Games - Thunder Force series

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	Games - Thunder Force series

The Thunder Force series (also spelled Thunderforce, Japanese: サンダーフォース) is a series of scrolling shooter type video games developed by the Japanese software company Technosoft. The games are known by fans of the genre for their hardcore appeal, pleasing graphics (for their time), and generally well composed Synth-rock based soundtracks.

The series's first game appeared a variety of Japanese computers, such as the Sharp X1 and the NEC PC-8801 mkII. The majority of installments in the series appeared on the Sega Megadrive/Genesis console, where the series gained much of its popularity. The most recent entry was released on the Sega Saturn, later ported to the PlayStation.

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The setting of the Thunder Force games (excluding the fifth chapter) are centered around the war between inhabitants of the "Galaxy Federation" (protagonists), and the "ORN Empire" (antagonists). The games feature the "Fire Leo" spacecraft and its iterations, developed by the Galaxy Federation under "Project Thunder Force" to be small, but maneuverable and powerful fighter craft. The Galaxy Federation feels that these ships have the best chance of defeating large forces such as the ORN empire's, as opposed to sending a host of larger ships. Thunder Force V details the discovery of Galaxy Federation technology by Earthlings and the conseqences this discovery causes.

Early games in the series had multi directional scrolling, overhead stages where the player would attack airborne and ground targets. These stages were later removed in favor of horizontally-scrolling stages that contained various gameplay elements derived from popular horizontal scrolling shooters Gradius and R-Type, such as an array of interchangeable and unique weapons, satellite turrets which provide the player additional firepower, and level design which encourages player memorization and skillful ship maneuvering/positioning in order to effectively pass.

Legacy

Thunder Force (1983)
Thunder Force II (1988)
Thunder Force II MD (1989) (port of Thunder Force II)
Thunder Force III (1990)
Thunder Force AC (1990) (port of Thunder Force III retooled into an Arcade game)
Thunder Spirits (1991) (port of Thunder Force AC)
Thunder Force IV (1992) (a.k.a. Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar)
Thunder Force Gold Pack 1 (1996)
Thunder Force Gold Pack 2
(1996)
Thunder Force V (1997)
Thunder Force V: Perfect System (1998) (port of Thunder Force V)

Thunder Force VI?

A video was made in 2000 which circulated on the Internet showing the intro sequence for Thunder Force VI. This video serves as evidence that Thunder Force VI was at one time being developed for the Sega Dreamcast
console.

In 2001, a video game music album was released from the band "Noise" entitled Broken Thunder: Noise Image Soundtrack Volume 3 featuring music intended to be used in Thunder Force VI. The soundtrack is composed by Tsukumo Haykutarou, Noise band member and music composer for many of Technosoft's
games (including Thunder Force V).

On December 5, 2005, the music featured in Broken Thunder: Noise Image Soundtrack Volume 3 was re-relased along with other arrangements from previous Thunder Force games on an album entitled Thunder Force VI Soundtrack ~Broken Thunder~ published by "Factory Noise & AG".

Internet rumors have been floating around that Technosoft
, who has not been heard from since the early 2000s, are currently rehiring staff and planning to release Thunder Force VI in the fiscal year of 2006 for an unnamed game system.

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thunder force series

Games - Thunder Force series

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Legacy

Thunder Force VI?

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