Hi there!

A next to impossible C64 conversion from one of Segas biggest Arcade games:

This was of course a job for Chris Butler, the programming genius behind the C64 version of Ghosts'n'Goblins. Being also responsible for the ultra fast C64 Space Harrier conversion, he sure was the #1 choice for converting Thunder Blade.

And really, the game is playable on the C64! No beauty to look at but resonably fast, it manages to replicate much more of the Arcade than what one would expect

The game is divided into 4 loads, each devided into three parts. The first always is a top down scene, albeit presented in full scaling 3D, just like the Arcade. This is folllowd by a more Space Harrier like flight scene and ends with a giant boss battle in plain 2D.

The middle sections are by far the hardest bits of the game, although the game overall is rather easy. Just as in Space Harrier constant circling around the screen usually does the trick

Without the stunning audio visual impact and the hydraulic gimmicks of the Arcade machine, the home experience was more or less reduced to an average shooting gallery. It's also considerably short, getting there took only an hour:

BTW: This is one of the oldest video games I know with real product placement: The launch pad for the helicopter carries a huge Pepsi logo

Some future day the "Playing..." series may see another Sega Arcade conversion in the form of Afterburner, but first it'll continue with something else.

Greetings,

Manuel