Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 04: Space Harrier

"The historical masterpiece that shook the arcade market in 1985 is back! Under the supervision of the original author, Yutaka Suzuki (Sega), we have achieved "dynamism'' and "comfort'' in the gameplay! This is not a remake that simply improves the "look'', but rather reflects the original fun of the title and the players who played it at the time. Pursuing excitement. The ultimate revival as the new Space Harrier, nostalgic for old fans and new for new generation users! It has been reorganized to make it easier to play by incorporating modern tastes such as various shots and power-up items with the addition of the "Lock On" function, and dramatic changes such as the realistic feeling of the fractal engine. Space Harrier is finally here!"

Its Space Harrier but 3DFied!. it's mostly the same game you remember from the Arcades and numerous home conversions but everything is now texture mapped giving it an entirely different but still recognisable look. But as noted in the blurb, its had some gameplay changes that offer an alt fire mode of locking onto a group of enemies for a homing shot shot while you focus on other enemies with normal fire. There is also an additional "oh-shit" button that allows you to clear the screen in a moment of panic. Like Outrun on the PS2, the new look and feel makes it a marmite game that has its fans but overall its probably better to play the original.

The game does have a nice Arranged audio track though, so it has that going for it. The game has a couple of extra stages which take you underground as well as a prolonged boss fight if you can make it through without taking any hits.

00:00:00 Space Harrier with 'Fractal' Mode on (Default)
00:36:50 Brief play with 'Fractal' Mode Off, leading to Game Over.