Space Harrier

The Good
Ahhhh...my friend, the Space Harrier. To me, it's a classic. I popped many quarters into the arcade version in my youth, and then came the amazing (for the time) 3D playing field, with its high speed scrolling, nicely animated enemies, fast, frantic gameplay, and wonderful music score. Space Harrier was one of the forces that turned me into a huge Sega fan, no doubt about it. They could crank out some excellent games in the arcade, but once in a while you have to question their home ports. The PC version is a pretty decent port, but it still isn't perfect. Let's check it out, shall we?

First off, let me explain the premise of the game. You are the intergalactic hero known as the Space Harrier, who has been sent off to the Fantasy Zone to free it from some evil alien race headed by WiWi Jumbo, who oddly enough looks more like a voodoo witch doctor than an evil alien commander. So you're given a giant laser cannon with which you can blast your enemies, but that's not it. Oh no. See, our friend Space (that'll be his nickname for this review) also has the ability to run at superhuman speeds, as well as leap into the air and fly like a majestic eagle, allowing you to dodge low shots, as well as take out enemies that are flying at you from above. Because Space is constantly moving and running, there's no way to stop, and the enemies don't care; they'll just keep on coming straight at you, either trying to shoot you down or ram into you. There are also natural obstacles, like trees, boulders, shrubs, and towers, but don't worry! You can shoot them down if you wish! If you make it through the stage, you then have to battle a Boss Dragon in order to move on. It's a simple gameplay formula that works quite well, and the game makes for some fast paced fun. The PC version manages to capture all that fun and makes for a good conversion from a gameplay point of view. Control is very simple: move and fire. That's it. Graphics are decent for EGA/VGA, and you can easily identify your enemies and obstacles.

The Bad
Not very much, but there are a couple of things.

First, the sounds STUNK. I'm sorry, but even if it is the technical limits of the time, the sound just was not any good. Also, the game seemed a little slow...not as bad as the Sega Master System version, mind you, but it was still a little annoying once in a while. Sorry, but I'm a Space Harrier purist; I NEED to have that frantic pace in order to play. For that, you can get the original arcade version under emulation, the Sega 32X version, or the arcade-perfect (and Japanese only) Sega Saturn version.

The Bottom Line
I love Space Harrier to much to ever dismiss it. Although the PC version is not the best port around, when I was younger and the family still had an old 286 computer, this made for a wonderful way to play Space Harrier at home. Besides, who could resist the adventures of ol' Space, with his "take it like a man" attitude about ramming into trees and rocks, and his wacky enemies and their dead-set "KILL SPACE" mentality? Space Harrier is a classic for years to come!

Oh, and you've gotta love the death cry: "AAAAAAAAAAOOOoooooo......GET READY!" Long live Space!!

The Good
Sega irritates me sometimes with their arcade translations, but this one is really good. They did everything right, at least within the confines of 8-bittery. If you've played the arcade version, you already know what's happening. The graphics are reproduced faithfully, the action is fast and accurate.

The Bad
What is not so great about SMS Space Harrier, is the system's little problem with sprites in general. You will notice, especially in level one is if you blow up a lot of ground targets, a lot of the other objects disappear. But be careful, they are still there, the SMS just can't seem to keep up with the action. You see this behaviour in Galaxy Force, Thunder Blade and even Space Harrier 3-D, amongst other games like Power Strike and Outrun where you get loads of flicker.

The Bottom Line
This is an excellent title, enough that this game alone is worth owning a Master System for. If you've never given a look to the Master System, make this the game you try one on.

The Good
When it first came out in the arcade it was extremely colorful and hypnotic and Trippy. After all it does start with "Welcome to the Fantasy Zone". It had a great 3D feel to it. The earlier Sega home versions were OK but they lacked all the color and detail. The 32x version brought it all together. It's simple enough to learn right away. And the graphics changes in each level make you want to play more, at least to see the end bosses.

The Bad
Back when it was released the pallet color cycling to simulate movement was innovative. They could have improved a little with the 32x version. And the levels where there is a ceiling above you as well as the floor below you is almost an overload of scaling and scrolling.

The Bottom Line
You are a guy running or use your jet pack to fly straight into the screen in a futuristic landscape. Shoot everything. Avoid things you can't destroy like huge rocks on the ground or certain things shot at you by the enemies. Get to the end of the level to find a boss. Figure out it's weak point and pound it good. Don't worry, you can fly as much as you want and shoot as much as well.

The Good
Space Harrier is a classic coin-op arcade game, which brought us into the surreal Fantasy Zone with lots of simple, fast paced, science fiction action. While previous adaptations of the game had been made for the home consoles, this was the first perfect adaption of the original arcade game.

The Bad
Think about this for a moment. You have just spent a fair amount of money getting the Sega 32X. You bought the special adapter for your television set and spent all the required time hooking the device up without breaking anything. After going through all of this, how excited are you going to be that for an extra $60 - 70 you now own a perfect translation of an arcade game made in 1985? Space Harrier is a classic arcade game, and had it been on a compilation of classic arcade games, I would probably be kinder, but as a stand alone title it hardly justifies the investment needed to play it.

The Bottom Line
Space Harrier for the 32X is a perfect translation of a 1985 coin-op arcade game. This is both a blessing and a curse. It is a classic Sega game, which certainly belongs on a compilation along with other 1980s Sega titles. The flip side is that the game is no longer cutting edge and it patting yourself on the back for being any to make a perfect translation, on your next generation system, of a old game is setting yourself up for disaster. If you have the Sega 32X and can find this game at a reasonable price, you will certainly enjoy the game, but the folks who shelled out big bucks to play the game back in 1994 got hosed.