Name:	Thunder Force series (3 titles) Thunder Force 2 Thunder Force 3 Thunder Force 4 (aka Lightning Force)
Author/Vendor:	Technosoft
Released:	various
Type:	Shooter
Language:	English
Premise:	This is the shooter series for the Genesis that got a lot of attention when it came out. It's your basic blast-any-thing-that-moves sci-fi side-scrolling shooter, but with a reputation for gaming excellence.
Impressions:	Fairly decent R-Type clones that get better as the series advances. Decent weapons, impressive graphics, intense gameplay.
Variations:	The first game in the series, Thunder Force, is not available separately for the Genesis. There is also a derivant called Thunder Spirits that was made for the SNES, although it is generally acknowledged to be an inferior product. Thunder Force 2 (1989, one of the few sequels that incorporated its ancestor into itself - the top-down down sequences are reminsecent of Bosconian, the side-scroll sequences smack strongly of R-Type) Thunder Force 3 (1990, the top-down view is now gone, leaving only the side-scroll game - better graphics and a slightly enhanced weapons system) Thunder Force 4 (1992, also known as Lightning Force - best of the lot, but still not as good as R-Type)
Recommended Emu:	Genecyst X (will have minor graphics problems with Thunder Force 3, but the game is playable)