Sega's Space Harrier II, a Mega Drive launch rail shooter. Technically dated, lovely for 80s Sega arcade nostalgics.
Your verdict
Category
Rail Shooter1 player7+
Description
The player pilots a third-person ship against alien armies in this Sega Mega Drive rail shooter. Published by Sega, released in Japan in October 1988. Mega Drive founding rail shooter with varied enemy ships, colossal bosses and memorable music.
Space Harrier II review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Hurtling straight toward the horizon, you weave through obstacles while hosing down hallucinatory creatures bursting from the scenery. The breakneck scrolling and rapid fire set an instant arcade trance with no let-up. The fun lies in that twitchy dodging fused with the punch of your salvos, and the sheer adrenaline rush still thrills today.
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Short"
Technical info
💾0,28 MB📅29/10/1988
Published by Sega
Space Harrier II (Mega Drive) price, value & rarity
A Sega rail shooter released at the Japanese launch of the Mega Drive in 1988, here in its original Launch Cart run. An inaugural title for the console in Japan, it holds a strong symbolic place in its history. Its desirability rests on that launch-game status, the manufacturing peculiarities of the very first cartridges and an early case sought by collectors keen to own a witness to the machine's beginnings.
Is Space Harrier II still worth playing in 2026?
A rail shooter from Sega and a console launch title, Space Harrier II propels the hero across pseudo 3D plains where he machine guns hordes of aliens and creatures at a frantic pace. The sense of speed, the profusion of enemies and the sprite scaling impressed at the time and keep an undeniable retro charm. The repetitiveness and the simplicity of the gameplay betray its age. For a fan of old school arcade shooting or someone curious about the Mega Drive's early days, the title keeps a raw energy and a definite historical cachet.
