Classic of the Month - Space Harrier

Manufacturer:	Sega
Genre:	3rd person rail shooter
Board:	Dedicated Sega hardware
Year:	1985

"Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get ready!"

Everybody's got a favourite arcade manufacturer and for me it's probably Sega. As much as I loved games like Street Fighter 2 and R-Type, Sega created so many iconic games and cabinets.  Perhaps the most iconic of all was Space Harrier.  Let's have a look:

It would be fair to say the deluxe hydraulic cabinets were just a gimick, but we're talking about arcade games - a gimick was all you needed to get people to shovel in another 20p.  Sega produced lots of hydraulic cabinets over the years, the ultimate of which was the deluxe G-Loc cabinet, which was a gyroscope that could spin 360 degrees in every direction - but they were incredibly rare.

As a game, Space Harrier was bloody quick.  In typical arcade style, getting anywhere in took real skill and your best chance of playing the game properly was on a standard cabinet.

Now I started this blog with the opening line from Space Harrier, but reading it does not compare with hearing it, so here's a 2nd video containing the sample and a better view of the actual action.

If you want to play Space Harrier legally, the closest you can get is the Sega MegaDrive Classics Pack 1 on Steam, which contains the MegaDrive version of Space Harrier II.  I realise that's not the same as the arcade version and the lack of voice samples is disappointing, but that really is your best bet these days.

MTW

Homage Review: Hydorah (PC)

Gradius was never released on PC, but if a version had been it might have looked something like this.


Hydorah, a freeware indie shmup that was released a couple of months ago.  I know this is meant to be an arcade blog, but with new arcade games so few and far between, us old school gamers have to seek out arcade-like experiences where we can - and few modern games capture that feeling quite as well as Hydorah.

Visually it looks like an late 8-bit or even early 16-bit game; sonically, Gryzor87's brilliant soundtrack sounds like something from a late 90s CD-based game, but with an evocative chiptunes aesthetic.  The gameplay is not at all original, but let's be generous and call it a homage to classic shoot em ups.  What's important is that the levels design, enemy patterns and weapons are well thought out and the controls are as tight and responsive as you could ask for.  When you die in Hydorah you know it's your mistake, not the game being cheap or flaky.  I highly recommend it and since it's free you have nothing to lose.

Plays like

• A lot like Gradius

Highs

• Beautiful homage to retro graphics and gameplay.
• Great balance of design and challenge.
• Fantastic sound track.
• Free! 

Lows

• Poor controller support.

Download the game for free here: http://www.locomalito.com/juegos_hydorah.php. If you like it, please donate so Locamalito can continue making these brilliant little games.
Also, check out Gryzor87's fantastic soundtrack, which is also available as a free download from Bandcamp.com here: http://hydorah.bandcamp.com/album/hydorah-original-soundtrack.

New arcade machines coming this autumn

Time for another BMI Gaming show reel. This time some highlights from their fall (autumn) 2010 catalogue. It's great to see that while arcades are no longer gaming meccas, they do still survive, with new titles from all our favourite manufacturers, including Namco and Sega, as well as up and coming manufacturers like Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix.

MTW

Pengo returns and brings 7 friends with him

If someone asked you to think of a classsic Sega arcade game to spruce up and re-release today, but one which hasn't already had a makeover in recent years, you might suggest Space Harrier or Zaxxon or Fantasy Zone.  You probably wouldn't suggest 1982 ice block pushing puzzler, Pengo, but that's the one Sega choose.

As the screenshot below shows, Sega have kept a very retro look for this remake, with no polygonal graphics, HDR lighting or particle effects.  However, pay attention to the aspect ratio - this is a 16:9 game, some that definately did not exist back in the 1980s.

This new Pengo game is also supports 8 players, each battling for points and control over the three power blocks.  It could be interesting - assuming we ever get to see it here in the UK.