An unremarkable Genesis title that will only appeal to classic game collectors.
The graphics are typical late 80’s/early 90’s Genesis fare. They are bright and make decent use of the Genesis shallow color palate. Being a pseudo-3d game, ala Afterburner, the scaling used to provide the illusion of moving forward is a little jittery. This wasn’t a big issue back then and a decent novelty at the time. The music also follows the Genesis aesthetic of the time. If you remember Space Harrier II’s music, it is in the same vein. It is not an overpowering presence in the game, more of an ambient tune. The sounds that dominate Super Thunder blade are gunfire and explosions. They sound typical of gunfire and explosions used in other games, so they aren’t anything spectacular.
Sega had a tendency to release different games that followed a similar premise. What I mean is that Super Thunder blade is basically Afterburner without the jet and Space Harrier without the guy that runs really fast and can fly. Instead replace those with a super helicopter like Airwolf or Blue Thunder (perhaps this where the Thunder in Thunder blade came from. Interesting…discuss). Fans of those games will feel quite at home with the controls and the structure of the game. Thanks to the magic of the internet, I managed to find a cheat that gave me plenty of lives. Without this cheat, I wouldn’t have been able to see much pass the third level. Super Thunder blade is difficult, but more because of cheat shots than legitimate challenge.
Being the game collector that I am, unremarkable games like Super Thunder blade will have a place in my collection. Gamers with less of an appreciation for older games will not find much value or fun in Super Thunder blade. It may not stand out in any way, shape, or form, but it does emulate how Sega games were during the dawn of the Genesis. For this is all the reason for me to have this game.