In 1985, Sega found success with Space Harrier. For this game Sega's lead game designer Yu Suzuki- whose repertoire includes Hang-On, Out Run, Virtua Racing, and Virtua Fighting- created a fantasy world not limited by the confines of Earth; dinosaurs, dragons, aliens, and any other fantastical creature imaginable all coexist in the Space Harrier world.
The objective of Space Harrier is similar to other shooting games: avoid enemy fire, dodge obstacles, and shoot the opponent. Space Harrier incorporates an additional weapon to combat enemies: the player's fireball-shooting gun transforms into a rocket pack allowing the player to fly. At the end of each of the 18 levels of the Space Harrier, players must defeat a boss.
The popularity of Space Harrier resulted in a number of video game sequels. The Space Harrier legacy includes: the 2000 arcade game Planet Harriers and the console games Space Harrier II and Space Harrier 3-D. Space Harrier is currently available on Sega Arcade Gallery for Game Boy Advance and the Sega Classics Collection and the Space Harrier Complete Collection for PlayStation 2.
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