Software:Thunder Blade

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Short description: 1987 video game
Thunder Blade
Thunder Blade arcade flyer.jpg
Developer(s)Sega
Publisher(s)
Composer(s)Koichi Namiki
Platform(s)Arcade, Master System, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, MS-DOS, TurboGrafx-16, X68000, ZX Spectrum, Nintendo 3DS
Release
Genre(s)Rail shooter[6]
Scrolling shooter[7]
Mode(s)Single-player
Arcade systemSega X Board

Thunder Blade[lower-alpha 1] is a third-person shoot 'em up video game released by Sega for arcades in 1987.[8][1] Players control a helicopter to destroy enemy vehicles. The game was released as a standard stand-up arcade cabinet with force feedback, as the joystick vibrates. A helicopter shaped sit-down model was released, replacing the force feedback with a cockpit seat that moves in tandem with the joystick.[9] It is a motion simulator cabinet, like the previous Sega Super Scaler games Space Harrier (1985) and After Burner (1987).[8] The game's plot and setting was inspired by the film Blue Thunder (1983).

Versions were released for the Master System, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, TurboGrafx-16, X68000, and ZX Spectrum. The Nintendo 3DS remake was released as a 3D Classic in Japan on August 20, 2014,[10] in North America and Europe on May 14, 2015,[11] and in Australia on July 2 of the same year.[12] The sequel, Super Thunder Blade, was released exclusively for the Sega Genesis.

Gameplay

Arcade version

The player controls a helicopter gunship using its chain gun and missiles to destroy enemy tanks, helicopters, and other vehicles and structures, to save the home country. Each level is in either a top-down or third-person perspective view. The boss levels are in the top-down view.

The player is given 2 "lives" as continues, used if they are killed in a level. Clearing a level allows you to return, bypassing the levels before it.

The 3D classic release allows joystick emulation and gyroscopic controls.

Development

The plot and setting were inspired by the 1983 film Blue Thunder,[5] from which a digitized frame became the title screen.[13]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AmigaArcadeAtari STC64Master SystemPCZX
Crash91%[14]
CVGPositive[1]66%[15]80%[16][17]82%[15]
Sinclair User87%[18]
Your Sinclair9/10[19]
Commodore User9/10[20]
Award
PublicationAward
Golden Joystick AwardsConsole Game of the Year (Master System)[4]

In Japan, Game Machine listed Thunder Blade in its January 15, 1988, issue as the fourth most successful upright arcade unit of the month.[21] It went on to become Japan's ninth highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1988.[22]

The arcade game was well received by critics. Clare Edgeley of Computer and Video Games called it "a helicopter simulation with several innovative features". She said it was "a brilliant game" with "superb" graphics and gameplay.[1] Your Sinclair stated that "Thunder Blade is probably the game which took most of your money in the arcades this summer, probably one of the most eagerly awaited coin-op conversions".[19]

At the 1988–1989 Golden Joystick Awards, the Sega Master System version won Console Game of the Year.[4] The ZX Spectrum version also received a Crash Smash award from Crash magazine.

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: サンダーブレード Hepburn: Sandāburēdo

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games (77 (March 1988)): 90–3. February 1988. https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-077/page/n89/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ "Thunder Blade (Registration Number PA0000353392)". https://cocatalog.loc.gov. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). セガ社 (Sega); Sega; G (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. pp. 36, 131, 153. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/stream/ArcadeGameList1971-2005#page/n37/mode/1up. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Golden Joystick Awards 1989". Computer and Video Games (Future Publishing) (92): 62–63. June 1989. https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_092_1989-06_EMAP_Publishing_GB/Computer__Video_Games_Issue_092_1989-06_EMAP_Publishing_GB#page/n61/mode/2up. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=TheGamesMachine/Issue15/Pages/TheGamesMachine1500057.jpg. 
  6. ↑ Kalata, Kurt (28 July 2017). "Thunder Blade". http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/thunder-blade/. "Tag: Shoot-Em-Up: Rail" 
  7. ↑ Town, Jonathan (18 May 2015). "3D Thunder Blade Review (3DS eShop)". Hookshot Media. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds-eshop/3d_thunder_blade. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Sega's Wonderful Simulation Games Over The Years". Arcade Heroes. June 6, 2013. https://arcadeheroes.com/2013/06/06/segas-wonderful-simulation-games-over-the-years/. 
  9. ↑ Thunder Blade at the Killer List of Videogames
  10. ↑ "3D Thunder Blade hitting the Japanese 3DS eShop on August 20". August 7, 2014. http://nintendoeverything.com/3d-thunder-blade-hitting-the-japanese-3ds-eshop-on-august-20/. Retrieved July 4, 2015. 
  11. ↑ "SEGA 3D Classics – 3D Thunder Blade – Part 1". SEGA. May 12, 2015. http://blogs.sega.com/2015/05/12/sega-3d-classics-3d-thunder-blade-part-1/. Retrieved July 4, 2015. 
  12. ↑ Doolan, Liam (July 3, 2015). "3D Out Run, Thunder Blade And Fantasy Zone I & II Now Available On The eShop In Australia". http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/07/3d_out_run_thunder_blade_and_fantasy_zone_i_and_ii_now_available_on_the_eshop_in_australia. Retrieved July 4, 2015. 
  13. ↑ Kalata, Kurt (July 28, 2017). "Thunder Blade". http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/thunder-blade/. 
  14. ↑ "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=Crash/Issue59/Pages/Crash5900185.jpg. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue087/Pages/CVG08700025.jpg. 
  16. ↑ "Mean Machines". Computer and Video Games (85 (November 1988)): 130–1. October 15, 1988. https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-085/page/n129/mode/2up. 
  17. ↑ "Guide: Sega". Computer and Video Games (Complete Guide to Consoles: Volume IV): 108–10. November 1990. https://archive.org/details/Complete_Guide_to_Consoles_Volume_IV_1990_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n107/mode/2up. 
  18. ↑ "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue082/Pages/SinclairUser08200033.jpg. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Thunder Blade". http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/thunderblade.htm. 
  20. ↑ "Arcades". Commodore User (54 (March 1988)): 104–7. February 26, 1988. https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/265/358. 
  21. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (324): 21. January 15, 1988. 
  22. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '88 / "Game of the Year '88" By Game Machine". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (348): 10–1, 26. 15 January 1989. https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19890115p.pdf#page=6. 

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