Thunder Force IV
1992 · Horizontal Shooter · Genesis
Overview
Thunder Force IV (1992) is Technosoft's Mega Drive shooter, released in North America as Lightening Force, with playfields that scroll vertically as well as sideways.
Deep Dive
The first four of its ten stages can be played in any order. The player can scroll up and down to reveal larger playfields and hidden power-ups, and halfway through gains the Thunder Sword attack, which needs two satellite ships.
Developer Story
Technosoft released it in Japan in 1992, with Sega publishing it in the West. It was the series' last Mega Drive game. Critics praised its graphics and scrolling while some found the play unoriginal; GameFan scored it 96.5%.
Did You Know?
- The sound team, led by Naosuke Arai, used distortion effects on the Mega Drive's FM chip to imitate an electric guitar.
- IGN called it "the pinnacle of Genesis shooters".
Sources & further reading
- Thunder Force IV — Wikipedia
