{"id":98875,"date":"2019-08-21T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_space_harrier"},"modified":"2019-08-21T13:30:00","modified_gmt":"2019-08-21T13:30:00","slug":"review-sega-ages-space-harrier-a-tremendous-port-of-an-okay-coin-op","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/08\/21\/review-sega-ages-space-harrier-a-tremendous-port-of-an-okay-coin-op\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: SEGA AGES Space Harrier &#8211; A Tremendous Port Of An Okay Coin-Op"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/d0670680ef4ed\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/d0670680ef4ed\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div id>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 1 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98410\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98410\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 1 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>We\u2019ll spare you the usual spiel about how the Sega Ages series is offering definitive versions of Sega classics on the Switch: given we\u2019re approaching the 10th release in the series, you probably get the idea by now.<\/p>\n<p>Game number 9 is <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_space_harrier\">Space Harrier<\/a><\/strong>, Sega\u2019s 1985 coin-op that blew arcade-goers away back in the day with its impressive 3D-style graphics. While this Switch port is an impressive rendition and even adds some extra goodness to make the game more approachable, it\u2019s still worth bearing in mind that it\u2019s Space Harrier.<\/p>\n<p>For those new to it, the game puts you in the garish red suit and jetpack of the nameless Harrier as you make your way through the \u2018Fantasy Zone\u2019, which consists of 18 colourful stages filled with enemies and obstacles all seemingly out to knock you out of the sky and firmly onto your bright red rump. Luckily, you\u2019re armed with a laser cannon that can fire big chunky blobs of death, helping you settle the score somewhat.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 2 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98404\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98404\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 2 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Designed using the same sprite scaling technique previously used in motorbike racer <strong>Hang-On<\/strong> (and later used again in <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_out_run\">Out Run<\/a><\/strong>), Space Harrier\u2019s pseudo-3D appearance remains striking to this day, especially when it\u2019s running in true 60 frames per second like it did in arcades (and like it does here in the Switch port). The feeling of depth is still brilliant 34 years later, especially in the stages where a roof appears above you and essentially creates an enormous, seemingly endless tunnel.<\/p>\n<p>That said, while it\u2019s still an impressive visual technique it does crucially have a negative impact on how the game plays. Shooting enemies accurately can be extremely difficult given the game\u2019s viewpoint: not only is it generally tricky to estimate where your bullets are going to go, but half the time the perspective means your character is right in the middle of the screen, blocking your view of both your enemies and your shots. There\u2019s a lot of blind firing in a general direction and hoping for the best in Space Harrier, and that doesn\u2019t always make for the most immersive experience.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 3 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98409\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98409\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 3 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>The game\u2019s speed can also be a bit of an issue, particularly in later stages. The levels zip by at a fair rate of knots, which can look fantastic but can also lead to some frustrating moments where bits of scenery appear without warning. This may be an on-rails shoot \u2018em up, but an unhealthy number of deaths will come from you hitting into columns, trees and big stone heads rather than as a result of any actual combat you may encounter.<\/p>\n<p>This shiny new Sega Ages version of Space Harrier includes two features designed to combat both these issues and make the game a little more approachable for players who haven\u2019t spent the last three decades getting used to its various quirks. The first is the addition of a rapid fire button, which means your single laser shots are now a flurry of plasma death balls, making accuracy less of an issue. Whereas before shooting some enemies was an exercise in patience, now you just have to aim your fire in their general direction and waggle around a bit (a technical term) until one of your shots clips them.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 4 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98407\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98407\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 4 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>More notable though is the new \u2018KOMAINU Barrier Attack\u2019 mode (Sega\u2019s caps, not ours), which is designed to limit the number of times you die by hitting pieces of scenery. In Japan, Komainu are a pair of lion-like statues that you usually see guarding the entrances to Shinto shrines, and they\u2019re supposed to ward off evil spirits. Since there are no evil spirits in Space Harrier, though, in this instance they\u2019re here to stop you smacking your jaw off a tree instead.<\/p>\n<p>Start the game in KOMAINU Barrier Attack mode and your Harrier will be accompanied by two Komainu flying by your side. Any time you fly into a piece of scenery, your Komainu will take the brunt of the hit instead, saving your life. We aren\u2019t talking complete invulnerability here: your Komainu will take a while to recover when it takes damage \u2013 meaning you\u2019ll be on your own for a little while \u2013 and they\u2019re also useless when it comes to enemy bullets so you\u2019re still very much vulnerable to them.<\/p>\n<p>By and large, though, playing the game with KOMAINU Barrier Attack mode turned on and using your autofire button should give you a much less frustrating, much more beginner-friendly way to play the game. What\u2019s more, this mode also gives you infinite continues, meaning you can brute force your way to the ending should you so desire. For those of you Space Harrier purists doing infuriated headstands of rage at the way your beloved game is being nerfed due to <em>something something snowflakes mumble grumble<\/em>, fret not: you can still play in the normal mode as God intended (well, as Yu Suzuki did) and you\u2019ll only get three continues to your name.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 5 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98406\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98406\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Space Harrier Review - Screenshot 5 of 5\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>All this aside, it\u2019s business as usual when it comes to the Sega Ages port. Once again, emulation is flawless and you\u2019re once again given a decent (if limited) variety of scaling and screen filtering options. There are online high score rankings and the ability to save and upload a full replay of your performance to relive your best playthrough, or download those of other top-ranked players so you can see how it\u2019s done. Fun fact: they all use autofire too, so stop moaning.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately though, it\u2019s still Space Harrier at the end of the day and as visually impressive as Suzuki\u2019s creation is \u2013 and even though its soundtrack is one of Sega\u2019s greatest ever \u2013 it\u2019s still a relatively repetitive shooter that\u2019s light on variation. This isn\u2019t the sort of game you\u2019re going to regularly load up for a quick game like you would with Out Run or <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_sonic_the_hedgehog\">Sonic the Hedgehog<\/a><\/strong>, because as engaging as it is it\u2019s still missing that \u2018spark\u2019 many other Sega games of its era have. A fantastic port, then, but one of a game that was only ever considered decent even back in the day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"conclusion\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>It looks lovely, sounds superb and offers an interesting new assist for newcomers, but at its core Space Harrier is still Space Harrier and M2 is only able to do so much with it. This isn\u2019t one of Sega\u2019s masterpieces and therefore isn\u2019t a must-have: it\u2019ll have to settle for being merely \u2018pretty good\u2019 instead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ll spare you the usual spiel about how the Sega Ages series is offering definitive versions of Sega classics on the Switch: given we\u2019re approaching the 10th release in the series, you probably get the idea by now. Game number 9 is Space Harrier, Sega\u2019s 1985 coin-op that blew arcade-goers away back in the day [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98875\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}