Space Harrier
Space Harrier — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Space Harrier on?
- Space Harrier was released on Arcade, Sega 32X, Wii, Sega Saturn, Legacy Mobile Device, Sega Master System/Mark III, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, PC-6001, PC-6601, Sharp X68000, FM77AV, Commodore C64/128/MAX, PC-8801, Atari ST/STE, TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine, Amiga, Famicom, DOS, Sega Game Gear.
- When did Space Harrier release?
- Space Harrier was first released on October 2, 1985.
About Space Harrier
Run… fly… dodge those obstacles, but return fire on wave after wave of attacking aliens. Armed with a really big gun, you have to defend yourself against the alien hordes using your wits to navigate around the screen. But watch out for those end of level bosses! Originating in the arcades, Space Harrier is a third-person rail shooter with pseudo-3D graphics, set in the same world as Fantasy Zone. The lone titular hero fights aliens with a fireball-launching cannon, which can also be used to transform the hero into a flying rocket. The protagonist is constantly in motion, but the speed of his movement can be regulated by the player.
Summary via IGDB.
Space Harrier on Wikipedia
Space Harrier is a rail shooter developed by Sega and released in 1985 as an arcade video game. The player navigates surreal landscapes while defeating enemies as a jet-propelled human character. Designed by Yu Suzuki, it was conceived as a realistic military-themed combat flight simulation game, but technical and memory restrictions resulted in Suzuki redesigning it around a fantasy setting. The arcade game is controlled by an analog flight stick while the deluxe arcade cabinet is a cockpit-style linear actuator motion simulator cabinet that pitches and rolls during play, for which it is referred as a taikan (体感) or "body sensation" arcade game in Japan.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Sega 32X, Wii, Sega Saturn, Legacy Mobile Device, Sega Master System/Mark III, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, PC-6001, PC-6601, Sharp X68000, FM77AV, Commodore C64/128/MAX, PC-8801, Atari ST/STE, TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine, Amiga, Famicom, DOS, Sega Game Gear
- Developer
- Sega AM2
- Publisher
- Sega
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master SystemDetails ↓ | 1987 | $10 | $23 | $104 | 13 reviews | Low (look-alike) |
| Sega 32XDetails ↓ | 1995 | $55 | $93 | $133 | 2 reviews | Medium |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Master System version ($10).
Also released on: Arcade · Wii · Sega Saturn · Legacy Mobile Device · Sega Master System/Mark III · Amstrad CPC · ZX Spectrum · PC-6001 · PC-6601 · Sharp X68000 · FM77AV · Commodore C64/128/MAX · PC-8801 · Atari ST/STE · TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine · Amiga · Famicom · DOS · Sega Game Gear. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $9 | $29 | — |
| Japanese release | $15 | $28 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about 2 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.75 in Jul 2009, $11.73 five years ago, and $9.95 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $4.75 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $1.49 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $3.97 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $1.60 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $5.00 | $10.50 |
| Jan 2015 | $7.89 | $10.00 |
| Jan 2016 | $7.95 | $10.95 |
| Jan 2017 | $9.95 | $13.44 |
| Jan 2018 | $8.45 | $12.95 |
| Jan 2019 | $8.25 | $16.77 |
| Jan 2020 | $9.76 | $17.99 |
| Jan 2021 | $7.80 | $17.74 |
| Jan 2022 | $12.25 | $22 |
| Jan 2023 | $12.42 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2024 | $10.54 | $18.49 |
| Jan 2025 | $8.49 | $17.35 |
| Jan 2026 | $13.37 | $19.97 |
| Oct 2026 | $9.95 | $23 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | March 1987 | — | — |
| Europe / PAL | August 1987 | 7080 | ?? · MPR-11071 |
| Japan | 21 December 1986 | — | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1987
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Master System version
The Master System port of Sega's rail shooter, with a final boss and ending the arcade game did not have, and inexpensive.
Space Harrier reached Japan on the Mark III on 21 December 1986, North America in March 1987 and Europe in August 1987. Mutsuhiro Fujii and Yuji Naka developed the Master System port, and they added a final boss and an ending sequence that were included in later ports.
