The game,which is called Thunderforce IV here in Euroland,arrives yesterday,complete in its clamshell box + instruction manual,overall in good condition...and i must say...what a blast!! great gameplay,great graphics and a soundtrack from another planet.Absolutely one of the best shootem ups ever created,perhaps the best...absolutely recommended!
One of the best, if not THE best shooters I've played!! That intro is still badass even to this day!! On order from ebay so I can relive my childhood on my new Sega Nomad :-)
Hint: if you go to the options, (which is by pressing all 3 genesis buttons while holding start in the intro of the game), change your selection of lives to 1, by doing this, you now have 99 lives!
Out oif the three Thunderforce games I own on my Genesis, this one's my favorite, very likely the best shmup on the Genesis with Eliminate Down a close second (it's pricey unlike TF 4/LF), but ED is barely ahead of Thunder Force 3, Gaiares, and TF 2 in my book.
Dear Classic Game Room HD - LIGHTENING FORCE on Sega Genesis Bones-underground is a 2d mmorpg. It is absolutely free to play indefinately. We offer a great community, a place where you can become rich and famous, or just hang out with a few friends. We have hundreds of weapons and armors to choose from. You may want to get a pet, or maybe do a little fishing and heaps more game play on my profile and link
"That's lightening force, and know that when you're playing it, you're not lightening the load to help a friend out. You're lightening the enemy of their lives, by taking it from them, in a fiery explosion of death."
@TaInTeDlYnX your wrong.....the Pc-engine (japanese turbo grafx) is the best console for classic shooters, rivaled only by Sega Saturn. It has 110 shmups and I recommend looking into it.
When people say genesis/mega drive has shitty sound they clearly never played games like this. The high def graphics model has badass sound it really depended on the developer not the game system. Plus the memory restriction in the cartridge.
The improvement is obvious as soon as you power the game on. The layers of parallax scrolling, the colors, the brilliant quality of the sounds and composition of music on that shitty Genesis sound chip, the music easter eggs, tight controls and tough but fair gameplay make this the best on the console and in the series.
@ikeaaron everything you said, I agree with except about the Genesis sound chip being shitty. The Genesis uses FM sounds and if you are familiar with FM Synthesis, then you would have a deep appreciation of the sound chip in the Genesis. As an electronic music producer, I find the sound chip in the Genesis to be quite amazing.
@deadlygroove1 You're completely right. I make electronic music as well and my bias is based on it's low bit rate sample playback, but you're absolutely right about FM synthesis. Yuzo Koshiro showed what the Genesis was truly capable of with the Streets of Rage/Bare Knuckle series, especially with part 3. Kudos, bro.
@ikeaaron dude, you know what's really cool to do FM Synthesis in, is Propellerhead Reason. The Subtractor and especially Thor does an excellent job for emulating the sounds on the Sega Genesis. I accidentally found that out one night when I was trying to create a sound for a minimal prog track I was working on.
@SNESosT Do you know about the extra music that gets unlocked in the sound select after you beat the game? I'm sure you probably know about it already, but if you didn't, look up 'Thunder Force IV Omake' in youtube or, better still, beat the game and try it for yourself! ;)
FYI, the "Lightening" part also refers to the lightning weapon that you have when your "Claw" weapon (not "Krull", though thanks for giving kudos to that awesome movie!) is upgraded to the "orb" version at the end of level five. If you let up on the fire button for 3-5 seconds the orbs will charge and you can then unleash a powerful lightning attack.
Very True, I heard that the lightening attack is called "Thunder Sword"
In all honesty. I liked the way your ship looks before they install the upgrade. It also sucks that you cannot use thunder sword unless you have the Claw with you, but then again that is the challenge of staying alive.
Lightening Force was named as such due to a licensing snafu Sega ran into while bringing the title to the US from Japan via Technosoft. Not sure why the name still ended up as Engrish, but it's the quintessential shoot-em-up for the Genesis, bar-none. Some prefer one of another 2 or 3 games (some prefer TF3), but to me, TF4/LF is THE shooter to have for the Sega Genesis.
I was so sad to almost find out............SPOILER ALEART ..................that the ship almost didn't make it out alive, when the explosion got near em and saw his back explode, I yelled "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" I just beat it and I did't wanna go throw all that shit just to see my plane die. GREAT GREAT GAME.
8:20..that add on for your spaceship gave you the sword laser a massive beam that shot out..to use it you have to stop firing for about 4seconds and it charges up..i cant believe you didnt know this lol..
Ii remember this game my cousin use to have this on his sega. he use to tell me fuck your snes hahahaha this use to look so awsome back in the day but it still looks fun anyways love your reviews man keep it up.
Not sure what the name of those spinning orbs are called but I do know it a new weapon they give you and it's pretty damn throwed you have to stop shooting for about 3 seconds and it charges up and starts to ark with an electric current then when you shoot again you release a powerful energy blast!
To my amazement they gave a different title only for the american market even though they have already branded it as thunder force, and they misspelled it!
Those spinning orbs which sounded like krull are actually called claw. Dunno how they came up with that name though. Perhaps they should have called it krull.
