I went over to GameCrazy the other day and saw loose copies of Thunder Force II and Lightening Force - so I picked them up. These games are pretty cool - Lightening Force has some extremely impressive graphics and TFII has those overhead stages which are unlike anything I've ever seen in a SHMUP before. Haven't played 1, 3 or 5 (wasn't 5 released by Working Designs?) Anybody else into these games, and could you recommend the others?
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Thunder Force series
- Thread starter djtiesto
- Start date
ArcadeStickMonk
Member
Thunderforce IV, aka Lightening Force (not a typo), owned so hard on the Genny. I played that game at random at a Sam's club when I was like 14 or so, and was so impressed that when I got a Genny, a had the local Babbages order it for me.
The parralex scrolling in that game was insane, and stages were the type where the board would scroll very far up and down. Awesome bosses and a killer soundtrack. Also, most terrible voice emu ever.
I busted the Genny out a few months back when I wired a pad into an encoder box, and found that my copy was missing from its box. Quite angering. And since we're talking about it, the probability of me Ebaying a copy tonight is high.
I also own the PSX Thunderforce V Perfect System. I really dig the option to map every weapon to a different button. The game still pales to Thunderforce IV though, the low poly graphics just don't have impact of the Genny art.
The parralex scrolling in that game was insane, and stages were the type where the board would scroll very far up and down. Awesome bosses and a killer soundtrack. Also, most terrible voice emu ever.
I busted the Genny out a few months back when I wired a pad into an encoder box, and found that my copy was missing from its box. Quite angering. And since we're talking about it, the probability of me Ebaying a copy tonight is high.
I also own the PSX Thunderforce V Perfect System. I really dig the option to map every weapon to a different button. The game still pales to Thunderforce IV though, the low poly graphics just don't have impact of the Genny art.
get the saturn version of V if you can -- the ps1 version plays fine, but the graphics have been butchered. the original thunderforce was only available on a few japanese computers, and it's entirely top-down/free-roaming, like sections of thunderforce II.
IV's my favorite of the series, and indeed one of my favorite horizontal shumps. it was the first game to marry tecnosoft's coding skill to pixel art comparable to konami and irem's best. it's really long and challenging, and the level design is amazingly rich. r-type delta is its only clear better.
incidentally, the best version of IV is on thunderforce gold pack 2, on saturn -- the slowdown's all been cleaned up, and you can run it in s-video. that disc also features thunderforce AC, a remixed arcade version of thunderforce III, which was badly ported to snes as "thunder spirits." i think gold pack 2's still a bit expensive, but it's totally worth it.
IV's my favorite of the series, and indeed one of my favorite horizontal shumps. it was the first game to marry tecnosoft's coding skill to pixel art comparable to konami and irem's best. it's really long and challenging, and the level design is amazingly rich. r-type delta is its only clear better.
incidentally, the best version of IV is on thunderforce gold pack 2, on saturn -- the slowdown's all been cleaned up, and you can run it in s-video. that disc also features thunderforce AC, a remixed arcade version of thunderforce III, which was badly ported to snes as "thunder spirits." i think gold pack 2's still a bit expensive, but it's totally worth it.
midnightguy
Member
Thunder Force 1: 1984 or 1985, made for many Japanese 8-bit computers. 100% overhead scrolling, bi-directional (?) shmup.
Thunder Force 1 appeared on:
1.) Sharp X1
2.) NEC PC-88 (aka NEC PC 8801)
3.) NEC PC 6001
4.) Fujitsu FM-7
5.) Sharp MZ-1500
see this thread for lots of info on Thunder Force I
http://forum.shmups.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=369&highlight=thunder+force+sharp
Thunder Force II: made in 1988, originally for the 16-bit Sharp X68000 computer. it's the best version of TFII. later it was converted in downgraded form to the Sega MegaDrive | Genesis in 1989.
so what does the older Sharp X68000 computer version of TFII have over the Sega console version? at least 2 more levels (maybe more): one additional overhead level, one side scrolling level. better color (both pallete, and simultaneous on screen) more parallax scrolling (immediately noticable)
more weapons, clearer audio, especially voice samples. (the pilot says SHIT when you lose your last life) and more difficult gameplay.
for most people, the MegaDrive or Genesis Thunder Force II was the first Thunder Force game they played, as it was for me. I had no idea a better version of it existed on the Sharp X68000 until a few years ago.
Thunder Force III: released in 1990 for the MegaDrive | Genesis. this was the peak of the series for most of us. awesome game that did away with the overhead levels of part II. (and part I which hardly anyone in the west ever saw). Thunder Force III had amazing boss battles and parallax scrolling levels. who could forget seeing the wavey fire effects of the Gorgon level. holy fuck!
Thunder Force AC: the arcade version of TF III that has a larger color pallete, a few new levels, and two of the Mega Drive / Genesis TF III levels removed.
Thunder Spirits: the poor SNES port of Thunder Force AC with slowdown and bad color
Thunder Force IV aka Lightening Force: awesome game in most respects. very difficult. very long. tons of parallax scrolling. fun challenging. not quite as awesome as Thunder Force III was for its time though.
