| Zzap!64 reviewed Elite's Commodore 64 version, at £9.95 on cassette and £14.95 on disk, joystick only, in its 1986 Christmas Special. It describes a mission in sections that grow harder, POW capsules dropped when a complete squadron is shot down, and a roll on the space bar that makes the plane invincible for a few seconds, three rolls to a life. | p. 193, 1942p. 193, 1942p. 193, 1942p. 193, 1942 | Magazine |
| Zzap!64 gave the Commodore 64 version 58% overall, with 77% for presentation, 59% for graphics, 61% for sound, 78% for hookability, 57% for lastability, and 52% for value. | p. 193, 1942, ratingsp. 193, 1942, ratingsp. 193, 1942, ratingsp. 193, 1942, ratingsp. 193, 1942, ratingsp. 193, 1942, ratingsp. 193, 1942, ratings | Magazine |
| Zzap!64's ratings box called it "an uninspiring conversion of a poor arcade game". One reviewer admitted to having hated the arcade version and now felt sorry for it, and wondered why Elite had bothered to convert such an aged shoot 'em up. | p. 193, 1942, overall ratingp. 193, 1942, commentp. 193, 1942, comment | Magazine |
| Zzap!64 gave the Commodore 64 version a Gold Medal at 97% overall, with 93% for presentation, 98% for graphics, 96% for sound, 98% for hookability, 95% for lastability, and 96% for value for money. The presentation note regrets that arcade quality means no restart option or pause. | p. 56, year's recapp. 56, year's recap | Magazine |
| Zzap!64's reviewers credit Elite's Commodore 64 conversion to Chris Butler, with music and effects by Mark Cooksey. | p. 56, year's recap | Magazine |
| On Zzap!64's Games Top 30 in December 1986, a chart of readers' votes, Elite's Commodore 64 version was fourth, as in the month before, with 4% of the votes. | p. 124, Games Top 30p. 125, chart voting coupon | Magazine |
| Zzap!64's Christmas Special of 1986 expected Elite's Space Harrier in the shops for Christmas 1986. | p. 150 (image 150), competition | Magazine |
| Chris Butler was converting Space Harrier to the Commodore 64 for Elite at the end of 1986: Zzap!64's Christmas Special of 1986 said he was then converting it, and Computer and Video Games looked forward in January 1987 to a finished Commodore 64 version from him. | p. 47 (image 47), programmers' choicesp. 47 (image 47) | Magazine |