Computer Gaming World called it the best arcade shoot-'em-up of the year.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | OVERALL 77% |
| Sega Pro Issue 19 | May 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 20 | June 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 21 | July 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 22 | August 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 23 | September 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 24 | October 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 25 | November 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 27 | December 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 26 | December 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 28 | February 1994 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 34 | July 1994 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 74% |
“The basic gameplay is exactly the same as the highly successful 3D coin-op of several years ago, but there are new aliens to blast into oblivion. If you're a fan of Space Harrier, this will obviously have great appeal, but for everyone else, the novelty will wear off very quickly.”
“There’s no way of restarting or continuing on any of the 18 levels - even arcade players will be tested here. An aceurate and playable conversion. Available in a dreadful 3-D version for a tenner less.”
“There’s no way of restarting or continuing on any of the 18 levels - even arcade players will be tested here. An accurate and playable conversion. Available in a dreadful 3-D version for a tenner less.”
“There’s no way of restarting or continuing on any of the 18 levels - even arcade players will be tested here. An accurate and playable conversion.”
Also on other platforms
Arcade · Amstrad CPC · ZX Spectrum · PC-6001 · PC-6601 · X68000 · FM77AV · Commodore 64 · PC-8801 · Atari ST · TurboGrafx-16 · Amiga · Famicom · MS-DOS · Game Gear · 32X · Sega Saturn
| Arcade | Sega |
- Arcade. The arcade game runs through eighteen distinct stages, with the final stage a rush of seven past bosses.
- Atari ST. Computer Entertainer preferred the Atari ST version over the Commodore 64 one because it is closer to the original.
Before you buy
The US and European carts cost about the same loose, though a complete European copy costs a little more. The Japanese cart costs a bit more than the US one both ways, and it is a different, smaller shape that does not fit a Western console without an adapter. The manual is the part most often missing.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega 32X · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-11-02
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $85 | $197 | — |
| Japanese release | $42 | $94 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about 4 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-11-02.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $4.49 in Apr 2009, $53 five years ago, and $55 as of Nov 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $5.99 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $16.37 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $10.00 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $15.49 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $14.00 | $22 |
| Jan 2015 | $22 | $27 |
| Jan 2016 | $22 | $36 |
| Jan 2017 | $25 | $38 |
| Jan 2018 | $27 | $41 |
| Jan 2019 | $37 | $42 |
| Jan 2020 | $30 | $52 |
| Jan 2021 | $39 | $64 |
| Jan 2022 | $55 | $100 |
| Jan 2023 | $49 | $79 |
| Jan 2024 | $43 | $75 |
| Jan 2025 | $40 | $71 |
| Jan 2026 | $47 | $83 |
| Nov 2026 | $55 | $93 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Nov 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode | Known board | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | January 1995 | 84505 | 010086845051 | 171-6884A | — |
| Europe / PAL | January 1995 | 84505-50 | — | 171-6884A | — |
| Japan | 3 December 1994 | GM-4005 | — | 171-6884A | ¥4,980 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1995
- Authenticity
- Med
The Sega 32X version
A close arcade copy of Sega's rail shooter that looks fine but repeats itself quickly.
This is the 32X version of Space Harrier, developed by Rutubo Games. It reached Japan on 3 December 1994 as one of the Super 32X's launch games, and North America and Europe in January 1995. It follows the arcade original closely, so the first thing to know is how little it differs from the coin-op.
Sega Pro scored it low and called it a perfect conversion of an old coin-op that is still mind-numbing action. GamePro was kinder, calling it a nice trip down memory lane with straightforward controls and graphics fairly close to the arcade game, and Next Generation judged it a decent, solid game.
How it was made
Rutubo Games developed the 32X version for Sega.
What the press said at the time
| Next Generation Issue 2 | February 1995 | * * * |
| Sega Pro Issue 56 | April 1996 | 67 % |
“A satisfying blast from the past, but its limited, simplistic gameplay severely dents the lastability.”
“But there is a decent, solid game underneath the gloss. NEXT Generation advises rent, don't buy.”
“Now this might not sound too inspiring, but what the game lacks in depth it makes up for in playability.”
Also on other platforms
Master System · Arcade · Amstrad CPC · ZX Spectrum · PC-6001 · PC-6601 · X68000 · FM77AV · Commodore 64 · PC-8801 · Atari ST · TurboGrafx-16 · Amiga · Famicom · MS-DOS · Game Gear · Sega Saturn
Before you buy
Among US 32X games this is a cartridge priced above the middle, so ask for a photo of the label and of the board before you pay. The European copy usually costs more than the US one, loose and complete. Japanese copies usually cost somewhat less loose and about the same complete.
Space Harrier screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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