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Welcome to the Fantasy Zone!; get ready!" How many gamers over the past 20 years have heard that infamous line in arcades and TV's all over the world, no one will ever know. Space Harrier is one of those all-time classic games that tends to get overlooked or forgotten despite it's contribution and uniqueness. Colourful graphics, scrolling landscapes, challenging bosses all in a front scrolling 3rd person shooter which alone is rare among games. It also holds the distinction of being among the first hydraulic cabinets that move as the player controls his character. Many versions exist ported to different systems from the Sega Master System to the Nintendo Wii.
This game has always stood out in my mind for some of it's forward thinking ideas and elements that make it an endearing game. It's upbeat music, digitized voices and variety in level design, bosses and patterns make it a game difficult to master and faster than a lot of others of it's class. It's also one of the first games I can remember that had a fully animated and voiced death sequence for the players character.
I've heard rumors of a re-make for years now (not including Planet Harriers) and with Sega reviving old franchises like Alien Syndrome, After Burner, Golden Axe, it's fine time Space Harrier joins that list. Be it a Dual Analog, Motion Controlled or Stylus controlled game, with todays technology it could be a wondrous experience. Imagine the scrolling landscapes, on-screen enemies, character models and music these new next gen systems could produce.
Who cares if it has a story, purpose or even ending? There is still room in todays gaming culture for a title that rewards high scores with bragging rights, simplicity in approach and complexity in design. Most of the classic early 80's era arcade games have had a go at the new generation of gamers, so why not start the late 80's early 90's off with a bang? What better game to lead the charge than a brand new sequel to Space Harrier?
