Planet Harriers is a criminally underrated game from Sega’s history which is well over due a spotlight on SEGAbits, so here it is!
Planet Harriers is an on-rail shooter and part of the more widely recognized ‘Space Harrier’ series. It released in the year 2000 on the Sega Hikaru arcade board and while I believe plans for it to appear on the Dreamcast were afoot unfortunately it never materialized before the consoles untimely demise.
Planet Harriers uses a twin cabinet, which allows for two player Co-Op, or a networked two-player game. The cabinet has a seated configuration. Planet Harriers controls used a joystick with a missile and bullet trigger. ‘View change’ and bomb buttons were on the main panel.
So why do I think it needs to be given a spotlight on our front page? Well just look at that video! I think if there is ever a game that sums up what ‘Sega’ means to a whole host of older fans out there it’s games Planet Harriers. The game just drips with bright colours and that nostalgic ‘blue skies’ happy-go-lucky feeling a Sega game should. The graphics are beautiful too and I’m very impressed by the lighting. Not to mention the video above features the bonus character; SEGAbits’ adopted mascot OpaOpa!
Now if Sega ever wanted to bring this beauty to XBLA/PSN and Steam, this is something I could get behind!
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oh MAN! I remember drooling over screenshots of this in ODCM back in the day! Shame it never came out because I would have totally shelled out for it.
First game to really tie together Fantasy Zone and Space Harrier.
I huge shame, there is so much about it that screams ‘SEGA’. It’s games like this that made me into the Sega fan I am today.
I encountered this game only once at an arcade (forgot where) and played the hell out of it because I knew I’d probably never see it again.
This really needs to hit XBLA/PSN.
This game and Galaxy Force are two of the most legendary Sega coin-ops that I’ve never gotten to play. Odd that Planet Harriers never came out for Dreamcast… maybe it was just a bit too much for the DC’s built-in memory?
Ummm… the game not getting a dc release was more about Nagoshi then anything else. Unlike other Sega designers he wasn’t attached to a platform and quickly moved away from dc in a heart beat regardless of market trends.
He canceled all AV games scheduled for Dreamcast.
Spike Out
Monkey Ball
Planet Harriers
Where as other SEGA studios kept supporting Dreamcast till 2002, he stopped right after 1 game.
Thanks for the info.
i never knew that segabits had a mascot
Look at the top left corner of our URL.
I would imagine that the PS4 and Xbox One would be up to the task of a modern HD port if it would ever happen. Heck even the Wii U could use more love like the exceptional Bayonetta 2 exclusive back in the day (I still love that game).
Planet Harrier was something I wanted since the screens in ODCM ages ago. The perfect high action game on the console that was a perfect home. I remember the speculation of it PH being on Naomi which nearly “guaranteed” a Dreamcast port. Generations later, still no home console port.