CONVERSION CAPERS

HOW THE VARIOUS VERSIONS STACKED UP

MEGA DRIVE

Not a conversion of the coin-op, or indeed a true sequel, this is more of a remix designed to show off the capabilities of the then-new Mega Drive while adding new enemies. On that rationale it succeeds, but it struggles to match, let alone surpass, its iconic predecessor.

ATARI ST

A solid conversion that can’t match the framerate and number of on-screen colours of the Mega Drive original, but comes pretty close. The music, sound effects and speech are all fine. Playing with a mouse is brilliant and might be the definitive way to play Space Harrier.

AMIGA

A port of the ST version, featuring identical sprites and backgrounds. It does run at a slightly wider resolution, but unlike on the ST, you’re forced to choose between music and effects. The music by Matt Furniss is good, but it means you miss Harrier’s famous death scream.

COMMODORE 64

It may be the only version to lack the chequerboard floor, but the 3D effect and sensation of speed is reproduced quite well here. The graphics lack detail however, and this is particularly evident in the boss battles. On the plus side, the SID soundtrack is first-rate.

ZX SPECTRUM

The speed is fine. Music and effects are great (on the 128K version). The monochrome sprites and chequerboard floor blend together, making it difficult to see what’s going on. That visual impairment is compounded by having a static graphic take up a quarter of the screen.

AMSTRAD CPC

Adapted from the Speccy version, this too suffers from the screen-hogging graphic, presumably added to improve performance. That aside, the sprites are more colourful and better defined, and the boss encounters are the best of any of the 8-bit conversions.

MSX

The little-known conversion is sadly no hidden gem. As you’d expect, it’s just a straight port of the Spectrum version with no obvious optimisation in place, so it’s the same but slower. The original game wasn’t ported to the MSX so we suppose it’s better than nothing. Just.