| Thunder Force | |
| Platforms: | Sharp X1, NEC PC-8801 mkII, FM-7, Sharp MZ 1500, NEC PC-6001 mkII, NEC PC-9801, X68000, Arcade, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 |
| Developer: | Technosoft Sega |
| Publisher: | Technosoft Sega |
| Genre: | Horizontal-scrolling shooter |
| Creator: | Kotori Yoshimura |
| First Release Version: | Thunder Force |
| Latest Release Version: | Thunder Force VI |
is a series of shooter video games developed by the Japanese software company Technosoft and published by Sega. The franchise is recognized for its distinctive gameplay, graphics, and synthesizer-based chiptune music soundtracks.
There are six games in the series in total. The first appeared on the personal computers. The majority of installments in the series appeared on the Mega Drive console. The most recent entry was released on PlayStation 2.
The series' first game, Thunder Force, appeared in 1983 on a variety of Japanese computers, such as the X1, PC-8801 mkII, and FM-7. Since Thunder Force II, the majority of installments in the series appeared on the Mega Drive console, where the series gained much of its popularity. The most recent entry was released on PlayStation 2.
The original Thunder Force video game was created by Kotori Yoshimura in 1983. She later left Technosoft and founded Arsys Software in 1985, where herself and Osamu Nagano worked on notable titles such as Star Cruiser.[1] In 1984, Technosoft released a level editor, or game creation system, titled Thunder Force Construction, created by Yoshimura for the FM-7 computer.[2]
In September 2016, Sega announced at the Tokyo Game Show that they've acquired the rights to the Thunder Force franchise and all other Technosoft intellectual properties.[3]
| Year | Title | Original platform | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Thunder Force | Sharp X1 | |
| 1988 | Thunder Force II | X68000 | |
| 1990 | Thunder Force III | Mega Drive/Genesis | |
| 1992 | Thunder Force IV | Mega Drive/Genesis | |
| 1997 | Thunder Force V | Sega Saturn | |
| 2008 | Thunder Force VI | PlayStation 2 |
| Year | Title | Included games | Original platform | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Thunder Force Gold Pack 1 | Thunder Force II Thunder Force III | Sega Saturn | |
| 1996 | Thunder Force Gold Pack 2 | Thunder Force AC Thunder Force IV | Sega Saturn |