Thunder Force IV

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ThunderForceIV MDTitleScreen.png

Thunder Force IV /
Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Tecnosoft, Sega (US)
Developer:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Release Date RRP Code

Thunder Force IV (サンダーフォースIV), called Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar in the US, is a 1992 shoot-'em-up by Tecnosoft released for the Sega Mega Drive. It is the fourth game in the Thunder Force series.

Shortly after defeating the ORN Empire in Thunder Force III, the Galaxy Federation comes under attack by survivors of the empire, who have banded together to form a new threat, Vios. Vios turns out to be more powerful than ORN ever was, and the Galaxy Federation must again use a new small craft to destroy their base on the planet Aceria.

Gameplay is almost identical to III: B shoots (you have rapidfire), A changes speed by 25% while holding the button down constantly adds 1%, C changes weapon, and powerups are collected from enemies. Unlike III, however, you are not fixed to the camera motion; holding Up and Down will take you higher/lower than the screen limits (as in II).

Weapons

  • Blade: Update of the standard shot. Destructive but big bullets, sometimes too big (see Strite boss)
  • Railgun: Update of the rear shot
  • Freeway: Small rockets that fire in the opposite directon of the ships movement
  • Snake: Bombs that travel along the ground/ceiling
  • Hunter: Homing orbs

Stages

The first four stages can be played in any order; the order listed here is the default.

  • Strite: A world full of clouds, mountains, and waters. You spend two "days" on this planet, primarily shooting down basic enemies that either just attack, shoot homing missiles at you, or worse. A giant serpent-like creature will come at you several times. A train-like underwater being will send smaller enemies hurling at you while trying to hit you with a large laser, and the rising boss ship will make it easier for homing missiles to hit you...
    • Boss: A giant ship with a fin on the bottom that shoots fireballs at you. Hit it enough and it will detach from the ship, revealing a free-moving sub-ship that will attack you in a variety of ways. Due to collision detection on the boss' weak spot, it's very difficult to damage him with the "Blade" weapon.
  • Ruin: A blue ruin facing the void of space. Here you face larger robots on pedestals that are hard to defeat, pairs of laser-shooting shark-like beings, barriers that form as you move, and small, immobile enemies that generate themselves int he least convenient places. Halfway though you fight a giant robot that spams loads of bullets at you at once.
  • Air-Raid: Possibly better called an outer space raid: you fly through an asteroid belt, avoiding the (multiple) turrets that constantly send bullets your way and follow your every move. You also have to dodge the regular enemies (they come fast) and avoid crashing into an asteroid. Halfway through, the astroids start moving at very high speeds, so pay attention to survive!
  • Daser: Fly through a desert sandstorm. Some enemies can take massive damage before going down.
    • Boss:Formalhaut
  • Vios: Battle the boss ship from stage one in space
  • Volbados: Water and Ice themed world, with the path over and under water being almost completely different play experiences
  • Desvio: Lava themed world with a cameo boss
  • Bio-Base:A stage in a biomechanic environment which consists mainly of miniboss fights
  • Wall:Last "proper" stage with moving walls and traps
  • Versus:Final confrontation

Trivia

  • The game has at least two score exploit points. The first is at the enemy just before going underwater in Strite. I constantly releases small enemies. The second is in the final stage, Versus. Keep playing until you reach the large cannon, which you normally must destroy to proceed. Power up items and 1UPs will keep respawning forever. Whether this was by design or an oversight is not clear.

Production Credits

Programmers: Indick Mst, Yotaro, Zako, Chinpui, Kwd & Edger, Fake Dwarf Giva, Godzy, Alpha
Graphics: Two Socks, Krp, Gaja, Silver Hammer, Ushimatu, Hunter, Booby Master, Tamtam, Guges.D, Unbalance, Pei Crash, No Remorse, Shion
Music: Funky Surounin, Omen, Yunker Matai
Voice: Atuko
Director: My Home Papa
Producer: Sigotonin

Physical Scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
93 №131, p36/37
98 №12, p86-89/91[1]
87 №13, p84-86
96
95
97 №12
94 №16
97 №30, p172[2]
94 №2, p24-27[3]
81 №1, p48/49[4]
92 №1, p65
94 №9, p30-33
87 №24, p104-106[5]
94 №25, p64-67[6]
100 2005-06-16
91 №36, p54/55
100 №46, p99[7]
92 №11, p64/65
92 №18, p68
88 №10, p54-56[8]
Sega Mega Drive
 93
Based on
20 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) NTSC-U
40
[9]
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[10]
Alaab Alcomputtar (SA)
90
[11]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
88
[12]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
73
[13]
Console Mania (IT)
98
[1]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
91
[14]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
93
[15]
Digitiser (UK)
80
[16]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
93
[17]
GameFan (US) NTSC-J
97
[18]
Game Mania (UK)
93
[19]
Game Power (IT)
93
[20]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
93
[21]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
80
[22]
HiScore (DK) PAL
73
[23]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
95
[24]
Joypad (FR) PAL
94
[25]
Joypad (FR) NTSC-J
97
[26]
Joystick (FR) NTSC-J
97
[2]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)
94
[3]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-J
94
[27]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
82
[28]
Mega (UK) NTSC-J
81
[4]
Mega Action (UK)
92
[29]
Mega Force (FR)
90
[30]
Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-J
92
[31]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J
94
[32]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
80
[33]
Mean Machines (UK) NTSC-J
87
[34]
Marukatsu Mega Drive (JP) NTSC-J
86
[35]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
89
[36]
Player One (FR)
94
[6]
Play Time (DE)
91
[37]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J
91
[38]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
92
[39]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
92
[40]
Sega Force (SE)
92
[41]
Sega Force (UK) NTSC-J
88
[8]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
86
[42]
Supergame (BR) NTSC-J
90
[43]
Supersonic (FR)
93
[44]
Tricks 16 bit (RU) NTSC-U
65
[45]
Tricks 16 bit (RU) NTSC-J
88
[46]
Video Games (DE)
85
[47]
Sega Mega Drive
 87
Based on
45 reviews

