Yu Suzuki, Sega’s answer to Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, has produced some of the most iconic arcade games ever. How does Out Run, After Burner, Power Drift, Super Hang-On and Virtua Fighter (to name a few) grab you ? Before all these superlative arcade titles, it was the 1985 hit Space Harrier, that propelled Yu into the stratosphere of legendary game developers.
The gameplay is simple and addictive. As a third-person rail shooter, you whiz around the screen (you can run along the ground or fly), shooting at the enemies that come flying into the foreground. While making your way through each level, you must also avoid enemy projectiles and any stationary objects in your way.
At the end of each level, you battle the bosses. These bad dudes are tough to beat. You will find yourself dodging and weaving while relentlessly shooting away, hoping they die before you do. Once you defeat all the bosses that reappear on level 18, the game is completed. If you do get this far, give yourself a pat on the back.
Space Harrier’s legacy has been propagated ever since it appeared in the arcades. If you are lucky enough to find the sit-down version of the game, grab as many coins as you can and start pumping them in. Mr. Yu Suzuki, take a bow.
| Graphics | There is some cool pseudo-3D sprite scaling going on, which for the time, was damn awesome. It still holds up today. |
79% |
| Sound | Pretty cool soundtrack and nice meaty effects of your blaster as you mow down the enemies |
84% |
| Playability | Using the analogue flight stick control, Space Harrier gives you precision perfect control of your character as you dart around the screen, avoiding and shooting at stuff |
89% |
| Lastability | Considering it was released in 1985 and gamers are still talking about it, I think that speaks volumes of its legacy |
90% |
| Overall | Seek it and play it, now ! |
90% |
Manufacturer:Sega
Year: 1985
Genre: Shooter (into the screen)
Number of simultaneous players: 1
Maximum number of players: 1
Gameplay: Single
Joystick: Analog stick with trigger [Fire]
Sound: Amplified Stereo (two channel)
