Thunder Force 2

Thunder Force 2
a game by Technosoft
Genres: Action, Flying, Shooting Games
Platform: Sega GenesisGenesis
Editor Rating: 8.1/10, based on 6 reviews
User Rating: 9.0/10 - 2 votes
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See also: Thunder Force Games
Thunder Force 2
Thunder Force 2
Thunder Force 2
Thunder Force 2
  • Number of Levels: 9
  • Theme: Shooter
  • Difficulty: Average
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Available: October 1989

WARP INTO BATTLE WITH THUNDER FORCE 2

Thunder Force II, developed by Techno Soft, marks the entry of the high-speed shooter for the Genesis game system. Thunder Force uses many standard shoot-em-up features and relics heavily on the machine's superior 16-Bit graphic and sound abilities to produce an interstellar combat game of unparalleled magnitude and intensity.

The play action in Thunder Force II is divided into two separate types. The "Top View" missions supply an overhead view of the battle, with your ship permanently positioned in the middle of the screen. You control the screen scrolling and direction of the landscape underneath. While in this mode you must seek out several ground-based installations to progress to the next level of play.

Make it past the first wave of challenges and you're thrown into the "Side View" mission that comes close to duplicating the feel of R-Type, with plenty of targets and huge alien Bosses waiting at the end of each level.

Thunder Force II is a highly challenging game with intense graphics and game play that is unequaled by similar fare. Thunder Force is a must-have for all shooter fans, and a remarkable example of what the Genesis can do.

  • Blast the alien's first Boss device by hitting the center of the ship. Watch out for the laser beams and power orbs!
  • The battle tank Boss is packed with power and has awesome armor! Target the turret, avoid its fire, and blow it away!

SUPERCHARGE YOUR SCORE WITH QUICK COMBAT BONUSES

At the end of every round, once the last base is destroyed in the overhead scenes and the Boss is defeated in the side scrolling screens, you can receive bonus points depending on how rapidly you eliminate the aliens forces.

Side-view super bonus

Instead of confronting the enemy head-on with your guns, try the pacifist approach and avoid the alien onslaught. Don't fire on the bad guys through the entire round and dodge their bullets and beams until you reach the Boss. Attack the Boss as you normally would and you'll find a secret bonus award of 500,000 points staring you in the face!

LEVEL SELECT MODE

Thunder Force II is a tough title, with nine levels of game action screaming across both overhead and side play sequences. Getting from beginning to end in this shoot-out is a true test of any gamer's abilities.

There is a special menu screen built right into the game, however, that will let you advance to higher levels of battle and design your own games!

All you have to do to enter this sub-screen is hold the 'A', 'B', and 'C' buttons while turning on the Genesis. Keep the buttons pressed and push 'Start' once the title screen appears. You can now-select your starting level (1-5), the difficulty, and select other options as well!

POWER-UP!

There are a total of 12 power-ups in Thunder Force that are spread out across both the overhead and horizontal battle scenes. Shown here are the power-ups for the overhead areas - pick the ones that work best for you!

  • TWIN SHOT - Doubles your forward firepower.
  • BACK FIRE - Provides additional gunfire behind your ship.
  • WIDE SHOT - Launches plasma energy balls in all directions. Very useful!
  • FIVE WAY - Fires five power waves around and in front of your fighter.
  • CLASH - Shoots streams of killer energy spheres directly ahead.
  • DESTROY - Very powerful missiles cause heavy damage on the ground.

Download Thunder Force 2

Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

Game Reviews

Number of Levels: 9 Theme: Shooter Difficulty: Average/Hard Number of Players: 1 Available: 1990

Blast through the Alien Fortress

Thunder Force II is the first shooting entry to appear in the Genesis library (although additional titles like Atomic Robo-Kid, Curse, and Truxton are on the way) and it takes a unique approach. Instead of relying on strictly on overhead or side-scrolling environments, Thunder Force II uses both! What, at first glance, appears to be the Genesis' answer to R-Type and countless other horizontally-scrolling shoot-em-ups, turns into much more with a completely separate battle perspective with overhead rounds that play in a similar fashion to the classic Konami shooter, Time Pilot.

