Name:	Thunder Blade
Author/Vendor:	Sega
Released:	1988
Type:	Shooter
Language:	English
Premise:	Action film buffs might remember the popular Hal Needham 1982 feature film Blue Thunder - starring Roy Scheider, Randy Quaid, and Malcolm McDowell - about a supersecret prototype military attack chopper being "loaned" to the LAPD for field testing. This classic Sega arcade shooter was inspired by the movie, and Sega apparently licensed the chopper's design from the film studio involved. The arcade game was inspired by the movie's aerial chase sequences, and has you as the pilot bobbing and weaving down a major city thoroughfare, ducking both air and ground fire from military hardware and doing your best to terminate your opponents with extreme prejudice.
Impressions:	The Genesis version is nowhere as smooth as the arcade original, and is downright jerky in places. The levels are rather short and extremely repetitive. Get it for the memories if you're a fan; others might want to pass it by. Oh, by the way - the Thunder Blade chopper seems to have a habit of popping up now and again in a cameo role in other Genesis games (Rambo 3 and Double Dragon 2, just to name a couple).
Variations:	Super Thunder Blade is the actual title of the G/MD release. Most fans of the game have not noticed any major difference between the arcade and G/MD version save some minor level development changes and the gameplay.
Recommended Emu:	Genecyst X