I really wish you would have done a 2 part review on this game. I think its the best out of this series by a long shot. The Music and the backround are incredible! This is my all time favoriet Sega game. PERIOD. And i never did beat it, always got stuck somwhere towards the end. BTW the voice says COLT! colt is the thing that spins around you that is all bad ass n stuff : D
thank you for doing these. Genisis is my fav system as well! keep up thegreat work!
8:36 - it's actually CLAW, not crawl (I had the game and manual and remember this :)
Also I thought it's a high male voice, but in fact it's a woman's voice sampled.
Thunder Force IV is actually en par if not better than SNES' Parodius which I owned too and which is astonishing! Since normally nothing beats Parodius :) Great video!!!
I thought you said M.U.S.H.A. was the best video games on the Sega Genesis! :) Some of us watch , listen, and remember. Also, this game looks like a M.U.S.H.A. copy cat. Same company? Or a company that picked up on M.U.S.H.A.? OORRR was this game out before M.U.S.H.A. and the company that made M.U.S.H.A. copied Lightening Force? You're now asking yourself "How many times can you type M.U.S.H.A. in one comment space?" :)
if you stop shooting a moment you realise that the top part of the spaceship is the device for charge the thunder sword ,you need the 2 claws and wait e few sec without shoot !!!
The voice says claw. Also, why not play these games on a PC in an emulator? It upscales the picture you can add texture filtering, you can send the picture to a TV using a HDMI lead, edit the controls to suit, you can use any controller with it too. I own a Sega Megadrive (I'm in the UK) and I find the emulator my preferred way to enjoy these classic games.
bought this off ebay along with TF2 and 3 and while this one is awesome ( i think it has better music then TF3 but TF3 has better levels in my opinion) i still play TF3 more and i recently bought TF5 for psx so i hope that one is as good.
Krull! love this game dude! When I was reviewing it for retroist I was really shocked as to why they didn't call it Thunder force 4 over there. doest make any sense to me. Being a SNES fan all my life I decided to get me some mega drives and as many games as possible and I Happened to come across it and was amazed. The speed is amazing I think there are only 2 or 3 parts where there is slowdown, the SNES could no way run this at that speed with its slow ass processor. Great vid, great game
If you are a normal person like me, you will need a cheat to finish this game. It's the most simple game cheat ever. Just go to the settings menu (by pressing start+a during the intro) and select 0 extra lives, that will give you 99 extra lives! And you will need them!
I just got Thunder Force IV and wow... is it great! Terrific graphics, non distorted sound(except the speech samples, but they just sound classic^^) and addictive gameplay. A game done right on the Mega Drive (lol European here). If you don't have it, GET IT!!! DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE BY PLAING ANYTHING ELSE ! :P
The Computer says "Claw" not "Krull" and if you get the new weapon at the end of level 5 stop pushing the fire-button for a few seconds, and than you see the real FORCE.
Dieses Spiel zeigt MUSHA in jeder hinsicht wo Barthel den Most holt.
Sega of USA didn't want to call it Thunderforce 4, because that would confuse it with a popular game and could have been profitable. Instead they misspelled the word Lightning.
damn i love this game i wish it would come on the vc for wii. i member the music the levels and how hard it was , i cant member but i had to be 12 or something i member beating this game and feeling something like amazing lol its like the first time you beat sonic 2 it brings back those memories damn id get this game as soon as they announce it guaranteed graphics are off the chain
This would be one of the best games on the Megadrive were it actually playable. The difficulty level is simply blasphemed, and it's a shame because it makes this game, which has really nice graphics and music, inaccessible to people who aren't experts of these type of games.
recently got this from a friend, fantastic game and music- then realized that this was something Mark would like and whaddaya know it happens to be thunder force 4.
Jesus Christ this game simply has it all! This is simply the best graphics i've ever witness on the Genesis, excellent use of dithering and colour manipulation. Completely rivals most SNES titles. Even tho SNES could produce 256 colours at one time, doesn't mean that most games used all those, because they didn't! The soundtrack is simply amazing, doesn't even sound like FM synth, an amazing game on an amazing console! Long live the Sega Genesis!
Man, I loved this game so much back in the day. I remember being totally blown away by the intro the first time I turned it on. Such amazing graphics and music for a humble 16 bit game.
"Perfection" is the only word that comes to my mind when I think of it...
Is it just me or does Sega Genesis proudly own in its library the best shooters of its time? ;) Hmmmm...run'n'gun (Gunstar Heroes), vert-shmup (M.U.S.H.A.), hori-shmup (Lightening Force)... ;)
08:10 - those upgraded 'CRAW's charges up powerful laser sword when fire button is released for few seconds, it's hard to control but pure awesome ownage once mastered. You don't know the true force of 'lightening'* until you've seen it in full action.
on wiki - *to lighten: (can also mean)To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
Why are you so angry, friend? You just swoop in and spray negative comments all over the place, and for what purpose? I said nothing bad against Lightening Force. In fact I said it looked fun. Please explain.
Well, that was a clever response. I compliment the game, compare its soundtrack to another epid one I know, and get insulted as a result. Hardly seems justified, does it?
