Super FamiComplete #55: Thunder Spirits (Redux)

 

Title: Thunder Spirits

Release Date: 12/27/1991

Developer: Toshiba EMI

Publisher: Seika Corp.

Here we have another side-scrolling schmup. This is one of those genres that will continually haunt this blog; though I suppose there are some really good ones as well. 

Background

This game is an installment of the Thunder Force series by Technosoft. Now this isn't a true sequel because where this falls in that series is actually a bit convoluted. When one normally thinks of old-school SCHMUPS, they tend to think of them as starting in the arcades (at least I do, but then again I am relatively new to the genre). In this case, though, this series started on old PC consoles, before moving to be a primarily Sega property. Thunder Force was originally released for a series of computer consoles, while Thunder Force II was released for the X68000 (with a port for Genesis later entitled Thunder Force II MD), and then Thunder Force III was released for the Genesis. Well, the arcades couldn't NOT wet their beak on such a hit property, so they then released a port of Thunder Force III for the arcades called Thunder Force AC, which held a lot of differences from the core game in that it incorporated assets from Thunder Force II. Now this game, Thunder Spirits, is actually an SNES port of THAT arcade port, but in fact even more changed from that original title (we'll get into those details in a minute). The Thunder Force series is considered a classic, and Thunder Force III is considered really damn good, only overshadowed by the next sequel Lightening Force (which honestly has one of the best OSTs of any video game); is this the case for Thunder Spirits as well? 

Technosoft, as a developer, was really only known for this series (and the little known Herzog), and they did not survive the transition from this generation unto the next, with their last game coming out in 1999. 

The story of the game is relatively simple fare for shoot-em-ups: the human "Galaxy Federation" is fighting against the evil ORN Empire and their mega weapon called the Cerberus. It's up to your pilot to destroy this mega-weapon and save the galaxy. 

Gameplay

The learning curve for this shooter is not too bad, and the game is fairly forgiving as far as time lost if you game over. If you die, you pick up right where you left off with no break in the action. Power-ups are plentiful and frequent, and there is an upgrade system that is like a curtailed Gradius system. I was able to beat the game relatively quickly without having to rely on Game Genie or cheats. 

The aesthetic of the game is pretty neat, as well. They put a lot of effort into the backgrounds; some are dynamic and shifting, and the colors are continually bright and vibrant. Many of the enemies have a biomechanical sort of feel to them, which also translates into the levels themselves. You never plumb into just a starbase or corridor, but instead are traveling through verdant forests, lava planets, or what seem to be best described as "space tombs." Some of the bosses have an interesting design too; one of the final bosses of the game does something rather unique for a shooter, which is fight you within a closed room. The boss is a simple snake creature that travels from hole in the wall to hole in the wall, but for a horizontal shooter this is a rather novel concept. 

Compared to the glory that is this game's sequel, and how good the Genesis and Arcade version of this game is...this game is just kid of lackluster. It doesn't do much to stand out; the music is okay, the action is relatively slow, and it isn't that challenging of a shoot-em-up. 

Ads, Art, and Music

Just a few magazine ads this time. 

Music

The music actually isn't too bad. Check it out!

Verdict

There are other much better shoot-em-ups out there for collectors. I am starting to really hope that there is a break from SCHMUPS for a while on this blog.