810th played so far
Genre: Shoot ‘Em Up
Platform: Arcade
Year of Release: 1986
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Do I need to say it? There are some games that I know are on the list for their impact or because they stand out in the genre, but where I know it doesn’t appeal. Rolling Thunder is a side scrolling shoot ’em up, without adding more that I see appeals – it’s very gory even by today’s standards, but I just don’t really see whether I would care.
Our Thoughts
Perhaps part of the realism for this game is that the main character animations stand out so much. They are decent, better than I’d expect from the era, and it almost feels unnecessary for the game. They’re quite slow, which is their big downside, but it’s a nice touch for the game. The art style is closer to what’s expected of the era, but on the whole, it looks nice if only it didn’t hinder gameplay as much as it seems to have been doing.
Beyond that, this felt like a pretty standard shooter. There are an abundance of enemies, possibly more than I’d really want, and you keep being challenged. It’s an incredibly difficult game, both from the enemies, the clunky platforming and general slow control issues, in a way that doesn’t really pay off long term.
Final Thoughts
I guess there’s a certain level where Rolling Thunder is appealing, but for me it’s too difficult to pick up in the time I gave the game. It looks nice though, and does its best to give you something that looks good for the eighties. It just goes to and past arcade difficulty while offering the arcade ‘expensive’ feel.