I was amazed when I it came out and was so fast, I've spent a lot of money on Space Harrier as a kid and the color checkered bottom inspired some effects in the demos I've written back then.
Out Run though brought even more 3d feeling with the up and down.
Interestingly enough I had the opposite experience with Out Run and Space Harrier!
Out Run definitely brought a lot of cool new graphics and sound, including those hills, but it felt to me like "just another racing game" like the ones we'd been playing since Turbo and Pole Position.
For me Space Harrier felt like it was a big leap in freedom over those old driving games where you were glued to the ground. Why would I want to drive when I could fly?
Well, it's this kind of difference that makes these games so worthy of discussion. They meant things to us, and they can mean different things to different people. I'm glad that the world has begun to appreciate these games as art.
Out Run though brought even more 3d feeling with the up and down.