For fans of the soundtrack, if you complete the game (on at least Normal mode) the sound test in the config panel will include the end music, credit music and some "omake" tracks... music that isn't in the game, but has that same theme. Ya gotta love little bonuses like that.
You also get to see the part of the storyline setting up for Thunder Force V, when the wreckage of the ship you just piloted is found by humans...
Oh, it certainly doesn't rival Doom, which has undoubtably one of the best soundtracks ever, but the style is very similar. Doom as a game has aged horribly, like most FPSs, but the soundtrack is timeless.
Actually(because I own the ROM cartridge.... just being honest, and NOT trying to be a snob, so please don't take my 'correction' of your info the wrong way!), it's C.R.A.W = Constituted Ray Art Weapon. Nice technological C.R.A.W-Fish for your Ship!! One of TechnoSoft's best efforts upon the SEGA Genesis/MegaDrive. Now why hasn't, say, Atlus or UFO Entertainment decided to localize ThunderForceVI for the PlayStation2 in the States? BTW:Lightning Force is the U.S title. TFIV in Japan.
Indeed in Europe the game was still called Thunderforce IV. European Genesis was called Megadrive. I wish that they would remake TF3 & 4 with HD visuals, or make a new one old fashion style.
This game is so hardThat i had to use the 99 lives cheat to beat it. I completed the game with 44 ships left...on my 2nd continue. which means i lost over 150 ships trying to beat this game...on top of this it was on easy mode. They made this wayyyyy to hard!
It's too bad there is no HD remake, or at least port, of this on XBLA or PSN but you can still play the original on your PS3 if you install linux. It's awesome with a wireless DualShock controller ;D
The best thing though (next to the real consoles) is to get an old modded xbox with emulators, you can play almost every Thunder Force game in the franchise. Not too sure about the first but I have 2,3,4 and 5 on it, fully playable! Add a component cable for HD output and you're all set!
wow this game is a work of art! this is the first time i have seen it moving, i had always wanted this game because i also gru up with thunderforce 3, is there a thunder force 1??? somewhere like a arcade version??? i guess i will surch here on youtube. i remember all the controversy in the magazines about the name and sega visions saying why they change the name, i am such a dumbass to not get this game in the 90s. a lot of you guys have good feeling memories of this game that i wish i had.
The original Thunder Force came out the Japan only PC88 computers in 1983. You aren't missing much. It is basically a bland clone of Bosconian or Sinistar. The game is just like the top down levels in TFII only near unplayable.
the thing the friendly forces fix on you will make your fire a forward trusting powerful laser lancer which will be a great help becos there will be a lot of mini bosses afterward. but i forgot how to activate it, its years back and i got this game too.
Waaaay back in 1991?2?, my brother coaxed my Mom into spending $75 - on a nonbirthday, nonholiday Friday night in summer! - on Thunder Force III, and my world got changed forever.
The menacing difficulty! Awesome graphics! the shit-your-pants bosses! The tunes rocked me like no game on any console before or since.
I knew there was a thunder Force 4, but thought it never came Stateside. I remember a Lightening Force and thought it was a cheap knockoff!
Yes Super Smash Brothers Brawl Halo 3 and Resistance are good games.But we wouldnt have them without the ole atari sega and nintendo.Reeducate your friends so they play pitfall and donkey kong.
your a rare breed, the youngsters now of days dont give a crap about 1990s work of art, most of these youngsters today are born in the 1990s but they just dont care???
Those blue line around the screen and the video quality should be better for the review =(
Menfis55 1 week ago
The game,which is called Thunderforce IV here in Euroland,arrives yesterday,complete in its clamshell box + instruction manual,overall in good condition...and i must say...what a blast!! great gameplay,great graphics and a soundtrack from another planet.Absolutely one of the best shootem ups ever created,perhaps the best...absolutely recommended!
FunkyFranky80 3 weeks ago
A Dan Quayle joke and a reference to Hunter with Fred Dryer. Mark, we're getting old, man.
OmicronVolk 1 month ago
what were they thinking naming it lightening force the quest for the darkstar? it sounds like an RPG not a shmup
reesercliff 1 month ago
LIGHTENING FORCE's opening theme song sounds like Battery from Metallica!!!
RadicalNIN 2 months ago
deadlygroove1 3 months ago
They should have called it Thunder Fource.
Or Thunder 4ce.
Or Thunder Force the fourcth.
LazerChachi 4 months ago 5
One of the best, if not THE best shooters I've played!! That intro is still badass even to this day!! On order from ebay so I can relive my childhood on my new Sega Nomad :-)
DSt3alth 5 months ago
loved this game a lot. Still want to get this Landstalker, and more.
InternationalGamer1 5 months ago
potato force lol
vacuumnoise 6 months ago
Hint: if you go to the options, (which is by pressing all 3 genesis buttons while holding start in the intro of the game), change your selection of lives to 1, by doing this, you now have 99 lives!
SNESosT 7 months ago
jesse video e muito fera
Goukeban 7 months ago
CLAW!
heilong79 7 months ago
Out oif the three Thunderforce games I own on my Genesis, this one's my favorite, very likely the best shmup on the Genesis with Eliminate Down a close second (it's pricey unlike TF 4/LF), but ED is barely ahead of Thunder Force 3, Gaiares, and TF 2 in my book.
