Space Harrier#Ports

File:Space Harrier Gameplay.png

Space Harrier is a fast-paced rail shooter game played in a third-person perspective behind the protagonist, set in a surreal world composed of brightly colored landscapes adorned with checkerboard-style grounds and stationary objects such as trees or stone pillars. At the start of gameplay, players are greeted with a voice sample speaking "Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get ready!", in addition to "You're doing great!" with the successful completion of a stage. The title player character, simply named Harrier,{{#tag:ref|Often called "the Harrier" as a title instead of a proper name,{{cite web|url=http://www.racketboy.com/together-retro/together-retro-game-club-space-harrier|title=Together Retro Game Club: Space Harrier|author=Racketboy (Nick Reichert)|work=racketboy.com|date=December 1, 2014|access-date=October 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010212222/http://www.racketboy.com/together-retro/together-retro-game-club-space-harrier|archive-date=October 10, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} he is named "Harri" in several United Kingdom home releases of the game.{{cite web|url=http://www.dcshooters.co.uk/sega/saturn/spaceharrier/spaceharrier.php|title=Space Harrier|work=dcshooters.co.uk|access-date=September 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724104359/http://www.dcshooters.co.uk/sega/saturn/spaceharrier/spaceharrier.php|archive-date=July 24, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}|group="note"}} navigates a continuous series of eighteen distinct stages{{cite web|url=http://www.dcshooters.co.uk/sega/saturn/spaceharrier/stages.html|title=Space Harrier Stages|work=dcshooters.co.uk|access-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061012105821/http://dcshooters.co.uk/sega/saturn/spaceharrier/stages.html|archive-date=October 12, 2006|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} while utilizing an underarm jet-propelled laser cannon that enables Harrier to simultaneously fly and shoot. The objective is simply to destroy all enemies—who range from prehistoric animals and Chinese dragons to flying robots, airborne geometric objects and alien pods—all while remaining in constant motion in order to dodge projectiles and immovable ground obstacles.

Fifteen of the game's eighteen stages contain a boss at the end that must be killed in order to progress to the next level; the final stage is a rush of seven past bosses encountered up to that point that appear individually and are identified by name at the bottom of the screen. The two other levels are bonus stages that contain no enemies and where Harrier mounts an invincible catlike dragon named Uriah,{{#tag:ref|This proper spelling appears in gameplay of the arcade and Master System versions and Space Harrier 3-D, but is written as "Euria" in the Master System instruction manual and on both the packaging and manual for Space Harrier 3-D.{{cite web|url=https://segaretro.org/images/0/05/Spaceharrier3d_sms_us_manual.pdf#page=1|title=Space Harrier 3-D instruction manual|work=Sega Retro|date=September 15, 2016|access-date=September 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916042737/https://segaretro.org/images/0/05/Spaceharrier3d_sms_us_manual.pdf#page=1|archive-date=September 16, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=https://segaretro.org/File:SpaceHarrier3D_US_cover.jpg|title=Space Harrier 3-D packaging|work=Sega Retro|date=4 July 2013|access-date=September 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916040708/https://segaretro.org/File:SpaceHarrier3D_US_cover.jpg|archive-date=September 16, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} Both spellings appear in the latter game: "Dark Uriah" serves as the final boss, but "Euria" is seen in the game's ending text.|group="note"}} whom the player maneuvers to smash through landscape obstacles and collect bonus points. After all lives are lost, players have the option of continuing gameplay with the insertion of an extra coin. As Space Harrier has no storyline, after the completion of all stages, only "The End" is displayed before the game returns to the title screen and attract mode, regardless of how many of the player's extra lives remain.{{cite web|url=http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9660|title=Space Harrier - Videogame by Sega|work=Killer List of Videogames|access-date=September 30, 2016}}

{{quote box|width=285px|align=left|The market research department told me not to make the game. I asked them why [3D shooters] didn't succeed and they told me it was because the target is too small. Based on that, my conclusion was that I basically had to make sure the player could hit the target. So, I made a homing system that guaranteed that the target could be hit. When the target was close, it would always hit, but when the target was in the distance, the player would miss. So the result of whether the player would hit the target or not was determined the second the player took the shot.|source=—Yu Suzuki, 2010{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-2?pager.offset=4|title=The Disappearance of Yu Suzuki: Part 2|first=James|last=Mielke|work=1UP.com|date=December 8, 2010|access-date=September 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604000840/http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-2?pager.offset=4|archive-date=June 4, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}}}

The game was first conceived by a Sega designer named Ida, who wrote a 100-page document proposing the idea of a three-dimensional shooter that contained the word "Harrier" in the title. The game would feature a player-controlled fighter jet that shot missiles into realistic foregrounds, a concept that was soon rejected due to the extensive work required to project the aircraft realistically from varying angles as it moved around the screen, coupled with arcade machines' memory limitations. Sega developer Yu Suzuki therefore simplified the title character to a human, which required less memory and realism to depict onscreen.{{cite web|url=http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1061246#p1061180|title=Yu Suzuki interview|author=Konstantin Govorun |display-authors=etal |work=Strana Igr (Russian; translated and reprinted on ShenmueDojo.net)|publisher=Gameland|date=November 2013|access-date=September 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012204212/http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1061246#p1061180|archive-date=October 12, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} He then rewrote the entire original proposal, changing the style of the game to a science-fiction setting while keeping only the "Harrier" name. His inspirations for the game's new design were the 1984 film The Neverending Story, the 1982 anime series Space Cobra, and the work of artist Roger Dean. Certain enemies were modelled on characters from the anime series Gundam.{{cite magazine|author1=Nick Thorpe|author2=Yu Suzuki|date=August 13, 2015|title=The Making Of: Space Harrier|url=https://issuu.com/michelfranca/docs/retro_gamer____145/1?ff|magazine=Retro Gamer|location=Bournemouth|publisher=Imagine Publishing|issue=145|pages=22–31|issn=1742-3155}} Suzuki included a nod to the original designer in the finished product with an enemy character called Ida, a large moai-like floating stone head, because the designer "had a really big head". Three different arcade cabinets were produced: an upright cabinet, a sit-down version with a fixed seat, and its best known{{cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/games/11978/the-lost-thrill-of-the-cockpit-arcade-cabinet|title=The lost thrill of the cockpit arcade cabinet|first=Ryan|last=Lambie|work=Den of Geek|date=June 3, 2010|access-date=October 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003110408/http://www.denofgeek.com/games/11978/the-lost-thrill-of-the-cockpit-arcade-cabinet|archive-date=October 3, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} incarnation: a deluxe cockpit-style rolling cabinet that was mounted on a motorised base and moved depending on the direction in which players pushed the joystick. Sega was hesitant to have the cabinets built due to high construction costs; Suzuki, who had proposed the cabinet designs, offered his salary as compensation if the game failed, but it would instead become a major hit in arcades.{{cite book| title=The Ultimate History of Video Games|first=Steven|last = Kent|authorlink = Steven L. Kent|page=501|publisher=Three Rivers Press|isbn = 0761536434| year = 2001}}

