Thunder Force VI
Encyclopedia
is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up
video game released for the PlayStation 2
on October 30, 2008. The director is SEGA employee Tetsu Okano, who has previously worked on Segagaga
, Astro Boy: Omega Factor
and Gunstar Super Heroes
. The game was licensed by Twenty-One Company's Tecnosoft division, it is only available in Japan.
As researchers analyze the once forbidden technology they had abandoned ten years ago, they find an alarming message embedded within the fragments. It is said that Vasteel was once Rynex, the ultimate weapon created by the extraterrestrial power called the Galaxy Federation, used to combat the evil Orn Empire. The message also contained a warning of their impending arrival and an interstellar call for help against the Orn forces, which is trying to spread its influence of death and destruction to other parts of the universe. In addition, the storage cells within Vasteel material contains four space coordinates leading to the homeworld of the Galaxy Federation. Left with no other choice, scientists recreate the Vasteel technology into the experimental starfighter known as Phoenix, the last hope for the human race against Orn Faust.
RVR-00 Phoenix
The next generation trial production type fighter of the RVR-series, created by scientists from the Unified Earth Fleet. Although its number is set before RVR-02 Vambrace, the Phoenix is more advanced than its predecessor, a multipurpose fighter that was put to the test against Orn forces. It can battle independently without need for supporting forces, able to absorb energy from various attacks by Orn forces and perform CRAW macromolecule assist. Phoenix is originally built from the remains of an unidentified ship, however this information is kept top secret by the military. In one of the reports unlocked as the game is played through, it states that the name Phoenix was originally the name given to mankind's first warp-capable cruise ship.
Fire Leo-04C Rynex-R
The main fighter craft employed by the Galaxy Federation, this ship has undergone significant changes. After playing an active part against the Vios in the events of Thunder Force IV, researchers managed to take advantage of the original Rynexs design and successfully mass-produced the craft in large quantities. The ship needs specific amount of skill to pilot it. The Thunder Sword add-on is now implemented from the start, though it is inferior to the destructive power employed by the original. However the ship makes up for this by strengthening diversion of each armaments. This ship is unlocked by playing through Normal gameplay and above once.
Syrinx
A hybrid ship consisting of Galaxy Federation, Earth and Orn technology. Originally the RVR-00 Phoenix, Syrinx was unexpectedly created when the core of Orn Faust merged with the ship after the Vasteel Nocht battle. The assimilation of Galaxy Federation technology by the Orn forces in the past and the Earth's own version of Vasteel makes this ship a formidable force of unknown potential in battle. First seen and used at the beginning of the 6th and final stage in the game, Syrinx is unlocked by playing through Normal gameplay and above by using Rynex-R.
The Phoenix and Syrinx both use the Wave but fire them differently while the Rynex-R uses the Blade instead. The Phoenix and the Syrinx will not lose any of their weapons when the player loses a life. The Rynex-R however, will lose the weapon that it is currently using when the player loses a life, except for its default weapons, Twin Shot and Back Shot(just as in previous games).
Twin Shot:
The basic weapon equipped on the ship from the start, it fires two parallel lasers. The lasers are blue for the Phoenix/Syrinx and orange for the Rynex-R just like in previous games. When Over Weapon is used, a large laser is fired from the front for the Phoenix and the Syrinx. The Rynex-R however, activates its signature Thunder Sword instead.
Back Shot:
As the name suggests, the ship fires shots from its rear against ambushing enemy units. When Over Weapon is used, 5 lasers will be projected out from the player ship: one from the front, two from the back, one each for the top and bottom. The Rynex-R has a different Over Weapon for Back Shot, instead firing off a barrage from its rear-mounted Rail Guns.
Hunter:
The ship fires glowing balls of light in 3 different directions that home in on enemies that appear on-screen. The colour of the balls fired vary with each of the 3 different ships, with blue for the Phoenix, green for the Rynex-R and purple for the Syrinx.
