Review
One of the lesser known quality Arcade games of the '80s was Space Harrier. Though its fame may not equate to the likes of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., the game's unique perspective, colorful graphics and incredible speed earned it a strong fan base. While attempts were made to duplicate its greatness on the Sega Master System and with a Genesis sequel, no Sega system had come along with the capabilities to truly do justice to the Arcade classic -- until the 32X, that is.
And what a great Arcade conversion it is! Granted, my memory from the era when the NES made your jaw drop might be a little hazy, but this conversion appears to be near perfect. Few 32X games (if any) do a better job of displaying its ability to show thousands upon thousands of colors. This is a big step up from the Genesis' 64 hues! While the 16-bit system may have been able to duplicate the amazing speed and overall gameplay, it takes 32 bits of power to truly emulate Space Harrier's Arcade greatness. (There's even a code that changes "Press Start" to "Insert Coin"!)
Make no bones about it, this game defines the word "shooter." Don't count on needing your 6-button control pad, as even an Atari 2600 joystick would be enough for this one! That's right. All you do is shoot and move. It doesn't get much simpler than that ... but it also doesn't get much more fun.
If you're playing Space Harrier to add another title to the "games I've beaten" list, then you're playing for the wrong reason. It's the type of game you play when you've got 15 minutes to kill and need something worthwhile to do. And its emphasis on blasting away at stuff mindlessly makes for a great stress reliever!
Another good reason not to play Space Harrier just to beat it is that you may be there for a long time! Though you can probably play straight through it in less than 30 minutes, attaining the necessary skills to do so will take you MUCH longer. This is a very hard game, folks.
Still, Space Harrier sticks to its Arcade roots and remains a total joy to play. No fan of the game who owns a 32X should be without it. It's one of the few must-haves on the system.
Graphics 
The most colorful incarnation of this classic Arcade game.
Sound 
Sure it doesn't make much sense to be told to "Get ready!" when your game has just ended or that "You're doing great!" when you only have one life left after the first stage, but the great sound effects, music perfectly suited for the gameplay and all-out nostalgia factor make Space Harrier sound absolutely fantastic.
Enjoyment 
A true classic, this game is always a complete joy to play (unless you're just out to beat it, in which case you shouldn't be playing anyway).
Replay Value
It's one that you can always come back to.
Documentation
A solid instruction manual.