Suzuki had little involvement with the game after its initial release: the Master System port was developed by Mutsuhiro Fujii and Yuji Naka, and they added a final boss and an ending sequence which were included in subsequent ports. The game was too successful for Sega to abandon the series, and other Sega staff, such as Naoto Ohshima (character designer for Sonic the Hedgehog), Kotaro Hayashida (planner of Alex Kidd in Miracle World), and Toshihiro Nagoshi (director of Super Monkey Ball) have had involvement in various sequels. In a 2015 interview, Suzuki said that he would have liked to create a new Space Harrier by himself, and was pleased to see it ported to the Nintendo 3DS.

File:Spaceharrier.jpg

Space Harrier was one of the first arcade releases to use 16-bit graphics and scaled sprite ("Super Scaler") technologyJohn D. Vince (ed.) (2003), Handbook of Computer Animation (p. 4-5), Springer-Verlag, {{ISBN|978-1-4471-1106-1}} that allowed pseudo-3D sprite scaling at high frame rates,{{cite web |title=IGN Presents the History of SEGA |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=3 |first=Travis |last=Fahs |website=IGN |page=3 |date=21 April 2009 |access-date=1 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118014947/http://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=3 |archive-date=18 January 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}} with the ability to display 32,000 colors on screen. Running on the Sega Space Harrier arcade system board{{cite web|url=http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=696|title=Sega Space Harrier Hardware (Sega)|work=System 16|access-date=September 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103201407/http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=696|archive-date=January 3, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} previously used in Suzuki's 1985 arcade debut Hang-On, pseudo-3D sprite/tile scaling is used for the stage backgrounds while the character graphics are sprite-based. Suzuki explained in 2010 that his designs "were always 3D from the beginning. All the calculations in the system were 3D, even from Hang-On. I calculated the position, scale, and zoom rate in 3D and converted it backwards to 2D. So I was always thinking in 3D".{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1|title=The Disappearance of Yu Suzuki: Part 1|first=James|last=Mielke|work=1UP.com|date=December 7, 2010|access-date=August 11, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726145937/http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1|archive-date=July 26, 2015}}

The game's soundtrack is by Hiroshi Kawaguchi, who composed drafts on a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and wrote out the final versions as sheet music, as he had no access to a "real" music sequencer at the time.{{cite web|author=blackoak|url=http://shmuplations.com/sst/|title=The Rock Stars of Sega – 2009 Composer Interview|work=shmuplations.com|date=2009|access-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008174733/http://shmuplations.com/sst/|archive-date=October 8, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} A Zilog Z80 CPU powering both a Yamaha YM2203 synthesis chip and Sega's PCM unit that was used for audio and digitized voice samples. Space Harrier utilized an analog flight stick as its controller that allowed onscreen movement in all directions, while the velocity of the character's flight is unchangeable. The degree of push and acceleration varies depending on how far the stick is moved in a certain direction.{{cite web |title=Space Harrier Retrospective |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/09/05/space-harrier-retrospective?page=1 |first=Levi |last=Buchanan |website=IGN |date=5 September 2008 |access-date=1 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009202219/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/09/05/space-harrier-retrospective?page=1 |archive-date=9 October 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}} Two separate "fire" buttons are mounted on the joystick (a trigger) and on the control panel; either one can be pressed repeatedly in order to shoot at enemies.

The deluxe arcade cabinet is a cockpit-style motion simulator cabinet that pitches and rolls during play, for which it is referred to as a taikan ("body sensation") arcade game in Japan. It is often mistakenly referred to as a hydraulic cabinet, as a pair of motorized linear actuators in the base tilted the cabinet in two axes.{{cn|date=January 2024}}

Space Harrier has been ported to numerous home computer systems and gaming consoles, with most early translations unable to reproduce the original's advanced visual or audio capabilities while the controls were switched from analog to digital. The first port was released in 1986 for the Master System (Mark III in Japan), developed by Sega AM R&D 4.{{cite web|url=http://www.sega-16.com/2006/01/history-of-space-harrier/|title=History of: Space Harrier|first=Ken|last=Horowitz|work=Sega-16|date=January 3, 2006|access-date=September 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915001634/http://www.sega-16.com/2006/01/history-of-space-harrier/|archive-date=September 15, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} The first two-megabit cartridge produced for the console, the game was given a plot in which Harrier saves the "Land of the Dragons" (rather than the "Fantasy Zone") from destruction, with a new ending sequence in contrast to the arcade version's simple "The End" message.{{cite web|url=http://segaretro.org/images/8/86/Spaceharrier_sms_us_manual.pdf|title=Space Harrier Master System manual|work=Sega Retro|access-date=August 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812093027/http://segaretro.org/images/8/86/Spaceharrier_sms_us_manual.pdf|archive-date=August 12, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} All eighteen stages were present but the backdrops therein were omitted, leaving just a monochromatic horizon and the checkerboard floors. An exclusive final boss was included in a powerful twin-bodied fire dragon named Haya Oh, who was named after then-Sega president Hayao Nakayama.{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/spaceharrier/spaceharrier.htm|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Space Harrier|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|work=hardcoregaming101.net|date=December 8, 2013|access-date=August 11, 2016}} Hayo Oh has also been included as a boss in the Game Gear,[https://web.archive.org/web/20250120023555/https://monozukigame.hatenadiary.com/entry/2018/10/06/175811 Space Harrier (Game Gear) article from 2018-10-06 (In Japanese)] X68000 and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game.[https://web.archive.org/web/20230204010329/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/space-harrier-2/ Space Harrier Posted by Kurt Kalata on August 1, 2017] The 1991 Game Gear port is based on its Master System counterpart, but with redesigned enemies and only twelve stages, while Rutubo Games produced a near-duplicate of the arcade version in 1994 for the 32X add-on for the Sega Genesis.{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/17/space-harrier-review|title=Space Harrier Review|work=IGN|date=2008-11-17|access-date=2016-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625144759/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/17/space-harrier-review|archive-date=2016-06-25|url-status=live}} Both games featured box art by Marc Ericksen.{{cite web|url=https://retrogamingaddict.wordpress.com/dossiers/boxarts-illustrators/marc-william-ericksen/|title=Marc William Ericksen|work=Retrogaming Addict|date=10 February 2015 |language=fr|access-date=30 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014022152/https://retrogamingaddict.wordpress.com/dossiers/boxarts-illustrators/marc-william-ericksen/|archive-date=14 October 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

