Thunderforce 2 review - Sega Megadrive

I'm in disagreement with Matt here, but then shoot 'em ups are my favourite type of game. The sprites aren't particularly good, but the beefy sound effects enhance the frantic action no end. Levels one and two are quite straightforward, but from then on it gets pretty tough, and later levels really tax your skills, with loads of very nasty aliens to blast into oblivion. With plenty of secret bonuses to uncover. Thunderforce II will keep you coming back to top your highest score for quite some months. If you like a good blast, this is well worth looking at.

Thunderforce II is great fun - for a while. But I think you'll get bored with it fairly quickly, as the gameplay is quite limited. Having two different types of scrolling sections is a good idea, but neither format stretches the Megadrive to its limits. This is true for graphics and sound as well - the sprites aren't particularly good, the backdrops are alright and the sound effects are meaty, but I think the machine is capable of better. Having said that, the action is fast and furious while it lasts - I just wish there was more to it.

This was my first-ever shooter on the Megadrive and as a result I have a soft spot for it. It's not the most impressive game on the machine - the visuals often look Master System quality - but it's good fun in the best 'Thunderforce' tradition. The action isn't quite as thick-and-fast as that found in the follow-up games, but there's enough challenge here to keep you (mildly) entertained. The top-down sections are a nice change, but it's the side-scrolling portion of the game that plays the best. You get the impression the developers knew this as they never attempted to mix the two in the later games.

This is best seen as a practice run for the next two titles, which are two of the finest shooters on the Megadrive.