Wave:
The version of this weapon on the Phoenix fires powerful blue crescent-shaped wave lasers that impact against enemies. The Syrinx fires a large wave instead that passes though all objects and damages all enemies in its line of fire.
Blade:
First seen and used by the Rynex in Thunder Force IV, then by the RVR-02 Vambrace in Thunder Force V. The Rynex-R uses the Blade instead of the Wave. It fires blades just like it did in previous games. The Blade is stronger than the Twin Shot of the Rynex-R in terms of damage.
Free Range:
As indicated on screen as a green cone-shaped targeting reticle when used, the ship fires and destroys enemies with blue lasers within the cone range. As the name suggests, the ship is able to rotate this range 360 degrees, which means it can fire vertically up or down as well as diagonally and backwards when used by the Phoenix or Syrinx. When used by the Rynex-R, a hexagon appears around it, where any enemy inside the hexagon gets fired upon by the lasers.
Shield:
The ship uses the CRAW support units to create a shield. Technically not a weapon type, the shield deflects some enemy projectiles, though not all. The reliability of the shield depends on the weapons being currently used. If the CRAW support units are being utilized by a weapon needed to power it, eg. Back Shot, the shield is inactive during this period.
The Over Weapon forces the player ship to slow it's speed to 25%, making the player an easy target.
maker Twenty-one Company. With the announcement of Thunder Force VI in July, it has been revealed that Tecnosoft has licensed the new sequel to Sega to develop and publish the game. The company in turn has assigned Tetsu Okano, otherwise known as Zolge Ichizo in his pen name, whose earlier works include Segagaga
and Astro Boy: Omega Factor
, to direct Thunder Force VI. Development apparently began on April 2007, with Okano bringing in a fresh team with lots of shooter experience to handle the project. The team then brought in Tamayo Kawamoto (RayForce
), Go Sato (Raiden series) and Motoaki Furukawa (Gradius II
, Salamander
, Gunstar Heroes
) to compose the game’s soundtrack. As seen in the two trailers released thus far, the development team created a unique feel for the game, by using the tangut script
, an ancient and now obsolete Chinese
logographic system, for themes relating to the Galaxy Federation, with Mongolian
terms used as language for the Orn Empire.
In an interview, Okano has stated that he would like to hopefully release a sequel to an as yet unknown game, if Thunder Force VI sales go well. In Okano’s blog, he has confirmed that Thunder Force VI is the first game that he placed under the “STG Project”, with two other projects under wraps, which depends on the game’s success. On the official Thunder Force VI website, the words “PROJECT S.T.G-001” can be found on the bottom right of the front page, indicating that Sega may be planning a revival of other shooting game franchises, with Thunder Force VI leading the charge.
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
video game released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
on October 30, 2008. The director is SEGA employee Tetsu Okano, who has previously worked on Segagaga
Segagaga
is a console role-playing game developed by Tez Okano of Sega and released solely in Japan for the Sega Dreamcast on March 29, 2001, towards the end of the console lifespan....
, Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
is a beat 'em up video game developed by Treasure Co. Ltd and Hitmaker, and published by Sega. The game was released for the Game Boy Advance console on December 18, 2003 in Japan; August 18, 2004 in North America; and February 18, 2005 in Europe. The game is based on Osamu Tezuka's manga and anime...
and Gunstar Super Heroes
Gunstar Super Heroes
Gunstar Super Heroes is a Game Boy Advance title created by Treasure Co. Ltd. It is the sequel to Gunstar Heroes...
. The game was licensed by Twenty-One Company's Tecnosoft division, it is only available in Japan.