Other releases were developed for non-Sega gaming systems such as the TurboGrafx-16 and the Famicom, while Europe and North America saw 8-bit home computer ports by Elite Systems for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 in 1986, and later in 1989 for the 16-bit Amiga and Atari ST. The Commodore 64 received two conversions, one originating in the UK and the other from the USA.{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/18/antique_code_show_space_harrier/|title=Vertical take-off and laughing: Space Harrier|first=Giles|last=Hill|work=The Register|date=February 18, 2014|access-date=October 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827153926/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/18/antique_code_show_space_harrier/|archive-date=August 27, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

M2, in collaboration with Sega CS3, ported Space Harrier to the handheld Nintendo 3DS console in 2013, complete with stereoscopic 3D and widescreen graphics—a process that took eighteen months.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/sega-bring-classic-titles-3ds-starting-3d-space-harrier-first-screens-here/ |title=Sega to bring classic titles to 3DS, starting with 3D Space Harrier |publisher=GamesRadar |date=2012-11-21 |access-date=2014-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204143833/http://www.gamesradar.com/sega-bring-classic-titles-3ds-starting-3d-space-harrier-first-screens-here/ |archive-date=2013-12-04 |url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/23/sega-3d-classics-review-from-streets-of-rage-to-space-harrier-4239764/|title=Sega 3D Classics review – from Streets Of Rage to Space Harrier|first=David|last=Jenkins|work=metro.co.uk|date=December 23, 2013|access-date=September 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914184737/http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/23/sega-3d-classics-review-from-streets-of-rage-to-space-harrier-4239764/|archive-date=September 14, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/30/3d-altered-beast-developers-talk-about-adapting-genesis-games-and-whimsical-transformations/|title=3D Altered Beast Developers Talk About Adapting Genesis And Arcade Games For 3DS|author=Sato|work=Siliconera|date=May 30, 2013|access-date=September 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725095919/http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/30/3d-altered-beast-developers-talk-about-adapting-genesis-games-and-whimsical-transformations/|archive-date=July 25, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} Sega CS3 producer Yosuke Okunari described the game's 3D-conversion process as "almost impossible. When you take a character sprite that was originally in 2D and bring it into a 3D viewpoint, you have to build the graphic from scratch".{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/11/m2_bringing_space_harrier_to_3ds_was_almost_impossible_but_its_the_definitive_version|title=M2: Bringing Space Harrier To 3DS Was 'Almost Impossible', But It's 'The Definitive Version'|first=Joshua|last=Phillips|work=Nintendo Life|date=November 26, 2013|access-date=September 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916040935/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/11/m2_bringing_space_harrier_to_3ds_was_almost_impossible_but_its_the_definitive_version|archive-date=September 16, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} During development, M2 president Naoki Horii sought opinions from staff members regarding the gameplay of the arcade original: "They'd say it was hard to tell whether objects were right in front of their character or not. Once we had the game in 3D, the same people came back and said, 'OK, now I get it! I can play it now!'" The port included a feature that allowed players to use the 3DS's gyroscope to simulate the experience of the original motorised cabinet by way of a tilting screen,{{cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/19/3d-space-harrier-coming-on-december-26-simulates-moving-arcade-cabinets/|title=3D Space Harrier Coming On December 26, Simulates Moving Arcade Cabinets|work=Siliconera|date=December 19, 2012|access-date=October 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726215044/http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/19/3d-space-harrier-coming-on-december-26-simulates-moving-arcade-cabinets/|archive-date=July 26, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} compounded by the optional activation of the sounds of button clicks and the cabinet's movement. Horii recalled in a 2015 interview that he was intrigued by the possibility of crafting Space Harrier and past Sega arcade games for the 3DS using stereoscopic technology: "Both SEGA and M2 wanted to see what would happen if we added a little bit of spice to these titles, in the form of modern gaming technology. Would it enhance the entertainment factor? I think the reception that the releases have had from critics highlights that these games are as relevant today as ever, and that means we've succeeded".{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-classic-mechanics-of-streets-of-rage-2-are-never-getting-old-040/|title=The Classic Game 'Streets of Rage 2' Will Never Get Old|first=Mike|last=Diver|work=Vice.com|date=July 23, 2015|access-date=October 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722064028/http://www.vice.com/read/the-classic-mechanics-of-streets-of-rage-2-are-never-getting-old-040|archive-date=July 22, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

{{Video game reviews

| MC = 70/100 (3DS){{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/space-harrier/critic-reviews/?platform=3ds |title=3D Space Harrier for 3DS Reviews |work=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom |access-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006204159/http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/3d-space-harrier |archive-date=October 6, 2016 |url-status=live}}
74/100 (Switch){{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/space-harrier/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch |title=Sega Ages: Space Harrier for Switch Reviews |work=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom |access-date=March 23, 2023}}

| Allgame = 4.5/5 (32X){{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1388&tab=review |title=Space Harrier - Review |first=Christopher Michael |last=Baker |work=AllGame |access-date=November 14, 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114235136/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1388&tab=review |archive-date=November 14, 2014}}
2.5/5 (PC){{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=41613 |title=Space Harrier - Overview |first=Scott Alan |last=Marriott |work=AllGame |date=14 November 2014 |access-date=September 25, 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114131434/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=41613 |archive-date=14 November 2014}}
4.5/5 (SMS){{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1789&tab=review |title=Space Harrier - Review |work=AllGame |date=November 15, 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115043158/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1789&tab=review |archive-date=November 15, 2014}}
3/5 (T16){{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=15813 |title=Space Harrier - Overview |work=AllGame |date=14 November 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114132639/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=15813 |archive-date=14 November 2014}}
3/5 (Wii){{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=69958 |title=Space Harrier (Virtual Console) |work=AllGame |access-date=September 25, 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114131531/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=69958 |archive-date=November 14, 2014}}

| NGen = 3/5 (32X)

| CRASH = 77% (ZX){{cite web|url=http://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/Crash/Issue36/Pages/Crash3600028.jpg|title=Reviews: Space Harrier|first=Keith|last=Burkhill|work=Crash|publisher=World of Spectrum|date=December 1986|access-date=March 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001085233/http://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/Crash/Issue36/Pages/Crash3600028.jpg|archive-date=October 1, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

