Day 17: Favorite Action Game
What exactly constitutes an action game? Like a shooter that isn't in first person? Or a shooter without a spaceship? Or a shooter without an open world?
What about Space Harrier? Is that an action game or a SHMUP?
Let's go with that one. Why not. Space Harrier won me over at a very early age, before I even knew what happened. An arcade I went to at some point in my childhood (probably at Great America or Marine World, Africa, USA) had a Space Harrier machine with the moving chair. The chair was terrifying then, to my four foot tall self, and I couldn't entirely concentrate on the game being played because of all the moving.
I'm not sure I got how special that game was, not then.
A few years later, a friend of mine got World Runner 3D on his NES. The 3D gave us headaches, but the world running was pretty fun, even with the frustratingly unfair jumps. At the time, I had yet to put two and two together, but I knew that I loved the checkerboard grid racing below my feet.
In high school, I went to the movies a lot. Junior year, we saw a movie every single Friday. Didn't miss a one. Movies cost three bucks back then, and I always kept a quarter or two in my pocket to play Space Harrier, the only machine in the lobby. It was tucked away in a corner, hidden from the world, and playing it with only the throttle made me feel awesome. Pretty much as awesome as any and all of these make me feel (especially Spacebeam, Yo!)
That theme, that flying, that shooting, that dodging, I can play Space Harrier all day.
A few years ago, we stayed in a cabin in New Hampshire with friends of our roommate. We had recently had a household viewing of The King of Kong, and on the drive up, we passed Funspot. I was excited because it's Funspot. Everyone else was excited because it was in the King of Kong.
We went. We played. They had a Space Harrier sit down machine. And it was good.
What about Space Harrier? Is that an action game or a SHMUP?
Let's go with that one. Why not. Space Harrier won me over at a very early age, before I even knew what happened. An arcade I went to at some point in my childhood (probably at Great America or Marine World, Africa, USA) had a Space Harrier machine with the moving chair. The chair was terrifying then, to my four foot tall self, and I couldn't entirely concentrate on the game being played because of all the moving.
I'm not sure I got how special that game was, not then.
A few years later, a friend of mine got World Runner 3D on his NES. The 3D gave us headaches, but the world running was pretty fun, even with the frustratingly unfair jumps. At the time, I had yet to put two and two together, but I knew that I loved the checkerboard grid racing below my feet.
In high school, I went to the movies a lot. Junior year, we saw a movie every single Friday. Didn't miss a one. Movies cost three bucks back then, and I always kept a quarter or two in my pocket to play Space Harrier, the only machine in the lobby. It was tucked away in a corner, hidden from the world, and playing it with only the throttle made me feel awesome. Pretty much as awesome as any and all of these make me feel (especially Spacebeam, Yo!)
That theme, that flying, that shooting, that dodging, I can play Space Harrier all day.
A few years ago, we stayed in a cabin in New Hampshire with friends of our roommate. We had recently had a household viewing of The King of Kong, and on the drive up, we passed Funspot. I was excited because it's Funspot. Everyone else was excited because it was in the King of Kong.
We went. We played. They had a Space Harrier sit down machine. And it was good.
