Thunder Force IV
From Sega Retro
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Thunder Force IV | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Mega Drive | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: Technosoft (Japan), Sega (US, Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer: Technosoft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre: Shooting[1][2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.
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 Technosoft released for the Sega Mega Drive. It is the fourth game in the Thunder Force series.
Contents
Story
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
Gameplay is almost identical to III: shoots (you have rapidfire),
changes speed by 25% while holding the button down constantly adds 1%,
changes weapon, and powerups are collected from enemies. Unlike III, however, you are not fixed to the camera motion; holding
and
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 direction 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.
Tips and tricks
- 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.
Versions
Localised names
Language | Localised Name | English Translation |
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English | Thunder Force IV | Thunder Force IV |
English (US) | Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar | Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar |
Japanese | サンダーフォースIV | Thunder Force IV |
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
Magazine articles
- Main article: Thunder Force IV/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
- Main article: Thunder Force IV/Promotional material.
Physical scans
87 | |
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Based on 45 reviews |
Mega Drive, AU |
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Technical information
ROM dump status
System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
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✔ |
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1MB | 1992-08 | Cartridge (US) | ||||||||||
✔ |
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1MB | 1992-08 | Cartridge (EU) | ||||||||||
✔ |
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1MB | 1992-07 | Cartridge (JP) |
References
- ↑ File:ThunderForce4 MD JP Box.jpg
- ↑ File:ThunderForceIV MD KR cover.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-02 23:21)
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "July 1992" (JP; 1992-06-08), page 146
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 GamePro, "August 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 68
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Computer & Video Games, "June 1994" (UK; 1994-05-15), page 106
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 116
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 243
- ↑ Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-08-xx), page 73
- ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Oktober 1992" (DE; 1992-09-11), page 126
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "August 1992" (JP; 1992-07-08), page 26
- ↑ Console Mania, "Ottobre 1992" (IT; 1992-xx-xx), page 86
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-15), page 36
- ↑ Digitiser (UK) (1993-02-03)
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 108
- ↑ GameFan, "Volume 1, Issue 1: October 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 6
- ↑ Game Mania, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 80
- ↑ Game Power, "Ottobre 1992" (IT; 1992-xx-xx), page 30
- ↑ Hippon Super, "August 1992" (JP; 1992-07-04), page 37
- ↑ HiScore, "15 Juli - 15 September" (DK; 1993-07-15), page 19
- ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Enero 1993" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 26
- ↑ Joypad, "Janvier 1993" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 159
- ↑ Joypad, "Septembre 1992" (FR; 1992-0x-xx), page 54
- ↑ Joystick, "Septembre 1992" (FR; 1992-0x-xx), page 172
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-xx-xx), page 24
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 95
- ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "October 1992" (JP; 1992-09-xx), page 67
- ↑ Mega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-17), page 48
- ↑ Mega Action, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 65
- ↑ Mega Force, "Octobre 1992" (FR; 1992-xx-xx), page 68
- ↑ Mega Fun, "08/92" (DE; 1992-08-18), page 16
- ↑ MegaTech, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-08-20), page 30
- ↑ Micromanía (segunda época), "Febrero 1993" (ES; 1993-0x-xx), page 50
- ↑ Mean Machines, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-08-27), page 84
- ↑ Marukatsu Mega Drive, "September 1992" (JP; 1992-08-xx), page 119
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142
- ↑ Player One, "Novembre 1992" (FR; 1992-11-10), page 64
- ↑ Play Time, "1/93" (DE; 1992-12-09), page 95
- ↑ Sega Power, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-10-01), page 54
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
- ↑ Sega Pro, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-08-13), page 64
- ↑ Sega Force, "5/93" (SE; 1993-08-26), page 18
- ↑ Sega Force, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-10), page 54
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Supergame, "Janeiro 1993" (BR; 1993-01-xx), page 12
- ↑ Supersonic, "Novembre 1992" (FR; 1992-xx-xx), page 22
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 151
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 27
- ↑ Video Games, "9/92" (DE; 1992-08-26), page 52
Thunder Force IV | |
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Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Promotional material | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs
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Thunder Force games for Sega systems / developed by Sega | |
---|---|
Thunder Force II (1989) | Thunder Force III (1990) | Thunder Force IV / Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (1992) | |
Thunder Force AC (1990) | |
Thunder Force: Gold Pack 1 (1996) | Thunder Force: Gold Pack 2 (1996) | Thunder Force V (1997) | |
Thunder Force VI (2008) | |
Sega Ages Thunder Force IV (2018) | Sega Ages Thunder Force AC (2020) | |
Thunder Force related media | |
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) |
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