Space Harrier

Infobox VG
title=Space Harrier


developer=Sega-AM2
publisher=Sega
designer=Yu Suzuki
release=October 1985, 1986
genre=Rail shooter
modes=Single player
ratings=ESRB: E (Everyone)
cabinet=Standard and sit-down
arcade system=Unique
display=Raster, standard resolution
horizontal orientation
input=Joystick, 1 button
platforms=Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, Nintendo Famicom, PlayStation 2, Sega 32X, Sega Master System, Sega Saturn, TurboGrafx-16, Virtual Console, ZX Spectrum

nihongo|"Space Harrier"|スペースハリアー is a rail shooter game, released by Sega in 1985 . It was produced by Yu Suzuki, the man responsible for many popular Sega games. It spawned two sequels: "Space Harrier 3D" (1988), Space Harrier II (1988), and the spin-off "Planet Harriers" (2001).

"Space Harrier" was originally made for the arcades, and later saw ports to many home game systems (see below). "Space Harrier"'s release on the Sega Master System is notable: there were two versions. One was just like the arcade, while the other, entitled "Space Harrier 3D", supported 3D glasses.

Gameplay

Space Harrier is set in "the Fantasy Zone", a surreal world composed of bright colors and a checkerboard-styled ground. The enemies are also unique, featuring prehistoric animals, Chinese dragons, and alien pods. The player is forced along the levels, running or flying around enemy fire, while shooting back with fireballs via the character's under-arm cannon (which doubles as a rocket-esque device allowing the character to fly). The character graphics are sprite-based, though the level backgrounds are faux 3D. "The 3-D Battles of World Runner" by Square bears more than a slight resemblance to the game. Even more similar is Pony Canyon's parody, "Animal Attack Academy" in which a Japanese schoolgirl fights Australian animals in nearly identical gameplay. [ [http://www.everyvideogame.com/arcade.php?mode=play&g=58 Arcade - NES - Attack Animal Academy • Every Video Game • Play Nintendo NES games online free ] ] The arcade version of "Space Harrier" used digitized voices. When starting the first level, for example, you would be greeted with "Welcome to the fantasy zone!; get ready!". After defeating a boss, the player is assured that "You're doing great!"

Like "After Burner", "Space Harrier" was among the first (perhaps the very first) arcade game to feature a console in which the player sits, and which moves according to the joystick movement. There is also a non-moving sit-down version and a standard upright version.

The arcade version has a total of 18 levels, each containing a boss at the end. Three exceptions are the bonus levels (5th and 12th), and the 18th level, which is a boss rush containing all bosses encountered up to that point.

Ports

The game was translated to various home computer systems and consoles. For many years, one of the better console versions to exist was for the TurboGrafx-16. Translated to this system in 1989, the home version features very decent albeit not quite arcade-quality graphics. Colors are almost as vibrant as in the arcade but graphics are not as detailed, the sprites are smaller. This version was good considering TurboGrafx-16 was not nearly as powerful as the hardware that ran Space Harrier in the arcade. The fantastic scaling of the arcade is replaced with redrawn sprites that don't move as smoothly as with true scaling -- SEGA's Super-Scaler sprite scaling technology cannot be reproduced on the TurboGrafx-16. Another home version, the one for the Sharp X68000 computer in Japan, was superior to the TurboGrafx-16 version in every way, with smoother scrolling, but remained a Japanese-only release. The biggest downfall as far as audio with TurboGrafx-16 version were digital voice clips which were unintelligible ("Get Ready!") and the lack of the popular checkerboard floor, replaced by a striped one. Some years later, the Sega Saturn port of Space Harrier took the crown as the most accurate port available, though this port was released only in Japan.Fact|date=January 2008

The game is also playable on the Dreamcast (within "Shenmue", "Shenmue II" and "Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1") and Xbox (within "Shenmue II"). It is included in "Sega Arcade Gallery" for the Game Boy Advance and the "Sega Classics Collection" (a compilation DVD including other games from the same era that were remade for modern audiences to negligible success in the US and big success in Japan) for the PlayStation 2.

Space Harrier II was released for Nintendo's Virtual Console on December 18, 2006 while the first Space Harrier for the Sega Master System, will be released on the console at a future date.

Notable ports

*"Space Harrier Complete Collection". This collection offers the arcade version of "Space Harrier", Space Harrier II, the Sega Master System version of "Space Harrier" and "Space Harrier 3D". Also included as an easter egg was the Game Gear version of the game. It was released for the PlayStation 2 as the 20th volume of Sega Ages.

Complete series

*"Space Harrier" - SEGA Master System, SEGA Game Gear, SEGA 32X, SEGA Saturn, SEGA Dreamcast, various other non-SEGA systems
*"Space Harrier 3-D" - Sega Master System
*Space Harrier II - Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Wii Virtual Console
*"Space Harrier Sega Ages Edition" - PS2
*"Planet Harriers" - Arcade
*"Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 20: Space Harrier Complete Collection" - PS2

References

External links

*KLOV game|id=9660
* [http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=space-harrier-sit-down-model&page=detail&id=2535 Space Harrier page at arcade-history]
* [http://www.system16.com/sega/hrdw_enduroracer.html Arcade hardware]
* [http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=48&title=History%20of:%20The%20Space%20Harrier%20Series Sega-16's retrospective on the series]
*moby game|id=/space-harrier
*WoS game|id=0004663
* [http://blaze.kinetix.net/spaceharrier/ The Space Harrier Absymbel] - fan site