Space Harrier

Space Harrier was an explosion of color and speed: a hero with a cannon under his arm, flying into the screen over a checkerboard landscape while giant mushrooms, pillars, robots and dragons come rushing at him. Sega released it in 1985, and its moving sit-down cabinet was the envy of the whole arcade.

One blast of its voice greeting and half the room turned to watch.

History

It was directed by Yu Suzuki, who also made Hang-On that same year and later Out Run. It used Sega's fast sprite-scaling tech to create a real sense of 3D depth.

The deluxe version had a cockpit seat that moved with the flight stick, which blew people away back then.

How to play

Use the flight stick to move your hero anywhere on screen, running along the ground or flying, and fire into the distance. Enemies come right at you, so keep moving to dodge their shots and the obstacles.

Each stage ends with a boss, often a long, segmented dragon or some other huge creature. The pace is frantic, and sitting still almost always costs you a life.

Fun facts

• It was directed by Yu Suzuki, the creator of Hang-On and Out Run.
• The deluxe cabinet had a moving seat.
• The action takes place in the Fantasy Zone.

In the arcade

Space Harrier is coming soon to UsuArcade. It's on our wishlist, and you can vote with I Want to Play It to bring it in sooner.

In the meantime, try other Yu Suzuki classics like Out Run and Hang-On, or blast alien swarms in Galaxian.

FAQ