Gate of Thunder
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
Back in 1992, when it was already quite clear that the
Turbografx-16 just didn't have enough firepower to match up
with the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, NEC pulled
together to make one last run with their technologically
inferior system. As they were combining with Hudson Soft to
form the new 'Turbo Technologies' company, NEC released
the Turboduo, a slick merging of the basic TG-16 unit with
the Turbo's CD player. Well aware that it was make-or-break
time, Turbo Technologies knew that they needed an impressive
title to accompany the Duo's release. Gate of Thunder turned
out to be that title - and to say that it was 'impressive'
would be a terrible understatement.
Gate of Thunder is a side-scrolling shooter which consists
of seven lengthy stages. Plots are typically irrelevant in
this type of game, so suffice it to say that you're flying a
ship called the 'Hunting Dog' and your mission is to
annihilate the bad guys. While the Hunting Dog is one sleek
piece of machinery, it looks like a children's toy when
matched up with some of the hulking, mechanic monstrosities
that the enemy will send your way. The game grants you seven
continues, and while that may seem like a lot, you're
probably going to need every single of them.
Your primary weapon in Gate of Thunder is a laser beam, and
you can acquire two other types of devastators.
Occasionally, an ally ship will fly by and drop off a
power-up for you. Grabbing a new weapon doesn't get rid of
your old one, however. Attain all three gun types and you
can select from them whenever you want. Each of them can
also be strengthened by grabbing surplus weapon icons.
Should you seize an icon that represents a weapon which is
already at full strength, a huge beam will move across the
screen, wiping out any enemy attackers that it comes in
contact with.
Along with the three main types of weapons, there are other
accessories which you can add on to your ship. Heat-seeking
missiles, shields, and options will all be at your disposal.
The options are especially useful. One option will fly
beneath your ship, while the other will accompany you from
above. Whenever your ship fires its beams, the options will
fire as well. The best part about the options is that you
can determine if they will shoot forwards (as your ship
does) or backwards (thus picking off enemy attackers who
come from behind). Options really come in handy, since the
enemy will attack you from every conceivable angle.
The game play in Gate of Thunder is super-smooth. It'll take
a bit of practice to learn how to switch weapons on the fly
and become competent with your options, but once you get the
hang of it, you'll be amazed at how well your ship controls.
You can also alter the speed of the Hunting Dog, should the
action be a bit too fast or slow for you.
The graphics in this game are extremely impressive, and they
really do show off the capabilities of the Turbo-CD. The
game begins with a well-drawn animation sequence; once play
begins, there are tons of tremendous enemy characters to
look at and admire before you blow them away. The multilayer
scrolling - an element that wasn't present in the vast
majority of Turbo games - is abundant and well-done. The
sound effects in the game are also incredible - the dynamic
explosions should keep any fan of the genre satisfied. The
music in the game absolutely rocks, but there is a problem:
you can't hear it! The music is constantly drowned out by
the tumultuous sound effects. If only they had made some
adjustments with the volume, everything would have been perfect.
There isn't much to not like in Gate of Thunder, especially
if you're a fan of the shoot 'em up genre. The action is
intense, the controls are smooth, and the graphics and sound
effects are superbly done. The game also serves up a quite a
challenge, especially when it comes to the end-of-level
bosses. These guys always have numerous methods of attack to
throw at you, and many of them are incredibly big (wait
until you see the boss of the sixth level - he's an absolute
monster). Gate of Thunder is among the best side-scrolling
shooters that have ever been released; NEC certainly was
wise to pack this game in with every Turboduo. It's too bad
that most of the Duo titles that followed couldn't follow in
its footsteps.
Overall: 9 out of 10
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