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Overview
Hudson's answer to Thunder Force III, Gate of Thunder is an ambitious shoot 'em up that pushes the hardware to its limit. You control the police craft 'Hunting Dog' and have a selection of weapons at your disposal, each of which can be powered up. There is the standard forward firing lightning laser, a wide but less powerful shot and a 3-way bomb weapon that deals the most damage. Also available to you (thanks to the ever helpful Esty who flies by and drops things off from time to time) is a shield and gun pods that follow you above and below, and can switch direction with a quick double tap on the fire button. Aside from the normal enemies coming at you, there are also other obstacles to dodge, such as shafts of shooting lava, shifting backgrounds and huge missiles launching into your path.
Comment
I really cannot praise this game highly enough. From my point of view, this is the best shoot 'em up on the Engine, and probably my favourite on any format. Everything about this game is stunning - the graphics are superbly designed and coloured, with some amazingly ingenious parallax scrolling. Levels are highly varied with a lot of scenery changes, and attack waves are well planned and never seem unfair to the player. And unlike many games, it keeps you coming back even when you’ve completed it, it's just so much fun. The music is also excellent, and very fitting and it’s really a game that you can get your teeth into. If you haven't got this, you're barking mad!
sunteam_paul
You say...
Gate of Thunder is one of the most famous shooters on the system. They pull off a lot of fantastic tricks with the hardware but underlying that are the years of experience the Technosoft staff and Red/Hudson have put into this exemplary shooter. Everything about it is precise, jaw dropping, and explosive. I can't imagine how it must have been to experience this in the 90's, but even years later, it's enough to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. And let's not forget a banging soundtrack. This is one of the reasons to own the system, and it's rightly regarded as one of the best shooters of the era - on any system.
soop
Turbo Views Review
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/ 1992 
