WINDS OF THUNDER
[US-LORDS OF THUNDER]
ウィンズ・オブ・サンダー

MAKER: HUDSON SOFT / RED
RELEASE DATE: 23 APRIL 1993 / 1993
STYLE: HORIZONTAL SHOOT 'EM UP
FORMAT: SUPER CD-ROM
RATING:

 

Overview
Highly popular shoot 'em up from the people behind Gate of Thunder. Winds of Thunder allows you to choose your level and buy upgrades from a shop with cash earned in the form of crystals during gameplay. Instead of a spaceship, you control a kind of futuristic knight in flying armour - four types of which are selectable at the beginning of each level. Each type of armour grants different attacks, and by playing well you can upgrade the attack power in various stages.

Comment
Winds of Thunder is a visually amazing shoot 'em up. Coupling fantastic music and some incredible parallax scrolling, it also provides intense shooting action to ensure it a place in shoot ‘em up history. It’s harder than Gate of Thunder and to my mind it doesn't quite hit the high bar that that game set before it, but it looks amazing, is incredibly inventive and varied, and is one of those games you really must own.
sunteam_paul

You say...
Winds of Thunder is widely regarded as one of the finest shooters on the system.  It's not a space shooter, but more of a fantasy setting, similar to something like Gynoug.  It features impressive, colourful graphics and a banging, much lauded rock soundtrack. You're flying around dispatching fantastic monsters, using a magical suit of armour based on one of the 4 elements.  This is something that differs from a lot of other shooters of the time (although later simulated by a choice of ship for example), in that you can't change your loadout mid-level by collecting different colour powerups.  There's an impressive intro too, even if I don't understand it.  It also has a shop at the beginning of each stage, which I absolutely love in games.  The level design is interesting.  It's not afraid to move you in a direction apart from left to right, snaking you underground at times.  The spritework is usualy good, and occasionally fantastic, especially the larger bosses.  The weapon loadouts are interesting too, each having an intended "best-fit" it would seem for a particular level.  And lastly, the music is incredible, if not something I'd listen to in isolation.
soop

Turbo Views Review

 

 

Screens

Gameplay Video Longplay Video from World of Longplays
Visual Scenes Graphics Breakdown
     
 

Images
Front Cover (US)Back Cover (US)CD (US)

 

Music