Thunder Force II (1989). Play online

Summary

Thunder Force II surprised me as one of the six launch titles for the North‑American Genesis debut, giving the console an instant shooting pedigree. The game cleverly splits each level into a top‑view sector where you hunt enemy bases, then flips into the side‑view horizontal action that became the series’ hallmark.

A brand‑new weapon system lets you grab upgrades for the default twin, back, and bomb shots, while special weapons—most notably the signature Hunter—can be swapped on the fly; losing a ship strips you down to the basics, keeping the risk high. Add‑on CRAW pods orbit your ship, absorbing bullets and firing extra shots, and you can even boost their spin speed with a rare item.

Critics loved it: ACE ranked it among the top three Mega Drive games of ’89, and UK mags such as Mean Machines and MegaTech praised its relentless enemy swarms and colossal boss battles. Famitsu’s 28/40 score reflects its solid reception worldwide.

Storyline

Thunder Force II picks up right after the events of the original game, when the ORN Empire unveils a new super‑weapon, the battleship Plealos (also called Preareos). Using Plealos, ORN launches a fresh assault on the Galaxy Federation, wiping out the Federation‑aligned world Reda and laying waste to the planet Nepura, known as Nebula, which it eventually occupies.

The Federation discovers that Plealos is hidden deep beneath Nebula’s surface when not in use, and plans a strike to eliminate the threat. They deploy the latest Fire Leo fighter, the FIRE LEO‑02 Exceliza, to smash ORN bases on Nepura and locate the hidden battleship. Players pilot the Exceliza through a series of varied stages, battling enemy forces and ultimately destroying Plealos.