Bloodreign1 7 months ago
OH GOD THE MUSIC.
Ultraboy94fsr 7 months ago 2
I wonder why the final boss guardian robot shoots down the giant spaceship wit ha beak that earlier attacked the player.
volvo145 8 months ago
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Dear Classic Game Room HD - LIGHTENING FORCE on Sega Genesis Bones-underground is a 2d mmorpg. It is absolutely free to play indefinately. We offer a great community, a place where you can become rich and famous, or just hang out with a few friends. We have hundreds of weapons and armors to choose from. You may want to get a pet, or maybe do a little fishing and heaps more game play on my profile and link
boneug 8 months ago
Hell yeah, I'd love to play some GLaDOS Force on my Sega Genesis!
...oh God, why did I make this joke?
IshidaTheQuincy 8 months ago
how can you be soo amazingly good at these games? I played since 1993 and i really cant complete anything in these tyoe if shooters.
Well Ok i did complete first level of thuderforce 2.
volvo145 9 months ago
Comment removed
FascistFrenchman 9 months ago
Wow. The opening music & title screen is bad ass. The background is pretty awesome, too.
FascistFrenchman 9 months ago
"That's lightening force, and know that when you're playing it, you're not lightening the load to help a friend out. You're lightening the enemy of their lives, by taking it from them, in a fiery explosion of death."
Badass quote is badass. B)
KitFireburn 9 months ago
Great review for a great game.
Hossetheboss1000 9 months ago
The theme sounds like Duke Nukem.
Masterlink981 10 months ago
@TaInTeDlYnX your wrong.....the Pc-engine (japanese turbo grafx) is the best console for classic shooters, rivaled only by Sega Saturn. It has 110 shmups and I recommend looking into it.
123doomdoom 10 months ago
@123doomdoom good call, yes the PC-Engine is indeed the game console to get if you love shmups.
deadlygroove1 2 weeks ago
borrowed this from my neighbor many times in my childhood. Now I can no death it.....on a good day.
danlynn53 10 months ago
This is a great game, I own it and have almost beaten it.:)
TheAbsintheReviewNet 10 months ago
the title music remin sounds like Doom 00:36 till 53:00
ClassicArcadeGaming 10 months ago
Potato Force all the way!! LOL!!!
ecmjr 10 months ago
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When people say genesis/mega drive has shitty sound they clearly never played games like this. The high def graphics model has badass sound it really depended on the developer not the game system. Plus the memory restriction in the cartridge.
RazorKnuckles1 11 months ago
It would have been cool if they did merge together to make voltron!
ChubbyLuigi 1 year ago
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ETHEUNICE 1 year ago
Great review, just picked it up on teh ebay. You should review Whip Rush, great classic genesis space shooter.
TheUndert0ker 1 year ago
The improvement is obvious as soon as you power the game on. The layers of parallax scrolling, the colors, the brilliant quality of the sounds and composition of music on that shitty Genesis sound chip, the music easter eggs, tight controls and tough but fair gameplay make this the best on the console and in the series.
ikeaaron 1 year ago
@ikeaaron
Wonder why People say the Genesis has a crappy sound chip. It's the engine that most of the American developers use that make shitty music.
SgtThom 1 year ago
Comment removed
deadlygroove1 2 weeks ago
@ikeaaron everything you said, I agree with except about the Genesis sound chip being shitty. The Genesis uses FM sounds and if you are familiar with FM Synthesis, then you would have a deep appreciation of the sound chip in the Genesis. As an electronic music producer, I find the sound chip in the Genesis to be quite amazing.
deadlygroove1 2 weeks ago
@deadlygroove1 You're completely right. I make electronic music as well and my bias is based on it's low bit rate sample playback, but you're absolutely right about FM synthesis. Yuzo Koshiro showed what the Genesis was truly capable of with the Streets of Rage/Bare Knuckle series, especially with part 3. Kudos, bro.
ikeaaron 11 hours ago
@ikeaaron dude, you know what's really cool to do FM Synthesis in, is Propellerhead Reason. The Subtractor and especially Thor does an excellent job for emulating the sounds on the Sega Genesis. I accidentally found that out one night when I was trying to create a sound for a minimal prog track I was working on.
deadlygroove1 8 hours ago
Great game. Do you have one for the SNES' Space Megaforce? I played that poor game to death back in the day, lol.
chairmanofthebored1 1 year ago
@chairmanofthebored1 OMG someone else! Don't you just llove the music in that game man? kinda cry in the ending due to that one last song lol
SNESosT 1 year ago
@SNESosT I cannot tell a lie, I really do, lol. And the gameplay is awesome, you get to shoot alot of stuff with 8 different weapons.
chairmanofthebored1 1 year ago
@SNESosT Do you know about the extra music that gets unlocked in the sound select after you beat the game? I'm sure you probably know about it already, but if you didn't, look up 'Thunder Force IV Omake' in youtube or, better still, beat the game and try it for yourself! ;)
ikeaaron 1 year ago
Classic Game Room has changed everything I know about video games....
SoApBoX 1 year ago
@SoApBoX Calssic game room: showed me how many excellent games I've missed.
