More galactic action from the Arcade Archives
If the recent release of R-Type Final 2 isn’t enough to quench your shmup thirst, then you might want to take a look at the latest offering from Hamster’s Arcade Archives range, Konami classic Thunder Cross II, now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Originally released to the coin-op scene in 1991, Thunder Cross II is the sequel to the suspiciously Gradius-like Thunder Cross, and once again sees the titular defense division go to war with the forces of the invading Black Impulse Empire. As is the case with so many shmup sequels, Konami simply went bigger and better for this follow-up, retaining the horizontally scrolling action of its predecessor, but featuring improved audio/visuals, more varied enemies, and a wider variety of weapons and power-ups.
Thunder Force II is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8. Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Martinoz.
