Thunder Force III / IV

There is a handful of games whose soundtrack you remember before anything else — and Thunder Force belongs squarely in this category. The studio Technosoft was renowned as masters of sound, and their series of horizontal shooters on the SEGA Mega Drive proves it with every note and every pixel. The third game from 1990 and the fourth from 1992 represent the absolute pinnacle of the genre on this console.

At the heart of the gameplay is a weapon-switching system. Instead of linear upgrading, you choose on the fly between different types of fire depending on the situation, which turns survival into a tactical game of the right weapon at the right moment. Add to this the smooth, multi-layered scrolling that gave an illusion of depth and motion far beyond what was expected of a 16-bit machine.

Technically both games went to the edge of the possible. Backgrounds pile over one another, enemy formations roll in in well-thought-out waves, and the overall pace keeps the player in constant tension. Thunder Force IV (released in the West as Lightening Force) is to this day cited as one of the technically most advanced shooters of the entire 16-bit era — huge bosses, detailed animation and a smoothness the competition could hardly catch up to.

And then there is that music. Technosoft's hard-rock soundtrack was not just accompaniment but a full-fledged part of the experience, driving the player forward and underscoring every explosion. The Mega Drive's sound chip got here one of the best uses it ever received, and fans remember the tracks to this day.

The Thunder Force series became something of a flagship of what the Mega Drive could do in the world of shmups. For fans of the genre it is a must, and for anyone who wants to understand why this console built its reputation as a paradise of action games, it is an ideal gateway.

Why play: Top-tier horizontal shmups with tactical weapon switching, a dazzling technical side and one of the best soundtracks of the 16-bit era.