| CVG = Positive (arcade)
82% (Amiga){{cite web|url=http://retrocdn.net/images/c/c2/CVG_UK_090.pdf#page=55|first=Eugene|last=Lacey|title=Space Harrier Review (Amiga)|publisher=Computer and Video Games (April 1989), p. 55|access-date=September 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927035205/http://retrocdn.net/images/c/c2/CVG_UK_090.pdf#page=55|archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
35/40 (CPC){{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-063/page/n13/mode/2up|title=Space Harrier: Welcome to the Fantasy Zone|first=Keith|last=Burkhill|magazine=Computer and Video Games|issue=63|pages=14–15|date=January 1987}}
78% (SMS)Computer and Video Games, Complete Guide to Consoles, volume 1, page 71
89% (T16){{cite magazine |last1=Rignall |first1=Julian |title=Mean Machines: Space Harrier (PC Engine) |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=16 March 1989 |issue=90 (April 1989) |page=108 |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-090/page/n107/mode/2up?view=theater}}
34/40 (ZX)

| GamePro = 4/5 (32X)

| GSpy = 9/10 (SMS){{cite web|url=http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/sms/sharrier.htm |title=Classic Review Archive - Space Harrier |first=Kurt |last=Kalata |work=GameSpy |date=April 8, 2008 |access-date=September 30, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408021728/http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/sms/sharrier.htm |archive-date=April 8, 2008}}

| IGN = 4.5/10 (Wii){{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/04/space-harrier-review-2|first=Lucas M.|last=Thomas|title=Space Harrier Review|work=IGN.com|date=November 3, 2008|access-date=September 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001181113/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/04/space-harrier-review-2|archive-date=October 1, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

| MIC = 8/10 (SMS){{cite magazine |title=Space Harrier |magazine=Micromanía |date=June 1987 |issue=24 |page=66 |url=https://archive.org/details/micromania-segunda-epocha-24/page/n65/mode/1up |language=Spanish}}

| SUser = Positive (arcade){{cite magazine |last=Edgeley |first=Clare |title=The Arcade Coin-Op Giants for 1987 |magazine=Sinclair User |date=18 January 1987 |issue=59 (February 1987) |pages=92–6 |url=https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-059/page/n91/mode/1up}}
5/5 (ZX){{cite web|url=https://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/SinclairUser/Issue057/Pages/SinclairUser05700036.jpg|title=Space Harrier|first=Graham|last=Taylor|work=Sinclair User, p. 36-37|date=December 1986|access-date=March 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002063055/http://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/SinclairUser/Issue057/Pages/SinclairUser05700036.jpg|archive-date=October 2, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

| TILT = 16/20 (SMS){{cite magazine |title=Banzai |magazine=Tilt |date=December 1987 |issue=49 |pages=106–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/Tilt049/page/n105/mode/2up |lang=fr}}

| YSinclair = 9/10 (ZX){{cite web|url=https://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/YourSinclair/Issue15/Pages/YourSinclair1500030.jpg|title=Space Harrier|first=Rachael|last=Smith|work=Your Sinclair, p. 30|date=March 1987|access-date=March 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002025325/http://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/YourSinclair/Issue15/Pages/YourSinclair1500030.jpg|archive-date=October 2, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

| Z64 = 85% (Amiga){{cite magazine |title=Amiga: Space Harrier |magazine=Zzap!64 |date=16 March 1989 |issue=48 (April 1989) |pages=22–3 |url=https://archive.org/details/zzap64-magazine-048/page/n21/mode/2up}}

| rev1 = Computer Gamer

| rev1Score = Positive (arcade)

| rev2 = Gamest

| rev2Score = 19/24 (arcade)

}}

The game was commercially successful upon its initial arcade release. Sega unveiled Space Harrier at the 1985 Amusement Machine Show in Japan, where it was the most popular game.{{cite web|url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=1027&image=4|title=Space Harrier|work=The Arcade Flyer Archive|access-date=October 1, 2016}} In January 1986, Game Machine listed Space Harrier as being the top-grossing title on the monthly upright/cockpit arcade cabinet charts in Japan.{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=276|publisher=Amusement Press|date=15 January 1986|page=21|lang=ja}} It remained at the top of the upright/cockpit arcade charts for much of 1986, through February,{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=276|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 February 1986|page=21|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860201p.pdf#page=11}}{{cite magazine|date=15 February 1986|title=Best Hit Games 25|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860215p.pdf#page=11|magazine=Game Machine|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|issue=277|page=21|lang=ja}} March{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=278|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 March 1986|page=23|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860301p.pdf#page=12}}{{cite magazine|date=15 March 1986|title=Best Hit Games 25|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860315p.pdf#page=11|magazine=Game Machine|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|issue=279|page=21|lang=ja}} and early April,{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=280|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 April 1986|page=21|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860401p.pdf#page=11}} then returning to the top in May,{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=282|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 May 1986|page=19|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860501p.pdf#page=10}}{{cite magazine|date=15 May 1986|title=Best Hit Games 25|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860515p.pdf#page=11|magazine=Game Machine|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|issue=283|page=21|lang=ja}} remaining at the top through June,{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=284|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 June 1986|page=21|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860601p.pdf#page=11}}{{cite magazine|date=15 June 1986|title=Best Hit Games 25|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860615p.pdf#page=11|magazine=Game Machine|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|issue=285|page=21|lang=ja}} July{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=286|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 July 1986|page=25|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860701p.pdf#page=13}}{{cite magazine|date=15 July 1986|title=Best Hit Games 25|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860715p.pdf#page=15|magazine=Game Machine|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|issue=287|page=29|lang=ja}} and August,{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=288|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 August 1986|page=25|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860801p.pdf#page=13}} and then topping the charts again in October.{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=Game Machine|issue=293|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 October 1986|page=31|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19861015p.pdf#page=16}} Overall, the Space Harrier rolling type cabinet was Japan's second highest-grossing upright/cockpit arcade cabinet during the first half of 1986 (below only Hang-On),{{cite magazine |title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '86 上半期 |trans-title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: First Half '86 |magazine=Game Machine |issue=288 |publisher=Amusement Press, Inc. |date=15 July 1986 |page=28 |lang=ja |url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860715p.pdf#page=15}} and the overall highest-grossing upright/cockpit arcade game during the latter half of 1986.{{cite magazine |title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '86 下半期 |trans-title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: Second Half '86 |magazine=Game Machine |issue=300 |publisher=Amusement Press, Inc. |date=15 January 1987 |page=16 |lang=ja |url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19870115p.pdf#page=9}} It was later Japan's seventh highest upright/cockpit arcade game of 1987.

