Sega Master System HSC - 2022 Summer Round 4 - Space Harrier

[BydoEmpire]

Get ready! It's time to do some flying and shooting in three dimensions!  This round we'll play the all-time classic Space Harrier.

Bonus: Afterburner - play and post a score for one bonus point.  Incidentally, After Burner was the first game I got for my Master System.

 

This round runs July 25 - Aug 7

 

 

 

1. Razzie.P 7,057,580 (+1)

2. pboland 6,559,720

3. BydoEmpire 5,378,420 (+1)

4. jeremiahjt 4,118,890 (+1)

5. Asaki 3,921,940 (+1)
6. LordInit 2,021,080  (+1)
7. dashopepper 1,499,690 (+1)
8. fakecortex 274,120 (+1)

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by BydoEmpire

[jeremiahjt]

I am glad Space Harrier won, but man I am not good at this game.

[Zap1982]

"Get Ready!" - I see what you did there ?

[jeremiahjt]

Played After Burner and my score was 2(weird crown shape)4,2(filled in rectangle)0.  I think that is 234,280, but I am not 100% sure.

[jeremiahjt]

First attempt at Space Harrier is 2,136,470.  Which I think is a pretty good score for me.  I got to the second stage at least, maybe even to the boss.

[Asaki]

1358720 so far. Need to put Afterburner on this SD card.

[jeremiahjt]

Slight improvement to 2,521,200.  Although I should get a bonus point for scoring the exact same thing twice in one sitting.  The first time I scored that I actually made it to the third stage, without beating the stage two boss though.  After a little bit the boss just left and I moved on.  I guess the boss got tired of the fight.  The second time I scored that I died on the stage two boss.  This game is hard as *^!%.

[fakecortex]

This may be my first time playing this game. It's a tough one; having trouble lining up my shots. And dodging. So, playing basically, lol.

 

Space Harrier - 274,120

 

Also, checked out the manual and thought it was cool to see that there's a sound test in the game, which I think is pretty rare for 8 bit games (can't think of others off the top of my head). If you haven't checked it out, press right, left, down, up at the title screen. Then you can hear your space harrier scream over and over again without having to go through the tedium of getting shot down, hahaha.

[jeremiahjt]

One really good thing about this game is how short it is.  Anytime I can get a few minutes I can play a round or two.  By constantly moving in a circular motion I pretty much never get hit but enemy shots.  What gets me are the indestructible (and sometimes destructible) stage hazards on the ground and the enemies running into me.

 

I was doing pretty good on my last run and made it to the stage three boss.  This boss does not fire constantly so I was camping and pounding on it. When it finally fired at me I did not see it in time to move.  I think I was also able to destroy the stage two boss for the first time.  New score is 3,242,920.

[fakecortex]

Bonus point for After Burner. I had voted for this one bc I have it and played it as a kid, but I forgot how dizzy it makes me feel, especially after doing a full spin ? 

 

After Burner - 167,200 (I think ?)

[+Cafeman]

Ugh these games.  Twitch streamer  SegaNick spent 80+ hours to beat Afterburner,  then many hours to beat Space Harrier 3D, and recently he is still tackling plain ole  Space Harrier, all on SMS.   I didn't watch all that, but I check in a bit each stream.  The thing I learned: these Sega coin op ports on SMS are TOO Freaking Hard!

Have at it! 

[Asaki]

2 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

What gets me are the indestructible (and sometimes destructible) stage hazards on the ground and the enemies running into me.

Yeah, that's what gets me too. It's harder to see them coming in this version.

[jeremiahjt]

Defeated the third stage boss and made it to stage four.  The amount of stage hazards in stage four is ridiculous.  You can barely move.  New score is 4,118,890.

[BydoEmpire]

Got in a couple quick games. I actually reset a few times after stupidly losing a life on Stage 1... still haven't made it past Stage 3.

3,091,890

 

[+pboland]

What is consider a play on this game? I ask because on page 13 of the manual it describes the "Continue Feature" (which can be used 3 times). <---Had to look up the page number. I'm assume no continues?

 

I noticed no one asked about this. Growing up with the master system, I played this game a lot and I would use the continues.

[Lord Innit]

Dug out my copies of these games to have a go.  

Space Harrier  2021080   It's harder than I remember or I've been spoiled with the Saturn version.

Bonus After Burner   93300   

[Asaki]

1 hour ago, pboland said:

What is consider a play on this game? I ask because on page 13 of the manual it describes the "Continue Feature" (which can be used 3 times). <---Had to look up the page number. I'm assume no continues?

Good question.
Probably not?

[jeremiahjt]

5 hours ago, pboland said:

"Continue Feature" (which can be used 3 times)

There is a continue feature? I did not realize that. It probably resets your score after using it so it would probably not be much help anyway.

[BydoEmpire]

15 hours ago, pboland said:

What is consider a play on this game? I ask because on page 13 of the manual it describes the "Continue Feature" (which can be used 3 times). <---Had to look up the page number. I'm assume no continues?

 

I noticed no one asked about this. Growing up with the master system, I played this game a lot and I would use the continues.

I hadn't thought of that. I'd say post score from your first game, not continues.

[Lord Innit]

16 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

There is a continue feature? I did not realize that. It probably resets your score after using it so it would probably not be much help anyway.

Just tried it out and the score carries on.  

[Lord Innit]

2920620  I made it to the third level and was probably nearing the boss on that.  Crikey it makes the ol' peepers ache after a while.

[fakecortex]

8 hours ago, BydoEmpire said:

I hadn't thought of that. I'd say post score from your first game, not continues.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but the HSCs that I play in here don't allow continues by default (which makes most sense to me).

[+Razzie.P]

Afterburner -- 293,400

 

 

I love Afterburner, but I've spoiled myself by playing the 32X version quite a bit lately.  

 

 

 

[+Razzie.P]

Space Harrier -- 7,057,580

 

 

Made it to Stage 9, which is the same "cramped up mess" as Stage 4. 

 

I developed a habit when playing Super Thunder Blade a LOT as a kid -- I would constantly move in an infinity/figure 8 pattern to (seemingly) be harder to hit.  The habit stuck, as I keep instinctively doing that here.   I could probably do better if I stop that and focus more on killing enemies.

 

 

Edit:  I just noticed it says "Cowntdown"  ?

 

 

 

[BydoEmpire]

On 7/29/2022 at 12:36 AM, Razzie.P said:

I developed a habit when playing Super Thunder Blade a LOT as a kid -- I would constantly move in an infinity/figure 8 pattern to (seemingly) be harder to hit.  The habit stuck, as I keep instinctively doing that here.   I could probably do better if I stop that and focus more on killing enemies.

I played Super Thunder Blade a lot, too.  Man, that was a hard game. I always sucked at it.  Unlike Space Harrier, at which I also suck, it felt like work. Some games you can have a lot of fun even when you're bad at them, others not so much. To me, Thunder Blade was in the latter category.

Edited August 1, 2022 by BydoEmpire