Space Harrier

Space Harrier is a 1989 DOS version of Sega's famous arcade shooter, placing the player in a surreal fantasy landscape filled with giant creatures, strange enemies, obstacles, and an almost unreasonable amount of speed. The player controls a flying hero who races forward through a pseudo-3D environment while shooting enemies and avoiding hazards. The original arcade game was famous for its sensation of movement, and the DOS version attempts to preserve that frantic atmosphere within considerably more limited hardware. The scenery is colorful and bizarre, creating the feeling of being trapped inside an especially energetic science-fiction fever dream. Space Harrier is less about careful planning and more about reflexes, positioning, and surviving the next few seconds. It is a perfect example of arcade design from the period: fast, colorful, loud, and completely uninterested in giving the player time to relax.