The arcade game was positively received by critics upon release. Reviewing the game at the 1986 Amusement Trades Exhibition International in London, Clare Edgeley of Computer and Video Games hailed it as a "crowd stopper" due to its "realistic" moving cockpit, graphical capabilities and "amazing technicolour landscapes" but cautioned: "Unless you are an expert, you will find it very difficult".{{cite magazine|url=http://www.solvalou.com/subpage/arcade_reviews/31/320/space_harrier_review.html|title=Arcade Action|first=Clare|last=Edgeley|magazine=Computer and Video Games|issue=53 (March 1986)|date=16 February 1986|access-date=October 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119123318/http://www.solvalou.com/subpage/arcade_reviews/31/320/space_harrier_review.html|archive-date=November 19, 2016|url-status=live}} Mike Roberts of Computer Gamer magazine praised the "extremely good" graphics, the "quite good" 3D effects, and the cockpit simulator cabinet.{{cite magazine |last1=Roberts |first1=Mike |title=Coin-Op Connection |magazine=Computer Gamer |date=March 1986 |issue=12 |pages=26–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_12_1986-03_Argus_Press_GB/page/n25}} The July 1986 issue of Japanese magazine Gamest ranked Space Harrier at number one on its list of best Sega arcade games.{{cite magazine |title=Best 10 |magazine=Gamest |date=18 June 1986 |issue=2 (July 1986) |page=24 |url=https://archive.org/details/gamest0002/page/n27 |lang=ja}}

The game was also positively received upon its home releases. The home computer conversion of Space Harrier was in the top five of the UK sales chart in December 1986,{{cite magazine |title=The Charts |magazine=Your Computer |volume=7 |issue=3 |date=March 1987 |page=16 |url=https://archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1987-03/page/n15}} and was tied as runner-up with the Commodore 64 title Uridium for Game of the Year honors at the 1986 Golden Joystick Awards.

Ed Semrad of The Milwaukee Journal gave the Master System port a 9/10 rating,{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19870516&id=vosfAAAAIBAJ&pg=6459,103131|title='Harrier's' big memory has its good, bad sides|first=Edward|last=Semrad|work=The Milwaukee Journal|date=May 16, 1987|access-date=September 30, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} and Computer Gaming World deemed it "the best arcade shoot-'em-up of the year ... as exciting a game as this reviewer has ever played".{{cite magazine|author1=Worley, Joyce|author2=Katz, Arnie|author3=Kunkel, Bill|date=September 1988|title=Video Gaming World|pages=50–51|magazine=Computer Gaming World|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_51/page/n49/mode/2up}} Phil Campbell of The Sydney Morning Herald praised the 1989 Amiga conversion as "absorbing" and "a faithful copy of the original".{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19890515&id=rzJWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4169,4921830&hl=en|title=Dragon dodging delights|first=Phil|last=Campbell|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=May 15, 1989|access-date=September 24, 2016}} Computer and Video Games called the port "an entirely unpretentious computer game full of weird and wacky nasties". Paul Mellerick of Sega Force wrote that the Game Gear version was "amazingly close to the original ... the scrolling's the speediest and smoothest ever seen".{{cite web|url=http://www.smspower.org/Scans/SegaForce-Magazine-Issue03?gallerypage=54|title=Reviewed!: Space Harrier|first=Paul|last=Mellerick|work=Sega Force (p. 54)|date=March 1992|access-date=September 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002025535/http://www.smspower.org/Scans/SegaForce-Magazine-Issue03?gallerypage=54|archive-date=October 2, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} GamePro commented that the 32X version had "straightforward controls", graphics relatively close to the arcade version, and was "a nice trip down memory lane",{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/sites/default/files/Media/Gamepro/32X/GamePro_Issue069_April_1995-060.jpg |title=ProReview: Space Harrier |magazine=GamePro |issue=69 |publisher=IDG |date=April 1995 |page=58 |access-date=2016-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927141745/http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/sites/default/files/Media/Gamepro/32X/GamePro_Issue069_April_1995-060.jpg |archive-date=2016-09-27 |url-status=live}} while Next Generation dubbed it as decent, solid game.{{cite magazine|date=February 1995|title=Finals|url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-002/page/n93/mode/2up|magazine=Next Generation|publisher=Imagine Media|issue=2|page=93}} AllGame called the game "a must-have" title for 32X system.

Lucas Thomas of IGN rated the 2008 Wii port a 4.5 score out of 10, citing its "poor visuals and poor control" and "dulled" color palette. Jeff Gerstmann of Giant Bomb, in his review of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, criticized the Space Harrier emulation's "numerous audio issues that make it sound completely different from the way the original game sounds". Bob Mackey of USGamer was critical to Nintendo 3DS port.{{cite web|url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/welcome-to-the-fantasy-zone-3d-space-harrier-review|title=Welcome to the Fantasy Zone: 3D Space Harrier Review|first=Bob|last=Mackey|work=USGamer|date=November 29, 2013|access-date=September 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013031957/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/welcome-to-the-fantasy-zone-3d-space-harrier-review|archive-date=October 13, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

The game continues to garner praise for its audio, visual, and gameplay features.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamezone.com/originals/rail-shooters-every-fan-should-own|title=Rail Shooters Every Fan Should Own|first=Brian|last=Rowe|work=Gamezone|date=September 27, 2011|access-date=September 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923034701/http://www.gamezone.com/originals/rail-shooters-every-fan-should-own|archive-date=September 23, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://nintendowire.com/blog/2015/12/20/sega-sunday-space-harrier/|title=Sega Sunday: Space Harrier|first=Tom|last=Brown|work=Nintendo Wire|date=December 20, 2015|access-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010131121/http://nintendowire.com/blog/2015/12/20/sega-sunday-space-harrier/|archive-date=October 10, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} GameSetWatch's Trevor Wilson remarked in 2006: "It's easy to see why the game is so well-loved to this day, with its blinding speed and classic tunes".{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/06/column_compilation_catalog_seg_1.php|title=COLUMN: 'Compilation Catalog' - Sega Ages 2500: Space Harrier II|first=Trevor|last=Wilson|work=GameSetWatch|date=June 28, 2006|access-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714114456/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/06/column_compilation_catalog_seg_1.php|archive-date=July 14, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} In 2008, Retro Gamer editor Darran Jones described the game as "difficult", but "a thing of beauty [that] even today ... possesses a striking elegance that urges you to return to it for just one more go".{{cite web|url=http://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games80/space-harrier/|title=Space Harrier|first=Darran|last=Jones|work=Retro Gamer|date=July 16, 2008|access-date=October 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005221200/http://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games80/space-harrier/|archive-date=October 5, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} That same year, IGN's Levi Buchanan opined: "Even today, Space Harrier is a sight to behold, a hellzapoppin' explosion of light, color, and imagination". Eric Twice of Snackbar Games noted in 2013: "It's easy to just see it as just a game in which you press the button and things die, but Suzuki is a very conscious designer. He has a very specific vision behind each of his games, and nothing in them is ever left to chance".{{cite web|url=http://www.snackbar-games.com/features/flashback-space-harriers-a-model-of-suzuki-precision/|title=Flashback: Space Harrier's a model of Suzuki precision|first=Eric|last=Twice|work=Snackbar Games|date=May 24, 2013|access-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927063421/http://www.snackbar-games.com/features/flashback-space-harriers-a-model-of-suzuki-precision/|archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} In a 2013 Eurogamer retrospective on the series, Rich Stanton observed: "The speed at which Space Harrier moves has rarely been matched. It's not an easy thing to design a game around. Many other games have fast parts, or certain mechanics tied to speed—and it's interesting to note how many take control away at this point. Every time I play Space Harrier ... the speed blows me away one more time. It is a monster".{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-07-space-harrier-retrospective|title=Space Harrier retrospective|first=Rich|last=Stanton|work=Eurogamer.net|date=July 7, 2013|access-date=September 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001192132/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-07-space-harrier-retrospective|archive-date=October 1, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

