Retro|Spective 085: Space Harrier

[Team Andromeda]

My best friend back in the day had been born with a hole in his heart, so he also had to visit the hospital now and then. He was also obsessed with gaming like we are.

Yes, Mind you one can't say a 'hole in the heart' in this PC age. But for 11 year's of my life I was back and back and forth
to the Hospital, on endless diets to help gain weight, till in the end the hospital said its now or never and just did the op. But in the year's back and to the Heath Hospital (Wales main Hospital) my mum and gran, would always buy me a Master System and an ZX Spectrum game, every month on my check up's

I used to prefer Boots over WHSmith because they had demo units that I used to mess about with.

Me too, Boots used to be awesome for ZX Spectrum games back inthe day

[Leon Retro]

Yes, Mind you one can't say a 'hole in the heart' in this PC age. But for 11 year's of my life I was back and back and forth
to the Hospital, on endless diets to help gain weight, till in the end the hospital said its now or never and just did the op.

I seem to remember my friend saying he was having an op. He moved back to Liverpool, so I didn't keep up with what was going on in his life as much as when he lived round the corner.

He was always quite small and very skinny, but suddenly had a huge growth spurt in his early-20s and ended up 6'4.

Games also helped him to stay positive and made the bad times more bearable. Both of us really were crazy about gaming -- and that common bond made us best friends. It's great how gaming can bring people together. I remember how my home was often full of me and my brother's friends all challenging each other at Street Fighter 2, Mario Kart, Bomberman etc....

[Team Andromeda]

I seem to remember my friend saying he was having an op. He moved back to Liverpool, so I didn't keep up with what was going on in his life..

My mum was given the choice of either London or Cardiff and went for Wales .I just couldn't put any weight on, and so going into my op weighed less than 5 stone, at the age of 11, but the Hosptial said it was now or never, they had put it off for so long. But I didn't really care, every month on my check up, it was a guaranteed Master System game

I've also had bone cancer and I can tell you friendship, Jackie Chan and gaming really helped me through the dark period of when I gave up and expected to die.

[Neon Ignition]

Clue for 086 - Are you feeling ORNy baby?

[QualityChimp]

I've also had bone cancer and I can tell you friendship, Jackie Chan and gaming really helped me through the dark period of when I gave up and expected to die.

I mentioned it in a different thread, but we used to go away on family holidays to Rhyl, which used to be an amazing holiday resort back in the 80s. Gutted to see it go downhill, but pleased to see The Sun Centre has been rebuilt and just re-opened.

Our favourite arcade was The Mint, which had a coin-pusher that played the same song that I can hum even now.
Every so often, they'd get a real showpiece cabinet in like a massive Crude Busters, but all the arcades competed for bigger machines and I'll never forget seeing the Space Harrier cab hogging a load of floor space and people gathered around to see the spectacle of the arcade lurching around, making loud noises (wuuuurrp wuuuuuurp) and shouting:

"WELCOME TO THE FANTASY ZONE! GET READY!"
Which is something my dad used to remind me of for decades afterwards.
Happy times!

[QualityChimp]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2299731320267905&id=1863790317195343

I've just seen that the deluxe Space Harrier can will be at PlayExpo this year (4th - 6th May)

[Team Andromeda]

I mentioned it in a different thread, but we used to go away on family holidays to Rhyl, which used to be an amazing holiday resort back in the 80s. Gutted to see it go downhill, but pleased to see The Sun Centre has been rebuilt and just re-opened.

Our favourite arcade was The Mint, which had a coin-pusher that played the same song that I can hum even now.
Every so often, they'd get a real showpiece cabinet in like a massive Crude Busters, but all the arcades competed for bigger machines and I'll never forget seeing the Space Harrier cab hogging a load of floor space and people gathered around to see the spectacle of the arcade lurching around, making loud noises (wuuuurrp wuuuuuurp) and shouting:

"WELCOME TO THE FANTASY ZONE! GET READY!"
Which is something my dad used to remind me of for decades afterwards.
Happy times!

Yeah Space Harrier was so incredible back In the day. It just looked and sounded leagues ahead of any Arcade game I had even seen and the full deluxe cab was like a fairground ride of all its own...

I used to have a family holiday to Porthcawl every year and love playing the deluxe full size versions of Power Drift, Space Harrier, Afterburner II and Out Run. The full size version of After Burner II was something else, it's was incredible and practically made the game. I must have spent a fortune on that cab alone, In the Dirty Duck Arcade

[S3M]

To this day I have still never encountered a Planet Harriers cabinet, which saddens me greatly.… at the time I hoped it would receive a Dreamcast port.

I think by all accounts Planet Harrier was sadly a huge flop in arcades, ownly recently played it for the first time via emulators. That said the emulator was a lot way from being 100% complete at present.

[Leon Retro]

But I didn't really care, every month on my check up, it was a guaranteed Master System game

Your mum is great.

I've also had bone cancer and I can tell you friendship, Jackie Chan and gaming really helped me through the dark period of when I gave up and expected to die.

You really have been through dark times, so it's good how you found things to help you stay positive. Gaming -- and being around gamers -- can really create lots of positivity. The solidarity between enthusiast gamers has been a big part of my life. Things like gaming magazines and GamesMaster also helped my friend through the bad times. He always had his nose in one gaming mag or another.

Here's to SEGA and all the joy they've brought gamers over the decades.

[Team Andromeda]

You really have been through dark times, so it's good how you found things to help you stay positive. Gaming -- and being around gamers -- can really create lots of positivity. The solidarity between enthusiast gamers has been a big part of my life. Things like gaming magazines and GamesMaster also helped my friend through the bad times.

Not really, one look in are you happy thread or post your illness on here, shows people having bigger issues. The hole in the heart was never really an issue for me, other than I stopped growing at like age 8, couldn't put any weight on and was always getting chest infections (so missed a ton of school) but I was still out all the time, part of the football team and due to my lack of weight, was one of the fastest runners over 100 Meters in my junior school. I was young and didn't really care or worry about health at the time.

The cancer was quite different as it came when I was in my 20's and I was an adult and knew the risks (even to the point of worrying over anaesthetic ) but my dark period only ever lasted for 2 weeks; It was quite dark as I did give up.. I didn't bath, didn't clean my teeth, shave and stayed in my bedroom and refused all contact with my friends and family and would only allow my mum into my bedroom and for those 2 weeks I just played the odd game and watched endless tapes of the Simpsons and Jackie Chan films and went to bed I didn't care if I woke up and felt it would be less of a burden on my family, if gone.. but that was just 2 weeks.

I soon snapped out of that and had no choice as my best friend and his father called in the house and said I had to down their house to watch Liverpool Vs Newcastle how they had already ordered takeaway's, there were loads of cans icooling in the fridge and they weren't taking no for an answer, weren't leaving the house until I washed and got ready. I did just that and life was soon worth living and fighting for and I just couldn't belive how silly I was...

I do feel so sorry for the one who can't get out of the dark periods, when one is depressed and its gets a hold of you. Its a truly horrible place to be. That's why I live life to the full and love my swift half's at the footy and on the weekends