Plot
It is the year A.D. 2161, ten years after the artificial intelligence known as Guardian went rogue and its subsequent destruction at the hands of Cenes Crawford, the pilot from the events of Thunder Force V. As Earth reenters an age of prosperity after the previous war with the AI, an extraterrestrial force known only as "Orn Faust" appears to start an invasion of the planet. Unfortunately, the Unified Earth Fleet is powerless under the might of the alien forces and is almost destroyed. Meanwhile, the Unified Earth government receives strange readings from its analysis report of the underground chamber on the island Babel, where Guardian was once installed. Inside, the remaining Vasteel technology which was abandoned and sealed by the government shows a startling synchronization with Orn Faust's approach.As researchers analyze the once forbidden technology they had abandoned ten years ago, they find an alarming message embedded within the fragments. It is said that Vasteel was once Rynex, the ultimate weapon created by the extraterrestrial power called the Galaxy Federation, used to combat the evil Orn Empire. The message also contained a warning of their impending arrival and an interstellar call for help against the Orn forces, which is trying to spread its influence of death and destruction to other parts of the universe. In addition, the storage cells within Vasteel material contains four space coordinates leading to the homeworld of the Galaxy Federation. Left with no other choice, scientists recreate the Vasteel technology into the experimental starfighter known as Phoenix, the last hope for the human race against Orn Faust.
Gameplay
Sega has created a 3D scrolling system for the next-gen Thunder Force VI, where the gameplay proceeds in 2D as before in previous games but scenery moves in three dimensions. There are oftentimes where the player ships executes rolls, turns or dives in the background, though gameplay is not hampered by this new addition. Each ship is equipped with five types of weapon arms and an Over Weapon, a special weapon gauge which collects energy gained by destroying Orn forces to unleash a powerful attack.Player ships
The player has a total of three ships(two must be unlocked) to select before starting the main game. Each ship has its own unique attributes that makes the best use in combat situations, though the controls are quite similar.RVR-00 Phoenix
The next generation trial production type fighter of the RVR-series, created by scientists from the Unified Earth Fleet. Although its number is set before RVR-02 Vambrace, the Phoenix is more advanced than its predecessor, a multipurpose fighter that was put to the test against Orn forces. It can battle independently without need for supporting forces, able to absorb energy from various attacks by Orn forces and perform CRAW macromolecule assist. Phoenix is originally built from the remains of an unidentified ship, however this information is kept top secret by the military. In one of the reports unlocked as the game is played through, it states that the name Phoenix was originally the name given to mankind's first warp-capable cruise ship.
Fire Leo-04C Rynex-R
The main fighter craft employed by the Galaxy Federation, this ship has undergone significant changes. After playing an active part against the Vios in the events of Thunder Force IV, researchers managed to take advantage of the original Rynexs design and successfully mass-produced the craft in large quantities. The ship needs specific amount of skill to pilot it. The Thunder Sword add-on is now implemented from the start, though it is inferior to the destructive power employed by the original. However the ship makes up for this by strengthening diversion of each armaments. This ship is unlocked by playing through Normal gameplay and above once.
Syrinx
A hybrid ship consisting of Galaxy Federation, Earth and Orn technology. Originally the RVR-00 Phoenix, Syrinx was unexpectedly created when the core of Orn Faust merged with the ship after the Vasteel Nocht battle. The assimilation of Galaxy Federation technology by the Orn forces in the past and the Earth's own version of Vasteel makes this ship a formidable force of unknown potential in battle. First seen and used at the beginning of the 6th and final stage in the game, Syrinx is unlocked by playing through Normal gameplay and above by using Rynex-R.
Weapons
Each player ship has five different types of weapons to be equipped on its arms, however only 4 of the weapons (Twin Shot, Back Shot, Hunter, Free-Range) are employed by all 3 ships to be used against enemy forces.The Phoenix and Syrinx both use the Wave but fire them differently while the Rynex-R uses the Blade instead. The Phoenix and the Syrinx will not lose any of their weapons when the player loses a life. The Rynex-R however, will lose the weapon that it is currently using when the player loses a life, except for its default weapons, Twin Shot and Back Shot(just as in previous games).
Twin Shot:
The basic weapon equipped on the ship from the start, it fires two parallel lasers. The lasers are blue for the Phoenix/Syrinx and orange for the Rynex-R just like in previous games. When Over Weapon is used, a large laser is fired from the front for the Phoenix and the Syrinx. The Rynex-R however, activates its signature Thunder Sword instead.
