Space Harrier
Main game
3.18 average rating based on 110 ratings
- Developers
- Sega AM2
- Publishers
- Sega, Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
- Series
- Space Harrier
- Platforms
- Arcade, Legacy Mobile Device, Sega 32X, Sega Saturn, Wii
- Genres
- Arcade, Shooter
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
Release Dates
User Stats
How Long Is Space Harrier?
Related Content
Avaruussekoilu 1985
This review is for the Nintendo Switch version
Space Harrier on Segan trippaava arcadeklassikko, joka esitteli Segan Super Scaler -grafiikkojen mahtia. Hauska peli kyllä edelleen, etenkin grafiikoiden sekä menon nopeatempoisuuden ja päättömyyden takia. Lyhytpinnaisille en ehkä suosittelisi, sillä kuolemia tulee helposti ja paljon. Switchin Sega Ages-versio on hyvä paikka tutustua peliin.
Beat NES version. Another game that I didn't need to slow down. It was pretty much the same as Animal Attack Gakuken only it felt much better to aim and control. The turbo button actually fired constantly, which made it much easier to wreck enemies and aim. I died plenty of times but it still felt easier to dodge, and there were no cheap unavoidable shots like in Animal Attack. The stages were very short and many of the "bosses" were just groups of normal enemies. There were a couple bosses that Animal Attack copied, with the orbiting regular enemies that moved back and forth. I wrecked these bosses in seconds for some reason. There was a lot of sprite flicker and slowdown when too much was on screen, especially during the dragon bosses. This seriously limited my rate of fire since the game would not let me shoot too many projectiles depending on how much system resources the boss was using. This went to the extreme during stage 15 where that dragon kept freezing the game. I guess the sheer amount of stuff happening made the emulator think a real NES would be on fire. It took several exits …
Beat NES version. Another game that I didn't need to slow down. It was pretty much the same as Animal Attack Gakuken only it felt much better to aim and control. The turbo button actually fired constantly, which made it much easier to wreck enemies and aim. I died plenty of times but it still felt easier to dodge, and there were no cheap unavoidable shots like in Animal Attack. The stages were very short and many of the "bosses" were just groups of normal enemies. There were a couple bosses that Animal Attack copied, with the orbiting regular enemies that moved back and forth. I wrecked these bosses in seconds for some reason. There was a lot of sprite flicker and slowdown when too much was on screen, especially during the dragon bosses. This seriously limited my rate of fire since the game would not let me shoot too many projectiles depending on how much system resources the boss was using. This went to the extreme during stage 15 where that dragon kept freezing the game. I guess the sheer amount of stuff happening made the emulator think a real NES would be on fire. It took several exits of the entire emulator and slower paced shooting to scrape by. The final boss had this issue too but either not as bad or I kept the shooting manageable after the 1st freeze. Despite the technical problems this game was more fun and better made than Animal Attack.
6.5/10
Played this on Shenmue and Yakuza 0 then finally got the MAME version. Beat it with auto-fire settings! The bonus levels are fun because it reminds me of riding Falkor from Neverending Story!
Reached the goal... with a lot of continues.
Final Thoughts: I went ahead to visit this game as I'm aware of the game's references in Bayonetta, and really all I can say is that this has got to be one of the weirdest looking game / design ideas I've ever played (A flying human with a minigun beating up aliens huh). The game seems incredibly difficult on my playthrough, and I can imagine it would take a lot of practice and memorizing to beat this normally (as with all 80's arcade games).
"Get ready!" Space Harrier is one of those classic arcade games that I always thought was just okay, but the more I play it now (in Yakuza 0), the more I find myself digging it. I think it's a game that you gotta give some time -- once you start getting past the first couple levels, you'll start to see what a gem this one is.
Space Harrier had to blow everyone's minds back when it released in 1985. It looks fantastic even now, 35 years later. But beneath all the frantic fast-paced dazzling "3D" pixel art graphics, there's some substance to be found in its gameplay. You're flying forward, shooting at everything flying at you -- some obstacles you can't shoot down, so you have to avoid them. It's exciting, and the game only just barely gives you enough time to dodge everything. But that key word -- barely -- is vital for this game's success. The deaths actually don't feel cheap here. Most of the times I die in this game, I feel "yeah, that was my bad." You can pretty much always see the enemy, obstacle, or projectile coming -- but were you quick enough to properly …
"Get ready!" Space Harrier is one of those classic arcade games that I always thought was just okay, but the more I play it now (in Yakuza 0), the more I find myself digging it. I think it's a game that you gotta give some time -- once you start getting past the first couple levels, you'll start to see what a gem this one is.
Space Harrier had to blow everyone's minds back when it released in 1985. It looks fantastic even now, 35 years later. But beneath all the frantic fast-paced dazzling "3D" pixel art graphics, there's some substance to be found in its gameplay. You're flying forward, shooting at everything flying at you -- some obstacles you can't shoot down, so you have to avoid them. It's exciting, and the game only just barely gives you enough time to dodge everything. But that key word -- barely -- is vital for this game's success. The deaths actually don't feel cheap here. Most of the times I die in this game, I feel "yeah, that was my bad." You can pretty much always see the enemy, obstacle, or projectile coming -- but were you quick enough to properly shoot or avoid it? I imagine this game required a ton of fine-tuning to get the timing of everything just right. A little slower, or a little faster, and Space Harrier probably wouldn't have been any fun.
I'm a big fan of this game's aesthetic, and I think it's a bummer that there weren't all that many forward-flying pixel art rail shooters of this sort ever made. I imagine it was tough to pull off, and for many gamers the novelty perhaps wore off quickly. But Space Harrier stands the test of time, as evidenced by its steady re-releases over the years. Lots of great enemies (space ships, alien creatures, mammoths, robots, Gundams), some memorable tunes and sound effects, and really simple yet addictive gameplay.