Eric Francisco of Inverse described the game's visuals in 2015: "Imagine an acid trip through an '80s anime, a Robert Jordan novel, and early Silicon Valley binge coding sessions".{{cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/4594-retro-game-replay-space-harrier-1985|title=RETRO GAME REPLAY 'Space Harrier' (1985)|first=Eric|last=Francisco|work=Inverse.com|date=July 15, 2015|access-date=September 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923021626/https://www.inverse.com/article/4594-retro-game-replay-space-harrier-1985|archive-date=September 23, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} GamesRadar ranked the arcade original's bonus stage among the "25 best bonus levels of all time" in 2014, likening it to players piloting The Neverending Story's dragon character Falkor.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/the-16-best-bonus-levels-of-all-time/|title=The 25 best bonus levels of all time|first1=Justin|last1=Towell|first2=Lucas|last2=Sullivan|work=GamesRadar|date=March 31, 2014|access-date=September 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012213050/http://www.gamesradar.com/the-16-best-bonus-levels-of-all-time/|archive-date=October 12, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} Kotaku named the Space Harrier tribute stage from Bayonetta in their 2013 selection of "the trippiest video game levels".{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5981361/the-trippiest-video-game-levels|title=The Trippiest Video Game Levels|first=Gergo|last=Vas|work=Kotaku|date=February 4, 2013|access-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927014104/http://kotaku.com/5981361/the-trippiest-video-game-levels|archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} Also in 2013, Hanuman Welch of Complex included Space Harrier among the ten Sega games he felt warranted a "modern reboot", citing its "kinetic pace that would be welcome on today's systems".{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/11/sega-games-desperate-modern-reboot/panz|title=10 Sega Games Desperate for a Modern Reboot|first=Hanuman|last=Welch|work=Complex.com|date=November 10, 2013|access-date=September 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127224906/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/11/sega-games-desperate-modern-reboot/panz|archive-date=January 27, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

Space Harrier spawned two home-system sequels in 1988. The Master System exclusive Space Harrier 3-D utilized Sega's SegaScope 3-D glasses, and featured the same gameplay and visuals as the port of the original game while containing new stage, enemy, and boss designs. Space Harrier II was one of six launch titles for the Japanese debut of the Mega Drive (Sega Genesis), and released as such in the United States in August 1989.{{cite web|url=http://www.cgquarterly.com/2014/05/14/space-harrier-ii/|title=Space Harrier II|first=Chris|last=Alaimo|work=Classic Gaming Quarterly|date=May 14, 2014|access-date=October 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018210601/http://www.cgquarterly.com/2014/05/14/space-harrier-ii/|archive-date=October 18, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} In December 2000, fifteen years after the original game's debut, Sega released the loose arcade sequel Planet Harriers, which again continued the gameplay style of the franchise but featured four new selectable characters each possessing distinct weapons, in addition to five fully realized stages and a new option of purchasing weapon power-ups. However, Planet Harriers had only a minimal presence in the United States due to its faltering arcade scene, and it was never given a home release.{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/09/05/space-harrier-retrospective?page=3|title=Space Harrier Retrospective (page 3)|first=Levi|last=Buchanan|work=IGN|date=September 5, 2008|access-date=October 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927010338/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/09/05/space-harrier-retrospective?page=3|archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} In 2003, a remake of the original Space Harrier was developed by Tamsoft as part of the Japanese Sega Ages classic-game series (Sega Classics Collection in North America and Europe) for the PlayStation 2. The graphics are composed of polygons instead of sprites while several characters are redesigned, and a selectable option allows players to switch to a "fractal mode" that replaces the traditional checkerboard floors with texture-mapped playfields and includes two new underground stages. Power-ups such as bombs and lock-on targeting fly toward and are caught by the player during gameplay.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-classics-collection-review/1900-6121476/|title=Sega Classics Collection Review|first=Jeff|last=Gerstmann|work=Giant Bomb|date=April 1, 2005|access-date=October 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114145110/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-classics-collection-review/1900-6121476/|archive-date=November 14, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

