Space Harrier

All of this just works. ― Todd Howard

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Space Harrier
"Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get Ready!"
Protagonist(s): Harrier Genre(s): Shoot 'em Up Platform(s): Arcade, Sega Master System, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, Atari ST, Amiga, DOS, Game Gear, Sega 32X, Sega Saturn, Fujitsu FM-77, Sharp X68000, MZ-700, Sharp X1, NEC PC-60, PC-88, Wii, Android, 3DS, Nintendo Switch Release Date: December 1985 Developer(s): Sega Publisher(s): Sega Series: Space Harrier Successor: Space Harrier II

Released in 1985 for the arcades and 1987 for the Sega Master System, Space Harrier is an extremely imaginative shooter in which you play as Harrier, a man with superhuman powers as your laser blast your way through the Fantasy Zone to try and save Dragon World.

Why It Rocks

1. Pretty unique way to control Harrier, you use a gyro flight stick to move around the screen with a button that makes Harrier shoot with his laser cannon. This method of controlling in the game will also appear in later ports of the game.
2. The pseudo-3D graphics are gorgeous and incredible, especially by 1985 standards, as all areas have a vibrant color palette, much of the details look very well detailed, and the backgrounds look amazing for their time.
3. Fast twitch game play.
4. Trees that explode into TWELVE FOOT MUSHROOM CLOUDS!!
5. Over-the-top enemies.
6. Excellent sounds and music.
7. Simple, easy to learn gameplay.
8. The enemies send you tons of projectiles to dodge.
9. Some ports even allow wider-screened gameplay.
10. This is one of the few times that the Sega 32X port was good and actually makes this one of the bad console’s good games.

The Only Bad Quality

1. Most stages recycle the same enemies and obstacles from other stages, though the game still gets harder the more you progress.

Trivia

• The game can be played in all its glory at the arcade in Shenmue.

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