Space Harrier

[nat]

I played through Space Harrier today for the first time in a while.

Anyone else here think the TG-16 port of Space Harrier is highly underrated? When I got my first TG in 1990, the only game I got other than Keith Courage was Space Harrier. Since then, it's always been one of my favorite games. What Space Harrier pulls off on the hardware is impressive, even today. I've always found it funny that SEGA's sequel, Space Harrier II released exclusively for the Genesis is technically inferior to the TurboGrafx port of the original. SH II features clunky scaling and sub-par graphics, but it's still a fun game. No match for the first one, however. Space Harrier II just feels like it's missing something. If I ever get a Wii, though, I'll still download it.

Space Harrier on the TG-16 is a near perfect port of the arcade. The only differences one might notice, without comparing them side by side, are the horrible muffled "voice" clips (why did they bother?) and the lack of the venerable checkerboard floor. Some of the spirtes, including the Harrier, are a bit smaller on the 'Grafx but you may not notice that without a side-by-side comparison.

On the plus side, the sprite handling and effects are (IMHO) unmatched. There is virtually no sprite flicker/clash. There is a bit on the Bonus levels, but that's about it. There is not a TRACE of slowdown anywhere in the game regardless of what's on screen. The TG handles the sky-ceiling levels without a glitch despite the frenzied pace it throws things at you. The 3D rotation effects on some of the bosses are fluid and cool looking (stage 2, 8, 9?). Scaling is handled like it's supported by the hardware, especially the bosses in stages 6 & 13. It could fool anyone. Best of all, the graphics are detailed and beautifully colorful. Many really are beautiful!

The music is a faithful reproduction of the arcade, though I don't care for NEC Avenue's "standard" white-noise drumbeats. They could've done better. Still, some of the songs sound extremely good (the song for the boss dragon "Barda" and the one for "Godarni" for instance). There are some cool stereo effects when you play it through the home theater HiFi.

Space Harrier is mindless blasting fun, but mindless blasting fun at it's absolute best.

It took me 8 years before I beat SH for the first time, but now it's no issue. I can fly through on a good day without losing a single life. Playing Space Harrier with the TurboStick (the closest you can get to the original analog joystick of the arcade) on the bigscreen is about as good as it gets. Unless you own one of the cabinets with the moving chair. (Playing it with the standard TurboPad is a betrayal to the game.)

[runinruder]

The Turbo version is actually the only Space Harrier I've ever played.  I had lots of fun with it when I bought it a few years ago.  I'll probably play it again soon since I've been revisiting a lot of my TurboChip games recently.  My TurboStick is getting a little long in the tooth, but I'll see if it can handle one last run through SH.   

[Joe Redifer]

OK I am a huge Space Harrier-o-phile and have been since Jesus programmed the game, so I have to comment.

I have just about every version of Space Harrier you can get on US released machines, and that includes the Turbo version.  I think the Turbo version could be much better given the hardware.  It doesn't look anywhere near as good as Space Harrier 2 does.  Space Harrier 2 has a cleaner look, whereas the Turbo version looks mighty fuzzy and everything is much smaller.  I agree with all of your comments about Space Harrier 2, though... not as good as the original.  The Turbo version is faithful to the way the arcade plays, meaning the structure of the stages and whatnot.  But it also has clunky sprites.  They don't become as big on the screen as they do in Space Harrier 2, but by no means does it look like either hardware or software scaling.  Also, the checkerboard floor is missing, and the Turbo version is the ONLY version not to have it.  Instead we get horizontal stripes, and fashion designers warn against horizontal stripes like no tomorrow.  The game sprites seem so small to me.

The music is pretty good but could be so much better even on a HuCard.  The voices are pretty bad.  You wouldn't know what they are saying if you didn't know beforehand.  I really wish Hudson handled this game.  Also, I don't remember any boss, enemy or stage in the game called "Barda".  I've beaten all versions (except Space Harrier 3D).  Do you mean "Valda"?  Personally I like the Sega Master System version more than the Turbo version, it does so much more with the hardware, everything is much bigger.  You'd expect more from the Turbo.

And if you want the true arcade experience, get the Saturn version and get a Sega Mission Stick.  It is exactly like the arcade right down to the way the stick controls.  Or you could get the Sega 32X version which is exactly like the Saturn version except it is letterboxed, has a bit of slowdown, and no mission stick.

[Tatsujin]

great game though, but in comparison to its arcade pendant, no chance in terms of technical, visual and audio issues. it's like day and night.

