Manx TT Super Bike
Manx TT Super Bike is a 1995 arcade racing game developed jointly by Sega AM3 and Sega-AM4. It is a motorcycle racing game built for the Sega Model 2 arcade board. Up to 8 players can race in this game if enough arcade cabinets are linked together, following on from Daytona USA. It was later ported to the Sega Saturn by Tantalus Interactive and to Windows by Perfect Entertainment.
| Manx TT Super Bike | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sega AM3, Sega-AM4 Tantalus Interactive (Saturn) Psygnosis (Windows) |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Jun Uriu Shinichi Fujii |
| Producer(s) | Tetsuya Mizuguchi |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) | Takeshi Goden Toshikazu Goi Kazumasa Kondo |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Sega Saturn, Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Sega Model 2 |
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, though its scenery is drawn from the Isle of Man.
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" (pioneered by another Sega game, Hang-On); 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. The game was a hit in arcades across the world.
Sega's decision to entrust the Saturn port of Manx TT Super Bike to an external developer, particularly one with no experience in porting arcade games, was controversial. However, upon release the game proved to be a major critical success for the Saturn. Motor Raid, a futuristic Sega Model 2 motorcycle racing game, was released as an arcade conversion kit for the Manx TT Super Bike arcade cabinet in 1997.