The original Space Harrier was packaged with three of Yu Suzuki's other works—After Burner, Out Run, and Super Hang-On—for the 2003 Game Boy Advance release Sega Arcade Gallery. The Space Harrier Complete Collection (Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 20: Space Harrier II in Japan),{{cite web|url=http://sega.jp/ps2/ages20/|title=SEGA AGES 2500シリーズ Vol.20|trans-title=SEGA AGES 2500 SERIES Vol.20|work=Sega|language=ja|date=2005|access-date=October 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803224249/http://sega.jp/ps2/ages20/|archive-date=August 3, 2014}} developed by M2 for the PlayStation 2, followed on October 27, 2005 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the franchise,{{cite web|url=http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slpm62691.html|title=SEGA AGES 2500シリーズ Vol.20 スペースハリアーII 〜スペースハリアーコンプリートコレクション〜|trans-title=SEGA AGES 2500 Series Vol.20 Space Harrier II ~ Space Harrier Complete Collection|work=Playstation.com|language=ja|date=2005|access-date=October 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216160625/http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slpm62691.html|archive-date=February 16, 2011|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} and was composed of all the official series releases "to go with the various generations of our customers", according to Yosuke Okunari.{{cite web|url=http://gameranx.com/updates/id/18268/article/sega-will-remake-the-classics-fans-want-to-see/|title=Sega Will Remake the Classics Fans Want to See|first=Josiah|last=Renaudin|work=Gameranx|date=October 25, 2013|access-date=September 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803140943/http://gameranx.com/updates/id/18268/article/sega-will-remake-the-classics-fans-want-to-see/|archive-date=August 3, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} Bonus content included a record-and-replay feature and an arcade promotional-material gallery,{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/02/now-playing-in-japan-26|title=Now Playing in Japan|author=Staff|work=IGN|date=November 2, 2005|access-date=September 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921040529/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/02/now-playing-in-japan-26|archive-date=September 21, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} in addition to images of Hiroshi Kawaguchi's sheet music and notes for the original game's soundtrack.{{cite web|url=http://ages.sega.jp/vol20/secret.html|title=Sega Ages 2500 Vol.20: Space Harrier II|work=Sega Ages|language=ja|access-date=October 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926091341/http://ages.sega.jp/vol20/secret.html|archive-date=September 26, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} The 1991 Game Gear port is hidden therein as an Easter egg.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.sega.com/2013/11/25/sega-3d-classics-space-harrier-3d-interview-with-developer-m2/|title=3D Space Harrier Interview with Developer M2|work=blogs.sega.com|date=November 25, 2013|access-date=September 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919053355/http://blogs.sega.com/2013/11/25/sega-3d-classics-space-harrier-3d-interview-with-developer-m2/|archive-date=September 19, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

Space Harrier was re-released for the Nintendo Switch in Japan on June 27, 2019, and two months later worldwide as part of the Sega Ages lineup.

Space Harrier has shared an unofficial connection with another Sega shooter franchise, Fantasy Zone, which debuted in Japanese arcades in March 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/01/fantasy-zone-retrospective|title=Fantasy Zone Retrospective|first=Travis|last=Fahs|work=IGN|date=October 1, 2008|access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924031031/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/01/fantasy-zone-retrospective|archive-date=September 24, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} Both series are believed to be set in the same universe; Space Harrier's opening line of dialogue at the start of gameplay ("Welcome to the Fantasy Zone") has been cited as a reason, but this was dispelled by Fantasy Zone director Yoji Ishii in a 2014 interview.{{cite web|author=blackoak|url=http://shmuplations.com/fantasyzone/|title=Fantasy Zone – 2014 Developer Interview|work=Shmuplations.com|date=2014|access-date=September 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923162751/http://shmuplations.com/fantasyzone/|archive-date=September 23, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} A 1989 port of Fantasy Zone for the Japan-exclusive Sharp X68000 contains a hidden stage called "Dragon Land" that features Space Harrier enemy characters and is accessible only by following a specific set of instructions.{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/spaceharrier/spaceharrier2.htm|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Space Harrier (page 2)|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|date=December 8, 2013|access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926162912/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/spaceharrier/spaceharrier2.htm|archive-date=September 26, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} In 1991, NEC Avenue developed Space Fantasy Zone for the CD-ROM, featuring Fantasy Zone's main character Opa-Opa navigating nine levels of combined gameplay elements and enemies from both franchises. Despite a December 1991 preview in Electronic Gaming Monthly{{cite web|url=http://segaretro.org/Space_Fantasy_Zone|title=Space Fantasy Zone|work=Sega Retro|access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924014927/http://segaretro.org/Space_Fantasy_Zone|archive-date=September 24, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} and advertising designed by artist Satoshi Urushihara, Space Fantasy Zone was never released due to a legal dispute with Sega over NEC's unauthorized use of the Fantasy Zone property.{{cite web|url=http://pc-engine.emuunlim.org/spfzone/spfzone.htm|title=Space Fantasy Zone|first=Marcelo|last=Reis|work=Universo PC Engine|access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924021956/http://pc-engine.emuunlim.org/spfzone/spfzone.htm|archive-date=September 24, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} However, bootleg copies were produced after a playable beta version of the game was released on the Internet. Opa-Opa is included in Planet Harriers as a hidden character, while one of three available endings in the 2007 PlayStation 2 release Fantasy Zone II DX has Harrier and Uriah attempting to eliminate a turned-evil Opa-Opa bent on destroying the game's eponymous Fantasy Zone.{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/fantasyzone/fantasyzone2.htm|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Fantasy Zone|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|date=July 15, 2014|access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913091729/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/fantasyzone/fantasyzone2.htm|archive-date=September 13, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

The arcade version of Space Harrier is included in the 1999 Dreamcast action-adventure title Shenmue as a minigame, and as a full port in the 2001 sequel Shenmue II. Sega Superstars Tennis and the 2010 action-adventure game Bayonetta feature Space Harrier-inspired minigames.{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/19/sega-superstars-tennis-review|title=Sega Superstars Tennis Review|first=Ryan|last=Geddes|work=IGN.com|date=March 19, 2008|access-date=September 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921171202/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/19/sega-superstars-tennis-review|archive-date=September 21, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-reviews/11168954/Bayonetta-2-review.html|title=Bayonetta 2 review|first=Tom|last=Hoggins|work=The Telegraph|date=October 20, 2014|access-date=September 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011020928/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-reviews/11168954/Bayonetta-2-review.html|archive-date=October 11, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} The title is available as an unlockable game in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (2009), for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, though with sound emulation differences.{{cite web|url=http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/sonics-ultimate-genesis-collection-review/1900-113/|title=Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection Review|first=Jeff|last=Gerstmann|work=Giant Bomb|date=February 16, 2009|access-date=September 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226021402/http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/sonics-ultimate-genesis-collection-review/1900-113/|archive-date=February 26, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} In the 2012 title Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, a remixed version of the Space Harrier main theme plays during the "Race of Ages" stage, in which a holographic statue of Harrier and a flying dragon appear in the background. In addition, Shenmue character Ryo Hazuki pilots a flying Space Harrier sit-down arcade cabinet during airborne levels.{{cite web|url=http://www.seganerds.com/2013/12/30/sega-confirms-ryo-hazuki-in-sonic-all-stars-racing-transformed/|title=SEGA confirms Ryo Hazuki in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed|first=Chris|last=Powell|work=Sega Nerds|date=December 30, 2013|access-date=September 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807132144/http://www.seganerds.com/2013/12/30/sega-confirms-ryo-hazuki-in-sonic-all-stars-racing-transformed/|archive-date=August 7, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} Sega included an emulation of the original title as a minigame in several titles of their Yakuza series, such as the 2015 release Yakuza 0,{{cite web |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/01/yakuza-0-review.html |title=Yakuza 0 Is an Almost Flawless Mix of Action, Comedy, and History |last=Van Allen |first=Eric |date=January 19, 2017 |work=Paste |publisher=Wolfgang's Vault |access-date=December 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216034754/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/01/yakuza-0-review.html |archive-date=December 16, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}} and the 2018 releases Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise and Judgment.

