Developer(s) Technosoft Designer(s) Katsunori Yoshimura | Publisher(s) Technosoft Series Thunder Force | |
Platform(s) Sharp X1, NEC PC-8801 mkII, FM-7, Sharp MZ-1500, NEC PC-6001 mkII, NEC PC-9801 Release Sharp X1
JP: December 1983
Sharp MZ-1500
JP: 1983
NEC PC-8801
JP: January 1984 (V1)
JP: March 1985 (V2)
FM-7
JP: February 1984
NEC PC-9801
JP: October 1984
NEC PC-6001
JP: 1985 | ||
Thunder Force (サンダーフォース, Sandā Fōsu) is a free-roaming scrolling shooter computer game released by Technosoft in 1983. It is the first game in the Thunder Force series. It was initially released for the Sharp X1 computer, and later appeared on the Sharp MZ-1500, NEC PC-6001 mkII, and in 1985 on the NEC PC-8801 mkII. In 1984, it was released for the FM-7 and NEC PC-9801 computers as Thunder Force Construction, featuring an add-on that allowed players to create custom made areas, like a level editor or game creation system.
Contents
Gameplay
The structure of the game consists of overhead, free-directional scrolling areas and the player's ship is armed with main shot to shoot airborne targets and a bomb shot to shoot ground enemies. Gameplay consists of flying the FIRE LEO over ORN occupied areas while destroying enemy base installations and turrets. Each area has a certain number of shield generators hidden under the ground based enemy targets; in order for an area to be completed, the shield generators must be found and destroyed. After doing so, the Dyradeizer will temporally appear and the player must destroy a certain section of it. Once this section is destroyed, the Dyradeizer will disappear and the player will be taken to the next area to repeat the process.
Plot
The ORN Empire (antagonists of the game) has built a large asteroid fortress named the Dyradeizer to oppose the Galaxy Federation. In addition to its high firepower capabilities, Dyradeizer is supported by shield generators hidden in various locations by ORN, which render the fortress invisible. In an attempt to destroy Dyradeizer, the Galaxy Federation sends their specially designed fighter, the FIRE LEO (controlled by the player), to locate and destroy the shield generators and defeat Dyradeizer.
Development
The original Thunder Force was created by Katsunori Yoshimura in 1983. He later left Technosoft and founded Arsys Software in 1985. In 1984, Technosoft released a level editor, or game creation system, entitled Thunder Force Construction, created by Yoshimura for the FM-7 computer.