[Keranu]

Good thread, there are a lot of things I agree and disagree with. The Turbo version was actually the first version I played (I think) and I have thoroughly enjoyed it ever since. It doesn't look quite as nice as the arcade version, but I enjoy the music most in the Turbo version and the controls feel even a little better on the Turbo version to me.

I think the Turbo version could be much better given the hardware.

I think most would agree with this. Maybe it would be a cool project in the future for a programmer (I'm pointing at you, Malducci) to try making a closer-to-arcade conversion.

Space Harrier 2 has a cleaner look, whereas the Turbo version looks mighty fuzzy and everything is much smaller.

I completely agree here and this was one of the first things I noticed when I first played Space Harrier 2. However I also completely agree with what nat wrote:

SH II features clunky scaling and sub-par graphics...

I have always found the scailing in SHII to look very choppy and I tend to prefer the graphics of the TG16's Space Harrier over it because of that.

Also, the checkerboard floor is missing, and the Turbo version is the ONLY version not to have it.  Instead we get horizontal stripes, and fashion designers warn against horizontal stripes like no tomorrow.

Agreed, what was up with the Turbo version not having the checkered floor? If the Master System could handle it, certainly the Turbo could. For an interesting side note, I think multiplayer mode on Final Lap Twin also only had horizontal lines while single player mode had a checkered floor. I can't remember if that was exactly the case, but I know there was some difference in the graphics between those modes.

The game sprites seem so small to me.

Agreed again, but I kind of liked the small sprites. It certainly takes away the arcade feel, but there is something I strangely like about them.

The music is pretty good but could be so much better even on a HuCard.

I think the music probably could've been a little better too on the technical side, but I still love music in it and as I already mentioned, I prefer the music in the Turbo version the most . I also agree with what nat said regarding the drum beats:

The music is a faithful reproduction of the arcade, though I don't care for NEC Avenue's "standard" white-noise drumbeats. They could've done better.

And I think we can all agree that the voices were awful in the Turbo version  . Certainly they could've done a much better job on them though.

Despite a few technical draw backs the Turbo version has, I still love it and I possibly consider it my favorite version. Shooting down trees, mushrooms, and ice skating robots just never felt so good after using a Turbo pad.

[nat]

OK I am a huge Space Harrier-o-phile and have been since Jesus programmed the game, so I have to comment.

Greetings, fellow Harrier-o-phile.

I have just about every version of Space Harrier you can get on US released machines, and that includes the Turbo version.  I think the Turbo version could be much better given the hardware.  It doesn't look anywhere near as good as Space Harrier 2 does.  Space Harrier 2 has a cleaner look, whereas the Turbo version looks mighty fuzzy and everything is much smaller.

Size of the sprites aside, I stand by my belief that the Turbo version looks better than SH II. As Keranu does, I kind of like the smaller sprites. To me, it feels like they took a "step back" and were able to fit "more" on screen. Plus, playing on the big screen, nothing is small at all. It's quite an engaging experience. I suppose I could see how things might look a little small on a 13" TV.

We all know the Turbo could've handled a bit more graphically, but remember this was a late '80s port released early in the life of the console. Imagine if we had seen a 1993/94 ACD port? Or a 1990/91 SuperGrafx port? For the vintage of the game, I'm still very impressed with the way it came out. Surely the best of the SEGA "Super Scaler" games that made their way to our console. Outrun was really good, and Afterburner II is good as well but suffers from a mild case of sprite flicker. Power Drift never grabbed me....

And I'm not sure I understand how things look fuzzy... They look pretty sharp to me! Are you playing using RF? 

I agree with all of your comments about Space Harrier 2, though... not as good as the original.  The Turbo version is faithful to the way the arcade plays, meaning the structure of the stages and whatnot.  But it also has clunky sprites.  They don't become as big on the screen as they do in Space Harrier 2, but by no means does it look like either hardware or software scaling.

I don't think they are all that clunky. Space Harrier II, for sure, has far worse "scaling" than Space Harrier on the Turbo does.

But I was actually referring to some of the bosses (the boss in "Drail", the Tomoth (?) boss in "Minia", and the stage 6 boss for instance) who zip in and out of the foreground very very fluidly.

Also, the checkerboard floor is missing, and the Turbo version is the ONLY version not to have it.  Instead we get horizontal stripes, and fashion designers warn against horizontal stripes like no tomorrow.

Yeah, I miss the checkerboard too. The stripes aren't all that bad, though. They grew on me over the years.

The music is pretty good but could be so much better even on a HuCard.  The voices are pretty bad.  You wouldn't know what they are saying if you didn't know beforehand.  I really wish Hudson handled this game.

