Fantasy Zone
"Space Harrier" has shared an unofficial connection with another Sega shooter franchise, "Fantasy Zone", which debuted in Japanese arcades in March 1986. Both series are believed to be set in the same universe; "Space Harrier's" opening line of dialogue at the start of gameplay ("Welcome to the Fantasy Zone") has been cited as a reason, but this was dispelled by "Fantasy Zone" director Yoji Ishii in a 2014 interview. A 1989 port of "Fantasy Zone" for the Japan-exclusive Sharp X68000 contains a hidden stage called "Dragon Land" that features "Space Harrier" enemy characters and is accessible only by following a specific set of instructions. In 1991, NEC Avenue developed "Space Fantasy Zone" for the CD-ROM, featuring "Fantasy Zone's" main character Opa-Opa navigating nine levels of combined gameplay elements and enemies from both franchises. Despite a December 1991 preview in "Electronic Gaming Monthly" and advertising designed by artist Satoshi Urushihara, "Space Fantasy Zone" was never released due to a legal dispute with Sega over NEC's unauthorized use of the "Fantasy Zone" property. However, bootleg copies were produced after a playable beta version of the game was released on the Internet. Opa-Opa is included in "Planet Harriers" as a hidden character, while one of three available endings in the 2007 PlayStation 2 release "Fantasy Zone II DX" has Harrier and Uriah attempting to eliminate a turned-evil Opa-Opa bent on destroying the game's eponymous Fantasy Zone.