BillyCauseyjr 1 year ago
FYI, the "Lightening" part also refers to the lightning weapon that you have when your "Claw" weapon (not "Krull", though thanks for giving kudos to that awesome movie!) is upgraded to the "orb" version at the end of level five. If you let up on the fire button for 3-5 seconds the orbs will charge and you can then unleash a powerful lightning attack.
metalfro 1 year ago
@metalfro
Very True, I heard that the lightening attack is called "Thunder Sword"
In all honesty. I liked the way your ship looks before they install the upgrade. It also sucks that you cannot use thunder sword unless you have the Claw with you, but then again that is the challenge of staying alive.
1ThatTamedTheDragon 1 year ago
Lightening Force was named as such due to a licensing snafu Sega ran into while bringing the title to the US from Japan via Technosoft. Not sure why the name still ended up as Engrish, but it's the quintessential shoot-em-up for the Genesis, bar-none. Some prefer one of another 2 or 3 games (some prefer TF3), but to me, TF4/LF is THE shooter to have for the Sega Genesis.
metalfro 1 year ago
@TheSixSamurai1 same mate :(
aramco123 1 year ago
Just got the game in the mail this will be the first Thunder Force game I've played and I love it!!
NecroZeno 1 year ago
I was so sad to almost find out............SPOILER ALEART ..................that the ship almost didn't make it out alive, when the explosion got near em and saw his back explode, I yelled "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" I just beat it and I did't wanna go throw all that shit just to see my plane die. GREAT GREAT GAME.
SNESosT 1 year ago
@SNESosT Then you fight it TF5.
KentoNTranced 1 year ago
i need to lay my on this game anybody know w+69554here i vcan buy this game ligthning force
MrJohn202030 1 year ago
@MrJohn202030 amazon.com for a couple bucks
animefanclay 1 year ago
i need to lay my on this game anybody know where i vcan buy this game ligthning force
MrJohn202030 1 year ago
Those thingies in the beginning are named CLAW's and when you got that thing later attached you will get CRAW's ;)
SetzerTheWolf 1 year ago
8:20..that add on for your spaceship gave you the sword laser a massive beam that shot out..to use it you have to stop firing for about 4seconds and it charges up..i cant believe you didnt know this lol..
garycormack 1 year ago
The Graphics are wonderfull!!!
I love Thunder force :-)
TheKainshizo 1 year ago
Ii remember this game my cousin use to have this on his sega. he use to tell me fuck your snes hahahaha this use to look so awsome back in the day but it still looks fun anyways love your reviews man keep it up.
tomagotchii 1 year ago
Not sure what the name of those spinning orbs are called but I do know it a new weapon they give you and it's pretty damn throwed you have to stop shooting for about 3 seconds and it charges up and starts to ark with an electric current then when you shoot again you release a powerful energy blast!
Cmoneycash484 1 year ago
To my amazement they gave a different title only for the american market even though they have already branded it as thunder force, and they misspelled it!
Those spinning orbs which sounded like krull are actually called claw. Dunno how they came up with that name though. Perhaps they should have called it krull.
estadiumnacional 1 year ago
I really wish you would have done a 2 part review on this game. I think its the best out of this series by a long shot. The Music and the backround are incredible! This is my all time favoriet Sega game. PERIOD. And i never did beat it, always got stuck somwhere towards the end. BTW the voice says COLT! colt is the thing that spins around you that is all bad ass n stuff : D
thank you for doing these. Genisis is my fav system as well! keep up thegreat work!
dreamtheaterz28 1 year ago
Wow! So you fight agains ORN Empire in this game? Damn! Sweet name for an enemy :P
tuberoako777 1 year ago
Five people couldn't pass the first level...
SirMetalGH 1 year ago
What's the intro song to this video called?
SirMetalGH 1 year ago
rofl potato force, id buy it just for that name
shatteredgear 1 year ago
El mejor juegos de naves de la historia :)
coinup00 1 year ago
This was a great game back in the day and still is. The soundtrack was amazing and the backgrounds were fucking insane!
FractalBolt 1 year ago
Looks like you died at the 7th boss... LOL;;;;
decapattack 1 year ago
8:36 - it's actually CLAW, not crawl (I had the game and manual and remember this :)
Also I thought it's a high male voice, but in fact it's a woman's voice sampled.
Thunder Force IV is actually en par if not better than SNES' Parodius which I owned too and which is astonishing! Since normally nothing beats Parodius :) Great video!!!
shairaptor 1 year ago
One of the best video games on ANY console or computer. Look Mobygames. COnstantly in the Top 10. Top3. Often on top position :)
One of my all time favorite games from the 90s besides Sonic 1 and 2. ^^ :)
shairaptor 1 year ago
I thought you said M.U.S.H.A. was the best video games on the Sega Genesis! :) Some of us watch , listen, and remember. Also, this game looks like a M.U.S.H.A. copy cat. Same company? Or a company that picked up on M.U.S.H.A.? OORRR was this game out before M.U.S.H.A. and the company that made M.U.S.H.A. copied Lightening Force? You're now asking yourself "How many times can you type M.U.S.H.A. in one comment space?" :)
hootyhaha 1 year ago
if you stop shooting a moment you realise that the top part of the spaceship is the device for charge the thunder sword ,you need the 2 claws and wait e few sec without shoot !!!
theragman77 1 year ago
Krull!
