Originally imagined up by a Sega developer known as Ida, the original concept of Space Harrier was to star a fighter jet that shot missiles into the future, hence the 'Harrier' in the title. The concept was to have the jet move in a realistic way as it fired.
However, the concept was rejected due to hardware limitations and the complexity of copying a realistic fighter jet from multiple angles. Yu Suzuki simplified the idea by having the player icon be a human called Harrier, which was easier for the arcades to render.
Space Harrier shares a universe with Fantasy Zone.
Games[]
The Space Harrier series contains the following games:
- Space Harrier - 1985, Arcade.
- Space Harrier 3-D - 1988, Master System.
- Space Harrier II - 1988, Mega Drive.
- Planet Harriers - 2000, Arcade.
Ports:
- Sega Ages: Sega Saturn, Sega Ages 2500(PlayStation 2), Sega Classics Collection, Switch
- Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives
Cameos[]
Character appearances[]
- Harrier and Binsbein appear as playable characters in the Japan exclusive 3DS version of Power Drift alongside characters like Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, Adam Hunter and Alex Kidd.
- Harrier appears in Segagaga.
- A hologram of Harrier appears on the Race of Ages track in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.
- Binsebein appear as capsule toys in Shenmue.
- Harrier is summoned by Ulala in Project X Zone as part of her special alongside Opa-Opa and Scooter.
- Whilst not shown, Harrier is mentioned in Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa's ending where he and Uriah have had to come to eliminate Dark Opa-Opa.
- Harrier appears as a Sega DLC 'plane' in Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours.
- The Mammoth appears as an item in Two Point Hospital as part of the Sega's 60th celebrations. It increases hospital attractiveness.
- Wiwi Jumbo appears as a scoreboard cameo character in Nintendo Switch's SEGA AGES, and also appears as an unlockable scorecard character in SEGA AGES: Columns 2's Jewel Case. To win him you must beat stages 46-50.
Game appearances[]
- The original Space Harrier title is playable in Shenmue, Yakuza 0, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Judgement, Lost Judgement and Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise.
- Sega Superstars Tennis features a mini game based on Space Harrier gameplay.
- Ryo Hazuki uses the Space Harrier cabinet as his vehicle for traversing over water in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.
- A ginjika version of Space Harrier appears in 404 Game Re:Set.