Thunder Force II spices up the intense blasting action with a dozen power-ups that affect your firepower in all kinds of radical ways. The overhead conflicts require good maneuvering, while the side-scrolling battles always end with high-powered attacks from Boss machinery that fills the screen!

People say:

8

TF2 is one of the better shooters to come along in some time. The benefits of the 16-Bit graphics and sound are obvious, and the round structure gives you two games in one. The overhead sequence is not as strong as the side scenes, but the whole package is definitely top-notch!

8

You haven't seen great graphics until you've seen TF2. Easily the best visuals in a shoot-em-up, with both horizontal and vertical fighting sequences, the game has more than enough variety. The action is intense and nonstop! Another example of how much better a 16-Bit cart can be!

7

A very good game! TF2 has a lot of action with plenty of enemies to interact with and power-ups to retrieve. The graphics are exceptional - with two scenes and plenty of weapons. This is one shooting game that has teeth!

8

TF2 has graphics and sounds that blow me away. The game is impressive as well, with a ton of power-ups that boost your weaponry to new heights. The side-scrolling scenes are visually impressive, but the overhead screen requires strategy missing from most shooters.

  • Levels: 9
  • Theme: Shooter
  • Players: 1
  • Difficulty: Average

The galaxy is being ravaged by an hostile race of beings! Take the helm of a unique space craft built to the max with awesome firepower and many, many other surprises!

  • Type: Shooter
  • Release: 10/15/1989
  • Levels of Play: 9
  • Difficulty: Hard

Thunder Force II is the Genesis' answer to R-Type and countless other horizontally scrolling shoot-em-ups. Thunder Force, however, also includes a completely separate battle perspective with overhead rounds that play in a similar fashion to the classic Konami shooter, Time Pilot.

Thunder Force II is loaded with a dozen power-ups that affect your fire power in all kinds of radical ways. The overhead conflicts require good maneuvering skills, while the side-scrolling scenes always end with high-powered Boss attacks!

People say:

8

Thunder II is one of the better shooters to come along in some time. The benefits of the 16-Bit graphics and sounds are obvious, and the round structure gives you two games in one. The overhead sequence is not as strong as the side scenes, but the whole package is definitely top-notch!

8

You haven't seen great graphics until you ve seen Thunder Force II. Easily the best visuals in a shoot-em-up, with both horizontal and vertical fighting sequences, the game has more than enough variety. The action is intense and non-stop! Another example of how much better a 16-Bit cart can be!

7

A very good game! Thunder Force II has a lot of action with plenty of enemies to interact with and power-ups to retrieve. The graphics are exceptional - with two scenes and plenty of weapons. This is one shooting game that has teeth!

8

Thunder Force II has graphics and sounds that blow me away. The game is impressive as well, with a ton of power-ups that boost your weaponry to new heights. The side-scrolling scenes are visually impressive, but the overhead screen require additional strategy - missing from most shooters.

Thunder Force 2 is a classic shoot 'em up (shmup) game developed by Technosoft.

Taking place soon after Thunder Force, the ORN Empire creates a powerful new battleship, the Plealos (or Preareos). Using this battleship, ORN once again attacks the Galaxy Federation. The outcome of the attacks result in the destruction of the Galaxy Federation affiliated planet of Reda, and heavy destruction on the planet Nepura (a.k.a. Nebula), which ORN eventually captures from the Galaxy Federation.

Eventually, the Galaxy Federation learns that ORN houses Plealos deep below Nebula's surface when not in use and takes the opportunity to plan an operation to take it down. They send the next iteration of their Fire Leo series of fighter craft, the FIRE LEO-02 Exceliza, to destroy ORN bases on Nepura and eventually find and destroy Plealos. The player controls the Exceliza and travels through a variety of stages to accomplish this goal.

Known as Elemental Master in Japan, rumor has it that when this game comes to the States, the title will be Thunder Force 4. This super soft is a vertical scroller set in an overhead perspective. In the same tradition as TF3 there are tons of great weapons and power-ups to help you battle the new enemy and reclaim the fallen planets under siege!

Snapshots and Media

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

See Also

Viewing games 1 to 2
A.S.P.: Air Strike Patrol
Isometric shooter, military style game, based in part on the Gulf War in the 1990s, single player.
Firepower 2000
It is a 2D vertically-scrolling Shoot 'em up game.