GamerBoy53 1 year ago
of course there are ninjas in this game, you just don't see them
billychanxtreem 1 year ago
...well in one sense you ARE lightening your enemies because you're filling them with holes...
RRVCrinale 1 year ago
One of the greatest videogame soundtracks EVER! Just so good.
Terramax 1 year ago
The voice says claw. Also, why not play these games on a PC in an emulator? It upscales the picture you can add texture filtering, you can send the picture to a TV using a HDMI lead, edit the controls to suit, you can use any controller with it too. I own a Sega Megadrive (I'm in the UK) and I find the emulator my preferred way to enjoy these classic games.
KDCW3534A 1 year ago
Oh, forgot, you can also play multiplayer games with friends via the internet too!!!
KDCW3534A 1 year ago
bought this off ebay along with TF2 and 3 and while this one is awesome ( i think it has better music then TF3 but TF3 has better levels in my opinion) i still play TF3 more and i recently bought TF5 for psx so i hope that one is as good.
MatticusFinch1820 1 year ago
Krull! love this game dude! When I was reviewing it for retroist I was really shocked as to why they didn't call it Thunder force 4 over there. doest make any sense to me. Being a SNES fan all my life I decided to get me some mega drives and as many games as possible and I Happened to come across it and was amazed. The speed is amazing I think there are only 2 or 3 parts where there is slowdown, the SNES could no way run this at that speed with its slow ass processor. Great vid, great game
sicboypeachy 1 year ago
If you are a normal person like me, you will need a cheat to finish this game. It's the most simple game cheat ever. Just go to the settings menu (by pressing start+a during the intro) and select 0 extra lives, that will give you 99 extra lives! And you will need them!
Cineviggo 1 year ago
@Cineviggo I think it's only on our European version...
jbmaru 1 year ago
The intro kicks asssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!
Just awesome Game!
xxxInforcerxxx 1 year ago
i think thunder force 3 is much better but im not so into shooters anyway
IPAWNMYQUEENS 1 year ago
I just got Thunder Force IV and wow... is it great! Terrific graphics, non distorted sound(except the speech samples, but they just sound classic^^) and addictive gameplay. A game done right on the Mega Drive (lol European here). If you don't have it, GET IT!!! DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE BY PLAING ANYTHING ELSE ! :P
hoques1432 1 year ago
The Computer says "Claw" not "Krull" and if you get the new weapon at the end of level 5 stop pushing the fire-button for a few seconds, and than you see the real FORCE.
Dieses Spiel zeigt MUSHA in jeder hinsicht wo Barthel den Most holt.
STRosenow 2 years ago
Legendary game. I have it on cart for my Megadrive. Still my fave shooter of all time.
Edd731 2 years ago
Wow the intro music sounds fucking badass.
Ostnizdasht206 2 years ago
I just realized that my copy of Lightening Force has been stolen, and it probably happened about ten years ago....
majesticlizard 2 years ago
Sega of USA didn't want to call it Thunderforce 4, because that would confuse it with a popular game and could have been profitable. Instead they misspelled the word Lightning.
majesticlizard 2 years ago
damn i love this game i wish it would come on the vc for wii. i member the music the levels and how hard it was , i cant member but i had to be 12 or something i member beating this game and feeling something like amazing lol its like the first time you beat sonic 2 it brings back those memories damn id get this game as soon as they announce it guaranteed graphics are off the chain
JFurybrawl 2 years ago
This would be one of the best games on the Megadrive were it actually playable. The difficulty level is simply blasphemed, and it's a shame because it makes this game, which has really nice graphics and music, inaccessible to people who aren't experts of these type of games.
MinaseTakix 2 years ago
Go into the options menu, set the number of lives to 0.
Problem solved! :D
CommodoreKulor 2 years ago
recently got this from a friend, fantastic game and music- then realized that this was something Mark would like and whaddaya know it happens to be thunder force 4.
Ecko50100 2 years ago
Yes! Both thunder force 3 and 4 are simply amazing for the genesis!
simplyvk 2 years ago
this game looks sick...
mexican379 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
biohazard battle is better then this
sohot234 2 years ago
have you played this?
hoboterror 2 years ago
ya got to get pardious for ya snes or saturn mark, its like thunder force or gardius with pure madness.
richieboy27 2 years ago
Brings back memories of the TV show. Not really.
LOL
AGuyThatPlaysGames 2 years ago
Hehe! The satellite power ups are Roll (TF2) and Claw (TF3), TF4 uses both but you get Roll after the ship is converted as seen in this review.
Love the Classic Game Room, keep up the great work.
Some other really great shooters I would love to see you review on Genesis are:
Eliminate Down (Japanese only), Gley Lancer (again Japanese only) and Gaiares (was released in the US by Renovation).
hevonen77 2 years ago
bad ass game wish I could find it was one of my favorits
WARPUDDY666 2 years ago
Here is another reason to own a Sega Genesis!
classicgamer1968 2 years ago 30
Jesus Christ this game simply has it all! This is simply the best graphics i've ever witness on the Genesis, excellent use of dithering and colour manipulation. Completely rivals most SNES titles. Even tho SNES could produce 256 colours at one time, doesn't mean that most games used all those, because they didn't! The soundtrack is simply amazing, doesn't even sound like FM synth, an amazing game on an amazing console! Long live the Sega Genesis!