The success of Space Harrier resulted in the development of other first/third-person rail shooters that attempted to emulate its three-dimensional scaling, visuals, and gameplay capabilities, causing them to be labeled "Space Harrier clones".{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19901025&id=N6RUAAAAIBAJ&pg=4312,3225654&hl=en|author=Lim Choon Wee |display-authors=etal |title=New Releases|work=New Straits Times|date=October 25, 1990|access-date=September 24, 2016}} One of the most notable examples was the 1987 Square title The 3-D Battles of WorldRunner for the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System,{{cite web|url=https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games80/the-3-d-battles-of-world-runner/|title=The 3-D Battles of World Runner|first=Ben|last=Tryie|work=Retro Gamer|date=February 28, 2011|access-date=October 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018225036/https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games80/the-3-d-battles-of-world-runner/|archive-date=October 18, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/five-most-notorious-videogame-ripoffs-of-all-time-245807.phtml|title=Five most notorious videogame ripoffs of all time|first=Vito|last=Gesualdi|work=Destructoid|date=February 22, 2013|access-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927131421/https://www.destructoid.com/five-most-notorious-videogame-ripoffs-of-all-time-245807.phtml|archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://kaijupop.com/2015/11/this-month-in-gaming-history-december-1985-2015/|title=This Month in Gaming History: December 1985-2015|first=Chris|last=Charlton|work=KaijuPop.com|date=November 30, 2015|access-date=October 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731011143/http://kaijupop.com/2015/11/this-month-in-gaming-history-december-1985-2015/|archive-date=July 31, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} which was followed by Pony Canyon's 1987 Famicom release Attack Animal Gakuen{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/inventories/80sheroines4.htm|title=1980s Video Game Heroines|first1=Kurt|last1=Kalata|first2=Sam|last2=Derboo|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|date=September 5, 2014|access-date=October 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018221218/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/inventories/80sheroines4.htm|archive-date=October 18, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} and other Japan-exclusive games such as Namco's Burning Force,{{cite web |last=Kalata |first=Kurt |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/burningforce/burningforce.htm |title=Burning Force |publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101 |date=May 21, 2013 |access-date=October 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507121818/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/burningforce/burningforce.htm |archive-date=May 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}} Asmik's Cosmic Epsilon,{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9016290|title=Flyers and handouts from Winter CES 1990|first=Frank|last=Cifaldi|work=1UP.com|date=January 11, 2010|access-date=October 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018211653/http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9016290|archive-date=October 18, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} and Wolf Team's Jimmu Denshō,{{cite web|url=http://magweasel.com/2010/05/24/i-love-the-pc-engine-jimmu-densho-yaksa/|title=[I ♥ The PC Engine] Jimmu Denshō|first=Kevin|last=Gifford|work=magweasel.com|date=May 24, 2010|access-date=October 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316161615/http://magweasel.com/2010/05/24/i-love-the-pc-engine-jimmu-densho-yaksa/|archive-date=March 16, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} all released in 1989. According to AllGame, Nintendo's Star Fox (1993) "was influenced by early first-person 3D shooters such as" Space Harrier.{{cite web |last1=Weiss |first1=Brett Alan |title=Star Fox - Overview |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2613 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206081002/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2613 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-12-06 |website=AllGame |access-date=5 May 2021 |date=6 December 2014}}

According to The One magazine in 1991, Sega "arguably pioneered the deluxe ground-ride cabinet cum video game with classics such as" Space Harrier. Sega went on to produce "bigger" and "better" motion simulator cabinets for arcade flight games such as After Burner (1987) and the R360 cabinet for G-LOC: Air Battle (1990).{{cite magazine|title = Coin-Operated Corkers!|date = 28 January 1991|url = https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-29/page/n19|magazine = The One|publisher = EMAP Images|last = Nesbitt|first = Brian|issue = 29 (February 1991)|page = 20}}

Hideki Kamiya, the director of PlatinumGames and creator of the Devil May Cry series, cited Space Harrier as an inspiration for his entering the video game industry in a 2014 interview: "There were so many trend-setting definitive games that came out [in the 1980s], like Gradius and Space Harrier. All these game creators were trying to make original, really creative games that had never existed before".{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/hideki-kamiya-profile?pager.offset=2|title=Hideki Kamiya Profile|work=1UP.com|first=Matt|last=Leone|date=May 28, 2009|access-date=September 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927111541/http://www.1up.com/features/hideki-kamiya-profile?pager.offset=2|archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/15/ign-presents-inside-devil-may-cry-creator-hideki-kamiyas-secret-arcade|title=IGN Presents: Inside Devil May Cry Creator Hideki Kamiya's Secret Arcade|first=Caleb|last=Lawson|work=IGN|date=September 15, 2014|access-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925013806/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/15/ign-presents-inside-devil-may-cry-creator-hideki-kamiyas-secret-arcade|archive-date=September 25, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

Game composer Yuzo Koshiro was a fan of the game's music. He said Space Harrier was the first time he had heard FM synthesis music, and the game inspired him to become a video game music composer. He considers Space Harrier composer Hiroshi Kawaguchi to be one of Sega's best ever composers.{{cite news |title=Yuzo Koshiro |url=https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/yuzo-koshiro |access-date=15 October 2021 |work=Red Bull Music Academy |publisher=Red Bull GmbH |date=2019}}

• Space Harrier (1985) — Arcade, Master System, Game Gear, 32X, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, various other non-Sega home systems
• Space Harrier 3-D (1988) — Master System
• Space Harrier II (1988) — Mega Drive/Genesis, Virtual Console, iOS, various other non-Sega systems
• Planet Harriers (2000) — Arcade only
• Space Harrier Sega Ages Edition (2003) — PlayStation 2
• Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 20: Space Harrier Complete Collection (2005) — PlayStation 2
• 3D Space Harrier (2013) — 3DS

• Blaster, 1983 arcade game with similar gameplay

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|group="note"}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.coinop.org/Game/100167/Space_Harrier Space Harrier] at Coinop.org
• {{moby game|id=/space-harrier}}
• {{WoS game|id=0004663}}
• [http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=space-harrier-sit-down-model&page=detail&id=2535 Space Harrier at arcade-history]
• [http://vc.sega.jp/vc_ms_spaceharrier/ Space Harrier for Virtual Console] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Space Harrier games|state=expanded}}

{{Yu Suzuki}}

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