. "The World Of 24-Bit System Games". Electronic Gaming Monthly (supplement). No. 32. Sendai Publishing. March 1992. p. 8.
  6. Moyse, Chris (June 7, 2018). "Get hell bent for leather as SNK's moto-RPG Riding Hero returns - Born to be Mild". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  7. Riding Hero user's manual (Neo Geo AES, US)
  8. Yanma (April 1990). "アーケード・ゲームがビデオ・レンタル店でも借りられる!? - 本体価格58,000円のSNK -- NEO GEO SYSTEM登場". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 94. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. pp. 220–224.
  9. "NEO GEO Soft > 1991-1992" (in Japanese). GAME Data Room. Archived from the original on 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  10. "NEO GEO Soft > 1995" (in Japanese). GAME Data Room. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  11. "Neo•Geo CD: The Arcade In A Box". GamePro. No. Premiere Supplement. IDG. Spring 1996. pp. 100–108. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  12. Dillon, Tony (December 1990). "Screentest - Console - Ninja Combat: SNK pit you against arcade quality opponents". ACE. No. 39. EMAP. p. 103.
  13. Knight, Kyle (1998). "Riding Hero (Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  14. Rignall, Julian (November 1990). "Complete Guide to Consoles - The Complete Games Guide - Neo Geo - Riding Hero". Computer and Video Games Mean Machines. No. 4. EMAP. pp. 86–88.
  15. Corrado, Davide (July–August 1992). "Riding Hero (Neo Geo)". Consolemania (in Italian). No. 10. Xenia Edizioni. p. 31.
  16. "Neo Geo For Real! - Previously Played... - Riding Hero". GamePro. No. 30. IDG. January 1992. p. 103. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  17. "Console News - Neo Geo: Riding Hero". Joystick (in French). No. Hors-Serie 3. Anuman Interactive. July–August 1991. p. 60.
  18. Noak, Philipp; Hellert, Stefan (August 1993). "Special - Neo Geo - Riding Hero". Mega Fun (in German). No. 11. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. pp. 28–30. Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  19. Yanma; Itabashi (July 1992). "Super Soft 大特集 - 今、『NEO・GEO』がおもしろい！: ライディングヒーロー". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 121. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 208.
  20. Drevet, Cyril; Scamps, Olivier (December 1990). "Stop Info - La Neo-Geo De S.N.K. -- Riding Hero". Player One (in French). No. 4. Média Système Édition. pp. 14–16.
  21. Knauf, Andreas (January 1992). "News - Neo Geo - Riding Hero". Video Games (in German). No. 5. Future-Verlag. pp. 10–12.
  22. "The Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Software". RePlay. Vol. 16 no. 4. RePlay Publishing, Inc. January 1991. p. 4.
  23. turfmasta (August 4, 2011). League Bowling 8 Player SIMULTANEOUS Neo Geo MVS. YouTube. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
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