Back Shot:
As the name suggests, the ship fires shots from its rear against ambushing enemy units. When Over Weapon is used, 5 lasers will be projected out from the player ship: one from the front, two from the back, one each for the top and bottom. The Rynex-R has a different Over Weapon for Back Shot, instead firing off a barrage from its rear-mounted Rail Guns.
Hunter:
The ship fires glowing balls of light in 3 different directions that home in on enemies that appear on-screen. The colour of the balls fired vary with each of the 3 different ships, with blue for the Phoenix, green for the Rynex-R and purple for the Syrinx.
Wave:
The version of this weapon on the Phoenix fires powerful blue crescent-shaped wave lasers that impact against enemies. The Syrinx fires a large wave instead that passes though all objects and damages all enemies in its line of fire.
Blade:
First seen and used by the Rynex in Thunder Force IV, then by the RVR-02 Vambrace in Thunder Force V. The Rynex-R uses the Blade instead of the Wave. It fires blades just like it did in previous games. The Blade is stronger than the Twin Shot of the Rynex-R in terms of damage.
Free Range:
As indicated on screen as a green cone-shaped targeting reticle when used, the ship fires and destroys enemies with blue lasers within the cone range. As the name suggests, the ship is able to rotate this range 360 degrees, which means it can fire vertically up or down as well as diagonally and backwards when used by the Phoenix or Syrinx. When used by the Rynex-R, a hexagon appears around it, where any enemy inside the hexagon gets fired upon by the lasers.
Shield:
The ship uses the CRAW support units to create a shield. Technically not a weapon type, the shield deflects some enemy projectiles, though not all. The reliability of the shield depends on the weapons being currently used. If the CRAW support units are being utilized by a weapon needed to power it, eg. Back Shot, the shield is inactive during this period.
Over Weapon
The Over Weapon is a special attack both player ships use, first utilized in Thunder Force V, which boosts the equipped weapon arm used to devastating effect. To fill the attack gauge, the ship has to absorb energy gained by destroying Orn forces. The entire OW gauge can be filled and used up to six times. Players can increase the offensive strength of the Over Weapon by using several bars in quick succession.The Over Weapon forces the player ship to slow it's speed to 25%, making the player an easy target.
Stages
Throughout the game, the player ship will travel to various planets to aid the Galaxy Federation.Jungle
A now abandoned colony belonging to the Galaxy Federation, it was previously destroyed by invading Orn Faust forces. In a short period of time, the colony is now covered with wild plant life that has undergone genetic mutation. The player has received information that a newly built destroyer from Orn, Cerberus II, is prowling in the area.- Boss description: Gargoyle Perfect
- Annihilation arms of the orn empire.
- The super flame from the mouth.
- The hyper bolide from the abdomen.
- The gargoyle rushes and crushes.
Flame
A planet where most of the surface is covered with seas of lava. Here, Orn Faust uses the place as a testing ground for developing experimental high energy life-forms. There lies many abnormal and indigenous life thriving on the volatile and hot surface.- Boss description: Flame Maiden
- Biological arms of the orn empire.
- The rapid biometeorite from mouth.
- The thorns from back.
- The maiden hopping crush.
Ocean
A beautiful planet mostly covered by many oceans. Below the clouds and in the darkness of the deep sea, the dangerous presence of Orn Faust lurks.- Boss description: Cherub Purple
- Camouflage arms of the orn empire.
- The cherubim purple air mines.
- The cherubim purple shower of bullets.
- The cherubim purple beam.
Federation
The original homeworld and capital of the Galaxy Federation, where the space coordinates and aid request found embedded within Vasteel technology leads to. Orn Faust's presence on the planet is most pressing and concentrated, both Unified Earth Fleet and Galaxy Federation forces make their decisive battle here. The allied forces will attack the enemy's fleet in orbit before engaging combat on the planet's surface.- Boss description: B3 (Barbaric-Berserk-Beast)
- Death proof arms of the orn empire.