I *didn't* know what they were saying for like three years or something. Those "voices" were the running household joke. Then I played Space Harrier for the first time in my local arcade and I was forever changed. To this day, I still wonder if they actually used real voice clips or if they simply tried to use white noise to simulate the voice. I wish they had an option on the Turbo version to turn them off.

Also, I don't remember any boss, enemy or stage in the game called "Barda".  I've beaten all versions (except Space Harrier 3D).  Do you mean "Valda"? 

Valda, Barda, what's the difference? But my Space Harrier manual says the dragon's name is "Barda". So there. 

Personally I like the Sega Master System version more than the Turbo version, it does so much more with the hardware, everything is much bigger.  You'd expect more from the Turbo.

I think here we are going to have to agree to disagree.

If we are talking technical good use of a console's resources, perhaps the SMS version takes the cake. But that merit aside, you can't even compare the SMS version to the Turbo version. It's like apples and oranges. The SMS version lacks so much color & detail. Plus all the sprites have those horrible boxes around them. See above for my feelings on large sprites vs. slightly smaller ones.

Have you played/do you own Space Harrier 3D and do you have the glasses for it? This is the one SMS game that actually intruiges me. I might buy a SMS just to get it. I've never played it, but the concept is fascinating. How does it stack up? Is the 3D effect convincing? More importantly, is the game fun?

Anyone here played Planet Harriers? It's an arcade-only sequel to the series. I saw a video somewhere of it and it doesn't look as fun as the originals. Lacks the Fantasy Zone color schemes and surreal feel.

[sunteam_paul]

Oh so much Space Harrier love! Great to hear as it has always been my favourite coin-op forever.

Strangely I have to agree about the Master System version being better - but I think for me it is because that is the version I learned the game with, and it made a big impact on me, the music especially was fantastic. It's certainly not technically better but it shifts a lot of big stuff around at quite a speed for the little SMS.

But the Engine version is a very admirable effort, especially given that the scaling is a lot better than Space Fantasy Zone which had no excuse because of the extra CD storage (being unfinished isn't an excuse either). There's something a little wrongish that I can't put my finger on but all in all a very fine attempt by NEC Avenue.

[Keranu]

I forgot to mention in my post that I didn't like the Master System version of Space Harrier. Unlike nat though, I thought the details in the graphics for the Master System version were awesome and actually closer to the arcade than the Turbo version if I recall. However what prevents me from playing the Master System version is the awful choppiness. For me, this really ruins the high speed, fluid fun of the original Space Harrier and it's ports. I don't blame it on the hardware though because I think they could've easily made the Harrier move less choppily.

Have you played/do you own Space Harrier 3D and do you have the glasses for it? This is the one SMS game that actually intruiges me. I might buy a SMS just to get it. I've never played it, but the concept is fascinating. How does it stack up? Is the 3D effect convincing? More importantly, is the game fun?

I haven't played Space Harrier 3D for the actual Master System, but a couple times for fun I have played it on an emulator (Meka) and wore my Master System 3D glasses with my Master System turned on so I could experience the 3D. I'm not sure if it's any better on the actual Master System, but it wasn't as cool as I was expecting, though it was ok. Certainly not nearly as 3D looking as some of the other 3D games. but definitely cool to watch.

But the Engine version is a very admirable effort, especially given that the scaling is a lot better than Space Fantasy Zone which had no excuse because of the extra CD storage (being unfinished isn't an excuse either). There's something a little wrongish that I can't put my finger on but all in all a very fine attempt by NEC Avenue.

I don't understand why people think Space Fantasy Zone (specifically the scailing) looks so bad. To me it always seemed to look just as good as the Space Harrier HuCard, except with better graphics. I think it's a really cool game, but I also agree with you that they should've utilized the extra RAM on the Super CD format.

[Joe Redifer]

OK first of all the Sega Master System version of Space Harrier doesn't use sprites except for Harrier himself and his gunshots.  That's it.  There are no other sprites in the game.  Have you noticed how much is on the screen, how large everything is and how nothing flickers?

Have you played/do you own Space Harrier 3D and do you have the glasses for it?  ...  How does it stack up? Is the 3D effect convincing? More importantly, is the game fun?

Yes, I have all 3D games for the SMS and I have the glasses.  Space Harrier 3D is very much like the first SMS game, but now it has backgrounds, all new stages and enemies.  The music was redone and most of it is pretty good.  The 3D effect is pretty damn good on a real SMS hooked up to a CRT TV (needed for the 3D effect).  Nothing beats Maze Hunter 3D's 3D effect, though.  Space Harrier 3D is DAMN HARD!  If it took you 8 years to beat the first game, it will take you 34 years to beat this one.

