Zzap


Space Harrier
By Encore
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #59

Space Harrier

Space Harrier is the Sega game which began the company's obsession with hydraulics... and ultra-fast 3-D was thought to be impossible to convert to the C64. Chris "Power Drift" Butler was the programmer brave enough to try and prove the pessimists wrong.

The game's scenario and structure are relatively simple. A veteran space hero has been deposited in Dragon land with lust a laser gun to defend himself as countless baddies come zooming over the horizon.

At the end of each level there's a swirling dragon to beat. Initially you have a time limit, reduced by hitting things. When time is exhausted you have a number of lives to lose before it's 'game over'. Such generosity is needed as each of the twelve levels is heavily populated with extremely fast-moving aliens and ground objects. The graphics are in fact quite good, with nice variety but there's no option to ride the dragon as in the coin-op - and the action soon becomes repetitive.