A while back when I officially started collecting retro consoles and games, I swore that I’d never become one of those elitists in the gaming community who always makes a big deal about his vast, all-encompassing knowledge of video games; at least not in public. However, in my own mind, I was the master of all things retro.  Well, that all came to a screeching halt in recent years thanks to Wikipedia when I discovered that, aside from owning the fifth game in the series, I knew next to nothing about the Thunder Force saga.  As I learned of its existence on Sega's 16-bit console, it became painfully clear that I had barely gotten my toes wet with Technosoft’s  bread and butter.  How I missed it back in the day, I will never know.  But after playing Thunder Force III, I soon realized that there was a whole ocean I was missing out on: the Genesis was the system for shoot-‘em-ups.

The evil ORN Empire is once again out to wreak havoc on the galaxy after recovering from a crippling defeat in the previous episode,. As can be expected, the good folks at the Galactic Federation upgrade the current Thunder Force fleet of ships to the Fire Leo-03 Styx. With its small size and quick maneuverability, coupled with its versatile firepower, the craft you pilot is the perfect weapon to deal the devastating blow to the ORN forces.  This is where the game begins for you.

The Gradius-style weapons system is back with a few improvements.  First and foremost, if your ship is destroyed, you’ll only lose the weapon you were currently using at the moment.  This was a major step forward for the series since now you didn’t have to forfeit your entire arsenal.  Your trusty orbiting CLAW drones have also returned.  This time, you automatically get two of them upon pickup, instead of having to collect them in singles.  They also adapt to the current weapon you have selected and will provide extra firepower accordingly.  This makes for some beautiful eye candy when coupled with weapons like the Lancer or Sever laser.

You can now choose the stage you want to begin with, instead of playing the game in a predetermined set.  There are five planets to select from, each having their own unique challenges and obstacles.  If you want to start things off as easy as possible, I recommend the jungle planet Hydra.  It’ll allow newcomers to prepare for the perilous road ahead.

Shortly before beginning each area, you’re treated to a readout of some basic information on the eventual boss and its weak spot.  I always thought that was neat little feature to have in a shooter of this kind.  No matter which planet you’re on, each one is teaming with all sorts of intricate creatures you won’t find in your run-of-the-mill shoot-‘em-up.

This game completely removes the overhead “top view” stages in favor of side-scrolling.  Thankfully, you can also control the speed of your ship. It makes for a nice alternative to collecting speed-up icons like in other shooters, which often cannot be reversed if you collect too many for your own comfort level.  And truth be told, the action and ever-changing pace of the game makes customizable speed more of a necessity than merely a nice option.  I found it especially useful when navigating through narrow spots where the margin for error is very small and during certain boss encounters. Often times, I’d find that my death was caused due to moving around too fast, which usually meant running into a stray bullet, or accidentally ramming the boss character.

This may sound like a bit of buzzword sloganeering, but Thunder Force III is truly all about non-stop action. There is so much crap constantly thrown your way to the point where it can be a little overwhelming initially.  I remember playing through the Gorgon stage for the first time—I absolutely hated it.  There are columns of fire that suddenly shoot up without warning, attack drones that strike relentlessly, and parts of the level increase in speed and can be very tricky to maneuver without losing multiple lives.  I thought that stage (and each one after it) was nearly impossible to finish.

But after spending more time and practice with the game, I soon saw that the problem was me.  I just needed to take my time and stop flailing around.  After I adjusted my strategy, I had a much more pleasant time.  And the game shows no signs of slowdown or heavy flickering at any point.  Every stage is highly detailed with parallax scrolling backgrounds and a gorgeous color palette to match.

The sound quality is among the best of the 16-bit generation.  Each stage’s music track is quite fitting.  The Gorgon  stage wins my affection for having some of the best music in the game.  The tune begins with a nice guitar loop accompanied by a drum roll that leads into the frantic synth notes of the rest of the track.  It goes perfectly with the fast-paced structure of Gorgon’s stage.  The sound effects have also improved since the previous game.  In particular, the sounds of the various weapons are more distinguished than before. The only mark against the audio quality is the female’s voice heard whenever you collect items is often hard to decipher. Otherwise, everything else sounds spectacular.

If you’re a Genesis owner who likes a challenging shooter with a soundtrack as enthralling as the action in the game, then Thunder Force III is for you.  For some, the game’s length may be on the short side, but it’s time well spent.  The only gripe I have is the fact that this game hasn’t hit the Virtual Console yet, or any of the other games in the Sega Genesis Thunder Force series for that matter.  It’s a shoot-‘em-up that managed to separate itself from the rest.