Anyone here played Planet Harriers?

It is a piece of crap and not a true Space Harrier game in my opinion.  Even the redone original Space Harrier for the PS2 is better.

And I'm not sure I understand how things look fuzzy... They look pretty sharp to me! Are you playing using RF?

What do you think I am, rich?  No way could I afford such luxuries like RF.  Instead I use the next best thing... component video.  The detail in Space Harrier 2 is better, though the colors in the TG-16 are MUCH better.

Valda, Barda, what's the difference? But my Space Harrier manual says the dragon's name is "Barda". So there.

You should have known your manual is wrong since if you've truly beaten the game, Valda's name appears onscreen right before you fight him since he is the final boss as well.  And since we are talking about final bosses, the SMS version has an extra final boss after Valda called Hiya Oh, and it has really cool music that's not in any other SH game!  It's two glowing dragons moving around simultaneously VERY fast... no time to be choppy.

[nat]

You should have known your manual is wrong since if you've truly beaten the game, Valda's name appears onscreen right before you fight him since he is the final boss as well. 

You got me, I haven't really beat it. 

Actually, there are quite a few differences between what the manual says characters names are and what rolls by in the end credits. "Dom"/"Doom" and "Vinzvean"/"Binsbean" come to mind. "Stanlay"/"Stanray" seems to ring a bell as well. I memorized most of the names from the manual when I was younger so that's what I generally remember 'em by.

And since we are talking about final bosses, the SMS version has an extra final boss after Valda called Hiya Oh, and it has really cool music that's not in any other SH game!  It's two glowing dragons moving around simultaneously VERY fast... no time to be choppy.

I played the SMS version again today (inspired by this thread) via emulation and an SFX gamepad I have hooked up to my computer. Better than I remember, but not much. The choppiness combined with overlapping enemy graphics make it harder and take some getting used to. I've never played through the SMS versioin, but maybe I will to see this Hiya Oh you speak of...

The 3D effect is pretty damn good on a real SMS hooked up to a CRT TV (needed for the 3D effect).

Does this not work via emulation for some reason?

[Black Tiger]

Barda is how the Japaners would spell Valda(kinda like 'Baris' series).

Maybe the PC Engine version or it's manual used Barda and it got translated straight across.

[Joe Redifer]

That sounds likely.

[Space Harrier 3D's 3D mode]  Does this not work via emulation for some reason?

Of course not, you need the LCD glasses which are powered by the SMS itself and switch eyes in sync with the onscreen image.  If you have an emulator and external glasses like Keranu talked about, the effect still wouldn't work very well because the glasses are not in sync with the image and if your refresh rate is not set to 59.94Hz it will be wrong.

I want to go and play through the Turbo version now.

[nat]

I had no idea the glasses had to be powered by the SMS. For some reason I was under the impression they were just glorified red/blue 3D glasses.

[TR0N]

Space Harrier:Still a classic.

Space Harrier II:Hmm ok but kind of meh.

Planet Harrier:Never played since it was arcade only.... damn you sega for not porting it 

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=P&game_id=9038

[esteban]

And since we are talking about final bosses, the SMS version has an extra final boss after Valda called Hiya Oh, and it has really cool music that's not in any other SH game!  It's two glowing dragons moving around simultaneously VERY fast... no time to be choppy.

I played the SMS version again today (inspired by this thread) via emulation and an SFX gamepad I have hooked up to my computer. Better than I remember, but not much. The choppiness combined with overlapping enemy graphics make it harder and take some getting used to. I've never played through the SMS versioin, but maybe I will to see this Hiya Oh you speak of...

OK, I might as well chime in, since this was one of my favorite games on tg-16 back in the day (some of you might know the uber-nerdy things I did concerning Space Harrier).

Anyway, I love SMS Space Harrier... but if I had to choose my favorite, it would be the tg-16 version. The reason is simple: the tg-16 version plays so damn nice. It is a pleasure to play, truly. The SMS does not feel as polished; the controls are not as tight.

Forget about the graphics, the colors, etc. etc.: Which version allows you to become "one with the game" and offers a zen-like experience?

Also, one thing that no one has mentioned yet is that Space Harrier has, IMO, incredible replay value. I've played this game (and many other installments) a zillion times... and yet, I really don't get sick of it. While there are many games that I have played obsessively for relatively short periods of time, there are few titles that I routinely go back to. Space Harrier is that rare breed.