Chaniyth 2 years ago 3
Man, I loved this game so much back in the day. I remember being totally blown away by the intro the first time I turned it on. Such amazing graphics and music for a humble 16 bit game.
MrThunderwing 2 years ago
Potatoe Force would be even better.
SirGameandWatch 2 years ago
Simply the best graphics ever seen in a genesis vg..
laghi72 2 years ago
"electrocutes people, and blows up windmills" xD best quote ever.... well mayb not considering classic game room still exists :D
myutube67 2 years ago 15
THAT GAME GOT KICK ASS SOUNDTRACK!!!
lobromoffo 2 years ago
The King of 16bit hori-shmups!
"Perfection" is the only word that comes to my mind when I think of it...
Is it just me or does Sega Genesis proudly own in its library the best shooters of its time? ;) Hmmmm...run'n'gun (Gunstar Heroes), vert-shmup (M.U.S.H.A.), hori-shmup (Lightening Force)... ;)
damjen666 2 years ago 2
This game is insanely difficult.
MinaseTakix 2 years ago 3
08:10 - those upgraded 'CRAW's charges up powerful laser sword when fire button is released for few seconds, it's hard to control but pure awesome ownage once mastered. You don't know the true force of 'lightening'* until you've seen it in full action.
on wiki - *to lighten: (can also mean)To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
HyperShot05 2 years ago
hey your website is awesome! can you also do some PC-Engine reviews?
Fizz826 2 years ago
Why are you so angry, friend? You just swoop in and spray negative comments all over the place, and for what purpose? I said nothing bad against Lightening Force. In fact I said it looked fun. Please explain.
Tryzon 2 years ago
Well, that was a clever response. I compliment the game, compare its soundtrack to another epid one I know, and get insulted as a result. Hardly seems justified, does it?
Tryzon 2 years ago
HAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!! whatever you find necessary to succeed in life!..
doped1 2 years ago
Potato Force rules!
303bassline 2 years ago
this game was so effin hard, I play it with emu, but heck I need a pad for this baby.
lezvarthok 2 years ago
For fans of the soundtrack, if you complete the game (on at least Normal mode) the sound test in the config panel will include the end music, credit music and some "omake" tracks... music that isn't in the game, but has that same theme. Ya gotta love little bonuses like that.
You also get to see the part of the storyline setting up for Thunder Force V, when the wreckage of the ship you just piloted is found by humans...
Sabz5150 2 years ago
0:36 Wow...that's some awesome tunes there.
Tryzon 2 years ago
exactly! metal midi tunes ROCK!..
doped1 2 years ago
It's Doom all over again...
Tryzon 2 years ago
nothing matches doom! doom is bar none! ;P
doped1 2 years ago
Oh, it certainly doesn't rival Doom, which has undoubtably one of the best soundtracks ever, but the style is very similar. Doom as a game has aged horribly, like most FPSs, but the soundtrack is timeless.
Tryzon 2 years ago
Trying to compare DOOM and Lightening Force is like trying to campare an electric shaver to a cardboard box. You really can't do it.
FedorovAvtomat 2 years ago 2
But they both have sweet music, which was my original point. Give me that, yes?
Tryzon 2 years ago
I'll allow it, DON'T DO IT AGAIN!!!
:D
FedorovAvtomat 2 years ago 2
Kind and merciful internet person, you have my thanks.
Tryzon 2 years ago 3
She's saying "Claw".
That's the name of the two rotating "options" around your ship.
Sabz5150 2 years ago 2
Actually(because I own the ROM cartridge.... just being honest, and NOT trying to be a snob, so please don't take my 'correction' of your info the wrong way!), it's C.R.A.W = Constituted Ray Art Weapon. Nice technological C.R.A.W-Fish for your Ship!! One of TechnoSoft's best efforts upon the SEGA Genesis/MegaDrive. Now why hasn't, say, Atlus or UFO Entertainment decided to localize ThunderForceVI for the PlayStation2 in the States? BTW:Lightning Force is the U.S title. TFIV in Japan.
RaptorLeeSon 2 years ago
the original einhander..
DocHallux 2 years ago
Krull! Awesome movie.
eterniaboy 2 years ago
Poor Dan Quayle...
eterniaboy 2 years ago
Indeed in Europe the game was still called Thunderforce IV. European Genesis was called Megadrive. I wish that they would remake TF3 & 4 with HD visuals, or make a new one old fashion style.
schobberdebonk 2 years ago
i would love this game in an aercade
manofiorn 2 years ago
maybe its a fat free version of the origional game.
nat6660 2 years ago
This game is so hardThat i had to use the 99 lives cheat to beat it. I completed the game with 44 ships left...on my 2nd continue. which means i lost over 150 ships trying to beat this game...on top of this it was on easy mode. They made this wayyyyy to hard!