Thunder Force IV

Mega Drive, US
ThunderForce4 MD US Box.jpg
Cover
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Cart
Mega Drive, EU
ThunderForce4 MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
ThunderForceIV MD EU Carttop.jpg
ThunderForceIV MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, JP
ThunderForce4 MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
ThunderForce4 MD JP CartTop.jpg
ThunderForce4 MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, AU

Mega Drive, KR
ThunderForceIV MD KR cover.jpg
Cover
ThunderForceIV MD KR cart.jpg
Cart



Thunder Force games for Sega systems / developed by Sega
Sega Mega Drive
 Thunder Force II (1989) | Thunder Force III (1990) | Thunder Force IV / Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (1992)
Arcade
 Thunder Force AC (1990)
Sega Saturn
 Thunder Force: Gold Pack 1 (1996) | Thunder Force: Gold Pack 2 (1996) | Thunder Force V (1997)
Sony PlayStation 2
 Thunder Force VI (2008)
Nintendo Switch
 Sega Ages Thunder Force IV (2018) | Sega Ages Thunder Force AC (2020)
Thunder Force related media
Music
 Best of Thunder Force (1997) | Thunder Force VI Soundtrack Demo (2008) | Thunder Force IV (2019) | Technosoft Music Collection: Thunder Force III & AC (2020) | Technosoft Music Collection: Thunder Force IV (2021) | Technosoft Music Collection: Thunder Force I & II (2022)
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 File:ConsoleMania IT 012.pdf, page 86 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ConsoleMania IT 012.pdf_p86" defined multiple times with different content
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 File:Joystick FR 030.pdf, page 172 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joystick FR 030.pdf_p172" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 File:MDAG UK 02.pdf, page 24 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MDAG UK 02.pdf_p24" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:Mega UK 01.pdf, page 48 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Mega UK 01.pdf_p48" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ File:MeanMachines UK 24.pdf, page 104
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 File:PlayerOne FR 025.pdf, page 64 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:PlayerOne FR 025.pdf_p64" defined multiple times with different content
  7. ↑ File:SegaPower UK 46.pdf, page 99
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 File:SegaForce UK 10.pdf, page 54 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaForce UK 10.pdf_p54" defined multiple times with different content
  9. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 116
  10. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 243
  11. ↑ Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-08-xx), page 73
  12. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Oktober 1992" (DE; 1992-09-11), page 126
  13. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "August 1992" (JP; 1992-07-08), page 26
  14. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "June 1994" (UK; 1994-05-15), page 106
  15. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-15), page 36
  16. ↑ Digitiser (UK) (1993-02-03)
  17. ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 108
  18. ↑ GameFan, "Volume 1, Issue 1: October 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 6
  19. ↑ Game Mania, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 80
  20. ↑ Game Power, "Ottobre 1992" (IT; 1992-xx-xx), page 30
  21. ↑ GamePro, "August 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 68
  22. ↑ Hippon Super, "August 1992" (JP; 1992-07-04), page 37
  23. ↑ HiScore, "15 Juli - 15 September" (DK; 1993-07-15), page 19
  24. ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Enero 1993" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 26
  25. ↑ Joypad, "Janvier 1993" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 159
  26. ↑ Joypad, "Septembre 1992" (FR; 1992-0x-xx), page 54
  27. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 95
  28. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "October 1992" (JP; 1992-09-xx), page 67
  29. ↑ Mega Action, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 65
  30. ↑ Mega Force, "Octobre 1992" (FR; 1992-xx-xx), page 68
  31. ↑ Mega Fun, "08/92" (DE; 1992-08-18), page 16
  32. ↑ MegaTech, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-08-20), page 30
  33. ↑ Micromanía (segunda época), "Febrero 1993" (ES; 1993-0x-xx), page 50
  34. ↑ Mean Machines, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-08-27), page 84
  35. ↑ Marukatsu Mega Drive, "September 1992" (JP; 1992-08-xx), page 119
  36. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142
  37. ↑ Play Time, "1/93" (DE; 1992-12-09), page 95
  38. ↑ Sega Power, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-10-01), page 54
  39. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
  40. ↑ Sega Pro, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-08-13), page 64
  41. ↑ Sega Force, "5/93" (SE; 1993-08-26), page 18
  42. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
  43. ↑ Supergame, "Janeiro 1993" (BR; 1993-01-xx), page 12
  44. ↑ Supersonic, "Novembre 1992" (FR; 1992-xx-xx), page 22
  45. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 151
  46. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 27
  47. ↑ Video Games, "9/92" (DE; 1992-08-26), page 52
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