It's infectious blend of surrealism with that melodic yet oddly sentimental music that makes this game a masterpiece. The simple welcoming message to the so-called "Phantasy Zone" is all you need to become aquatinted in Space Harrier's atmosphere, where it then brings you to the edges of what is even interpretable in a game without you even realizing it. It's one of few games where the main motivation to keep playing is that you don't want to be reminded that it ends.

Reviewed on Jul 18, 2022


8 Comments


1 year ago

I love the whole aesthetic and surreal dreamlike quality of it. I just hate the gameplay lol.

1 year ago

why?

1 year ago

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1 year ago

Is it just that you aren't big on rail shooting games or does this game in particular do something wrong?

1 year ago

not speaking for FallenGrace, but i struggle a bit with depth perception in space harrier (and similar games like panorama cotton), partially due to just how fast it is along with the quasi-3d effect of scaling sprites. it's very different from games more commonly understood as rail shooters (star fox, panzer dragoon, rez)... i don't hate it (i love how it looks), but i find it tough to perform with precision

1 year ago

It's the perspective of going forward rather than side scrolling I dislike. Zenoslime kind of hits the nail on the head for me of why it's an issue, some collision detection, depth perception judgement and even just sometimes being hit by things directly in front of you you can't see coming.

Overall it's an ok title but not one I can ever love but I totally respect the reasons why some do.

1 year ago

I can see that, I guess my eyes adjust to something like this better. I love running on the ground in this game because it makes it easier to keep track of everything going on without the extra dimension

1 year ago

@zenoslime sounds like Space Harrier 3D on the 3DS might be worth checking out for you

1 year ago

The 3ds port of Outrun is also fantastic

1 year ago

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