Thunder Heroes
Arcade
Nostalgia Factor:
Today I went on a quick little jaunt to check out a game I had never heard of before: Thunder Heroes. It was recommended to me in a Facebook group about retro video games. Aside from the fact that this game is a beat 'em up that "looked cool" from the screenshots I had seen, I had no idea what to expect from it.
My very last review was for Streets of Rage 2, a game that many people consider to be one of the greatest beat 'em ups ever made. How would Thunder Heroes stack up? Time to find out!
Story:
I couldn't help but laugh at this game's storyline. Check out the screenshot below. This is literally ALL you get for the entire game. Intrigued? You should be!
Gameplay:
Despite the fact that this is only my 445th review, I feel like this is the 9000th beat 'em up I've played for this blog. I get tired of explaining how they work. If you've played one, you have played them all.
The game is a bit like Double Dragon or Streets of Rage. I feel as if more emphasis is placed on quick to hand combat rather than jump attacks and throws. You have standard punch and kick attacks. Usually if you land a punch on an enemy, you can just keep jamming the attack button to get them stuck in a long combo. One thing that makes this game unique is that you can pick up different colored orbs. These orbs represent magic attacks. Whether it is a simple one-time flame attack or a screen-clearing tornado summoning, these attacks are fun to use. And the game is very generous with the orbs you can pick up.
There are the usual beat 'em up tropes to be found here, like swords and pipes you can pick up to attack your enemies, and big pieces of ham that fill your health. Everything is very formulaic. You fight through a stage. You fight a boss character. You move onto the next stage. I believe there are six stages in total? I didn't count.
For an arcade game, Thunder Heroes is very, very easy. I didn't have to "put a quarter in" and use a continue until the fourth or fifth stage in the game. I started getting cocky and thinking how I could probably beat the game without even using a full dollar. But then the boss rush at the end of the game happens, and some of these fights are simple wars of attrition where you are going to die no matter what you do. But still, this game is very easy. I beat it in about a half hour. I didn't get out the stopwatch, but if I did - I bet it was even less than a half hour.
I have to say, despite this game's length and its ease, I still had a blast playing it. It is definitely one of the more interesting beat 'em ups I've played when it comes to its flat out strangeness. What other game can you fight wizards, Skeksis, alien babies, the Colossal Titan, creepy robots that slink around on all fours, and the Incredible Hulk, all while jamming out to LL Cool J music?
There is just something that is flat out fun about this game. It didn't even take two minutes for Thunder Heroes to win me over. As soon as I started playing this, I was like "alright, alright" and nodding my head. This isn't a game that is out to frustrate you or steal all your quarters. It is very easy to pick up and play. And it is quirky and weird enough to keep you interested. I am not sure how much longevity or replay value this game has in the long run, but for a one time playthrough this is an absolute blast.
Graphics:
This game looks very sharp. The 2D artwork is some of the best I've seen from a beat 'em up. It is very smooth and very detailed. I suppose it is not surprising, considering the title screen says that this came out in 2001. It's a late bloomer!
The quirky characters and stage design completely steal the show here. This is one of those games that words can't really do justice. You just have to play this and see some of the crazy shit they throw at you.
Sound:
I suppose if this game has a weak point, it's the sound. No sound effects stand out to me, and I played through this game twice. The stage music is fine, but completely uninspired. The only songs that stood out to me were the ones that sounded like LL Cool J was singing. I half expected to hear "Mama Said Knock You Out" before this game was over. I wish I did!
Overall:
This will be an interesting game for me to score. It is clearly no video game masterpiece. It's too short, it's too easy, and it didn't really leave any kind of footprint on the video gaming community. I myself will probably completely forget about this game over time. Give it a few months, and then ask me what I thought of Thunder Heroes? I'll probably reply: "What's Thunder Heroes?"
Yet I can't deny that I had fun from the beginning of this game to the end. I enjoyed myself 100% of the way through this. From the gameplay, to the magic spells, to the wacky character design, to the trippy visuals, Thunder Heroes was a real treat to play through. I'm going to be kind to this game and give it a favorable review. Maybe someday if I read through my old reviews, I'll stumble upon this one and it will give me an excuse to play this all over again.
If you've never heard of Thunder Heroes, check it out! I was pleasantly surprised. I think you'll be, too.
THE GRADE:
B
If you liked this review, check out some of my other beat 'em up reviews:
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