Sephiroth3239 2 years ago
It's too bad there is no HD remake, or at least port, of this on XBLA or PSN but you can still play the original on your PS3 if you install linux. It's awesome with a wireless DualShock controller ;D
The best thing though (next to the real consoles) is to get an old modded xbox with emulators, you can play almost every Thunder Force game in the franchise. Not too sure about the first but I have 2,3,4 and 5 on it, fully playable! Add a component cable for HD output and you're all set!
Zukan 3 years ago
Does anyone know why Sega of America renamed TFIV to Lightening Force? I never understood that.
SAGAIA2 3 years ago
Just in case you didn't know, if you stop firing for a few seconds with the new craw, you can charge up for a shot called the "Thunder Sword".
Great review btw.
ZetbladeX13 3 years ago
This game was so creative, the artwork was so fantastic, a real treat for the imagination. The music kicked ass too.
Ne0mega 3 years ago 3
The voice when you get the circle things that surround your ship says "CRAW", which stands for Constitutional Ray Art Weapon.
ArbalestModel 3 years ago 2
wow this game is a work of art! this is the first time i have seen it moving, i had always wanted this game because i also gru up with thunderforce 3, is there a thunder force 1??? somewhere like a arcade version??? i guess i will surch here on youtube. i remember all the controversy in the magazines about the name and sega visions saying why they change the name, i am such a dumbass to not get this game in the 90s. a lot of you guys have good feeling memories of this game that i wish i had.
edotsuki333 3 years ago
The original Thunder Force came out the Japan only PC88 computers in 1983. You aren't missing much. It is basically a bland clone of Bosconian or Sinistar. The game is just like the top down levels in TFII only near unplayable.
SAGAIA2 3 years ago
the thing the friendly forces fix on you will make your fire a forward trusting powerful laser lancer which will be a great help becos there will be a lot of mini bosses afterward. but i forgot how to activate it, its years back and i got this game too.
moonlightaffairs 3 years ago
i am now a subscribe ....
i your your reviews , keep going on.
Troynobal2000 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
wtf potato force
ur not funny
irate gamer is funny
wwepowerranger123 3 years ago
*slaps forehead* you could have had a V8* Kicks wwepower in nuts* and mark is too funny!
GameCommand 3 years ago
Mark's lameness is what makes him awesome in the first place.
SoFrosts 3 years ago
how do you know there isnt a ninja driving the ship??? huh mark???? yea, thats what I thought lol
GameCommand 3 years ago
Yes!!, I love Classic Game Room HD!! This is a classic game!
I have Thunder Force 4(Mega Drive), and Thunder Force 5(Sega Saturn), I love this series.
PatrickGuedes 3 years ago 3
so this is your first episode of the series?
Axelander9999 3 years ago
This is 4, Thunder Force 4. :)
PatrickGuedes 3 years ago 2
Actaully... I meant if this is their first episode of Classic Game Room ! :)
Axelander9999 3 years ago
No this is one of the new episodes but for some reason it is first on the playlist
CakePicnic 3 years ago
I think they took them randomly
Axelander9999 3 years ago
I love the soundtrack for this game. The groove-driven tracks like the one for the space level are amazing.
The attachments for your ship are called "Craw" (Engrish for Claw?). At least, thats what they are in TF V, anyway...
Outshinedsg 3 years ago 6
Here in Europe it was called Thunder Force IV.
TFIV is absolutely awesome...the opening stage is just jaw-dropping, and it gets more and more awesome.
Its hard as nails.
Relugus 3 years ago 3
Krull!
VanVragor 3 years ago
this makes me rofl i love it
swordsling12 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
go check out my channel for my own voice towards ps3 games and the gaming market
klaudkil 3 years ago
does anyone remember the Glaive in Krull? awsome movie!
Mortaro117 3 years ago
That intercooler thing they add gives you a charge shot similar to R-type.
Atomicskull 3 years ago
In two words, Mark:
FUCK YEAH!
Waaaay back in 1991?2?, my brother coaxed my Mom into spending $75 - on a nonbirthday, nonholiday Friday night in summer! - on Thunder Force III, and my world got changed forever.
The menacing difficulty! Awesome graphics! the shit-your-pants bosses! The tunes rocked me like no game on any console before or since.
I knew there was a thunder Force 4, but thought it never came Stateside. I remember a Lightening Force and thought it was a cheap knockoff!
Chasmodon 3 years ago
i got this game when my brothers gave me there N64,NES, and Saga Genesis. Im 13 and love classic games(my friends hate them)
gtaplayer86 3 years ago 21
Heh, my friends also hate classics (Sad, but true)
Highretrogameblood89 3 years ago 5
Your friends aren't real gamers. They must like real easy games.
CyborgNinja7 3 years ago 19
Yes Super Smash Brothers Brawl Halo 3 and Resistance are good games.But we wouldnt have them without the ole atari sega and nintendo.Reeducate your friends so they play pitfall and donkey kong.
GimliMcZaphod 3 years ago 7
@gtaplayer86
your a rare breed, the youngsters now of days dont give a crap about 1990s work of art, most of these youngsters today are born in the 1990s but they just dont care???
arigato!!!
edotsuki333 1 year ago