Thunder Force V for Saturn and Playstation. I dont know much about these other than that the Saturn version is much better quality overall. this is the verison you want to play. the PS version has some additional content, maybe an extra level or boss, but suffers from losing most of the parallax scrolling in the Saturn version.
edit: Thunder Force V releases go as follows:
Saturn - Thunder Force V
Playstation - Thunder Force V: Perfect System
Saturn Thunder Force V Special Pack (remixed music it seems)
Thunder Force 1 appeared on:
1.) Sharp X1
2.) NEC PC-88 (aka NEC PC 8801)
3.) NEC PC 6001
4.) Fujitsu FM-7
5.) Sharp MZ-1500
see this thread for lots of info on Thunder Force I
http://forum.shmups.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=369&highlight=thunder+force+sharp
Thunder Force II: made in 1988, originally for the 16-bit Sharp X68000 computer. it's the best version of TFII. later it was converted in downgraded form to the Sega MegaDrive | Genesis in 1989.
so what does the older Sharp X68000 computer version of TFII have over the Sega console version? at least 2 more levels (maybe more): one additional overhead level, one side scrolling level. better color (both pallete, and simultaneous on screen) more parallax scrolling (immediately noticable)
more weapons, clearer audio, especially voice samples. (the pilot says SHIT when you lose your last life) and more difficult gameplay.
for most people, the MegaDrive or Genesis Thunder Force II was the first Thunder Force game they played, as it was for me. I had no idea a better version of it existed on the Sharp X68000 until a few years ago.
Thunder Force III: released in 1990 for the MegaDrive | Genesis. this was the peak of the series for most of us. awesome game that did away with the overhead levels of part II. (and part I which hardly anyone in the west ever saw). Thunder Force III had amazing boss battles and parallax scrolling levels. who could forget seeing the wavey fire effects of the Gorgon level. holy fuck!
Thunder Force AC: the arcade version of TF III that has a larger color pallete, a few new levels, and two of the Mega Drive / Genesis TF III levels removed.
Thunder Spirits: the poor SNES port of Thunder Force AC with slowdown and bad color
Thunder Force IV aka Lightening Force: awesome game in most respects. very difficult. very long. tons of parallax scrolling. fun challenging. not quite as awesome as Thunder Force III was for its time though.
Thunder Force V for Saturn and Playstation. I dont know much about these other than that the Saturn version is much better quality overall. this is the verison you want to play. the PS version has some additional content, maybe an extra level or boss, but suffers from losing most of the parallax scrolling in the Saturn version.
edit: Thunder Force V releases go as follows:
Saturn - Thunder Force V
Playstation - Thunder Force V: Perfect System
Saturn Thunder Force V Special Pack (remixed music it seems)
midnightguy
Member
Mejilan said:
Thunder Force games were made for:
various Japanese computers (TFI, TFII)
Sega MegaDrive | Genesis (TF II, III, IV)
Sega-based arcade (TF AC)
SNES (Spirits)
Saturn ( TF V and TF II, III, AC, IV on the Gold Packs)
Playstation (TF V)
sadly, the Saturn TF Gold Packs are missing the awesome X68000 version of TF II, only the MegaDrive version of TF II is included.
Thunder Force II and III kicked ass...beating TF3 almost became a daily occurance...that game kicked soo much ass it was unthinkable...I especially loved the R-Type inspired "destroy the enemy battle ship piece by piece" level
never did get into TF4, though
easily one of the best purchases I ever 'made'. My parents took me to Toys R Us to buy a Genny and they were sold out, so they asked me to pick out a game to get and I chose Thunder Force III and poured over the cart and box until the TRU got more genesis consoles in...my first foray into 16 Bit gaming was Sonic (included) and it was only some weeks later that I played Thunder Force III but by GOD that was an amazing game...(regarding the shmup genre) having gone from Gradius on the NES and R-Type on the Master System directly to Thunder Force III was ... wow...just wow
never did get into TF4, though
easily one of the best purchases I ever 'made'. My parents took me to Toys R Us to buy a Genny and they were sold out, so they asked me to pick out a game to get and I chose Thunder Force III and poured over the cart and box until the TRU got more genesis consoles in...my first foray into 16 Bit gaming was Sonic (included) and it was only some weeks later that I played Thunder Force III but by GOD that was an amazing game...(regarding the shmup genre) having gone from Gradius on the NES and R-Type on the Master System directly to Thunder Force III was ... wow...just wow
midnightguy
Member
Mejilan said:Thanks for the summary, midnight.
np
D
Deleted member 284
Unconfirmed Member
I think my favorite part of TF3 was the music...How I loathed the SNES port.
midnightguy
Member
found a pretty good history of the Thunder Force series here on Sega-16.com
including a CG concept video for the unreleased Thunder Force VI, which you should right-click, save, and play it in realplayer in order to run it properly
including a CG concept video for the unreleased Thunder Force VI, which you should right-click, save, and play it in realplayer in order to run it properly
D
Deleted member 284
Unconfirmed Member
Within the time I first posted in this thread, I've finished TF3 twice. The second time on one credit.
Plenty.Mejilan said:
Tecnosoft publicly showcased their VGM collections and mentioned their CD catalog in each game.
In a vgm hub there's also people with the Thunder Force 6 "Broken Thunder" Soundtrack - it's like a revisit to TF5.
ps: However, if you've got the Special CD that came with the limited SS TF5, you're not missing terribly much (barring some like Yack's work on Neorude) if you don't seek out the rest of Tecnosoft's collections.
Thunderforce II was awesome. One of the first games I got for Genesis, and probably the first game in which I used to listen to the music like a CD.
Thunderforce III was also awesome, but on the easy side. The water level boss, the fiery background level, the standard huge space battleship fight...all were incredible for the time. I probably played through that game dozens of times.
I haven't played any of the other games in the series. The Genesis shooter that I thought was slightly better than Thunderforce III was Gairies. MUSHA also rocked.
Thunderforce III was also awesome, but on the easy side. The water level boss, the fiery background level, the standard huge space battleship fight...all were incredible for the time. I probably played through that game dozens of times.
I haven't played any of the other games in the series. The Genesis shooter that I thought was slightly better than Thunderforce III was Gairies. MUSHA also rocked.
Doc Savage
Member
These were some of my favorite games back in the day.