- The Death proof mega tank mode.
- The Death proof giga sky mode.
- The Death proof tera huge beam.
Battleship
With the help of fighters from the Galaxy Federation, the Unified Earth Fleet's Thunder Force team will pursue and destroy a huge Orn battleship, Cerberus 2. After completing the objective, the player ship will engage in single combat with the Orn Empire's own version of Vasteel...- Boss description: Vasteel Nocht
- Extra mimicry arms of the orn empire.
- The mimicry orn-faust styx.
- The mimicry orn-faust rynex.
- The mimicry orn-faust gauntlet.
Fortress
The Thunder Force team and Galaxy Federation forces have discovered the fortress of the Orn Empire. The main objective is to defeat the Orn Emperor that resides in the deepest portion of the base.- Boss description: Orn Emperor
- Final bio arms of the orn empire.
- The mysterious boss with compound eye.
- The mysterious crazy death beams.
- The mysterious crazy death rush.
Development
An update first appeared on the official Tecnosoft website on January 2008, stating the title of Thunder Force as a registered trademark, and to let visitors know that the site is being renovated. One of the original key staff behind the previous Thunder Force games, K Matsuoka, held onto the IPs of the games after Tecnosoft was bought up by pachinkoPachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
maker Twenty-one Company. With the announcement of Thunder Force VI in July, it has been revealed that Tecnosoft has licensed the new sequel to Sega to develop and publish the game. The company in turn has assigned Tetsu Okano, otherwise known as Zolge Ichizo in his pen name, whose earlier works include Segagaga
Segagaga
is a console role-playing game developed by Tez Okano of Sega and released solely in Japan for the Sega Dreamcast on March 29, 2001, towards the end of the console lifespan....
and Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
is a beat 'em up video game developed by Treasure Co. Ltd and Hitmaker, and published by Sega. The game was released for the Game Boy Advance console on December 18, 2003 in Japan; August 18, 2004 in North America; and February 18, 2005 in Europe. The game is based on Osamu Tezuka's manga and anime...
, to direct Thunder Force VI. Development apparently began on April 2007, with Okano bringing in a fresh team with lots of shooter experience to handle the project. The team then brought in Tamayo Kawamoto (RayForce
RayForce
RayForce is a vertical space shooter style game by Taito released for the Taito F3 arcade hardware in 1993 and later ported to the Sega Saturn in 1995....
), Go Sato (Raiden series) and Motoaki Furukawa (Gradius II
Gradius II
is a horizontally-scrolling shooter originally released for the arcades in Japan in . It is the sequel to original Gradius and was succeeded by Gradius III. Ports of Gradius II were released for the Family Computer, PC-Engine Super CD-ROM², and X68000 in Japan...
, Salamander
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
, Gunstar Heroes
Gunstar Heroes
is a run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega.Treasure's debut game was originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in late 1993, and later on, ported to the Game Gear by M2. On February 23, 2006, Gunstar Heroes was released as part of the Gunstar Heroes: Treasure...
) to compose the game’s soundtrack. As seen in the two trailers released thus far, the development team created a unique feel for the game, by using the tangut script
Tangut script
The Tangut script was a logographic writing system, used for writing the extinct Tangut language of the Western Xia Dynasty. According to the latest count, 5863 Tangut characters are known, excluding variants...
, an ancient and now obsolete Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
logographic system, for themes relating to the Galaxy Federation, with Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
terms used as language for the Orn Empire.
In an interview, Okano has stated that he would like to hopefully release a sequel to an as yet unknown game, if Thunder Force VI sales go well. In Okano’s blog, he has confirmed that Thunder Force VI is the first game that he placed under the “STG Project”, with two other projects under wraps, which depends on the game’s success. On the official Thunder Force VI website, the words “PROJECT S.T.G-001” can be found on the bottom right of the front page, indicating that Sega may be planning a revival of other shooting game franchises, with Thunder Force VI leading the charge.