Another month, another QUByte Classics release, it seems. Following Gaelco Sports Collection and Biomechanical Toy, the Brazilian re-publisher has picked another obscure IP from the Gaelco library: Thunder Hoop. This double pack consists of 1992’s Thunder Hoop and its 1994 sequel, TH Strikes Back.
Much like Biomechanical Toy, both Thunder Hoop games are run-and-gun platformers, although they differ quite a bit in style and approach. Neither feels quite as much like a traditional arcade game as you might expect.
Thunder Hoop: An Amiga arcade game
Having never played Thunder Hoop or even come across it in a European arcade, including those in Spain, I was surprised by how little it actually feels like an arcade game. The first Thunder Hoop plays much more like an Amiga run-and-gun platformer of the time, such as Turrican. When it comes strictly to the platforming, it even has a bit of a Commander Keen feel to it, which was a PC-only game, by the way.
Thunder Hoop forces you to be quite methodical as you progress through its stages. You need to learn the level layouts and control your pace, as invading aliens pop up out of nowhere and traps are a dime a dozen. It’s not the adrenaline rush or reflex-driven experience you might expect from an arcade platformer. It is much more step-by-step.
The fact that it doesn’t look or play like a traditional arcade game certainly doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. While you’ll occasionally run into sequences combining environmental hazards with particularly well-placed enemies that can chew through all your lives in quick succession, having to fight for every bit of progress appeals to me much more than a mindless run-and-gun experience. Those occasional, rather unforgiving difficulty spikes are one of the few characteristics of early-to-mid-1990s arcade games that Thunder Hoop has firmly held on to. In that respect, having unlimited continues and a rewind feature helps you learn the traps and overcome these particularly tricky sections.
One of my biggest gripes is the very floaty jumping mechanic. It’s so slow that it’s easy to misjudge jumps, while timing them to avoid enemy attacks can be incredibly hit-or-miss. In fact, your best bet is to avoid jumping whenever possible, as it’s an easy way to lose lives.
With that in mind, it might seem hard and even unfair at times, but Thunder Hoop is a game you can definitely master through practice. Once you learn to account for the extremely floaty jumping mechanics and time your jumps accordingly, even the trickier sections become manageable.
TH Strikes Back: More action, fewer traps
The same can be said for TH Strikes Back, although the sequel is much more in the mould of Contra or Probotector and leans further into the run-and-gun genre than its predecessor. The game itself has undergone much the same transformation as its protagonist, who has bulked up considerably, much like Stallone did between First Blood and Rambo. Still, platforming remains a significant part of the experience, as do the power-ups. The sequel also introduces a more powerful secondary attack, the Super Shot, alongside your standard weapon, giving you another way to deal with tougher enemies and more action-heavy encounters.
The difficulty is spread out a little more evenly this time around. TH Strikes Back feels more challenging in general, with tougher enemies appearing in greater numbers but fewer environmental traps to catch you off guard.
A considerable visual upgrade
TH Strikes Back is also a much better-looking game than Thunder Hoop. Of course, two years of advancing technology helped, but even for its time, TH Strikes Back features some very neat graphical touches. The way light from the characters’ weapons reflects onto their bodies is the sort of detail you’d expect from the graphical heavyweights of those years, such as the Alien games or perhaps RoboCop. These were productions where developers generally had a bit more budget to spend on additional animation frames and graphical details.
Every now and then, there are some interesting things happening in the background as well. Rats clinging to a grille to avoid being sucked out of a spaceship that’s about to crash, for instance. Small details like these add quite a lot to the overall production.
Two unusual arcade games for the price of one
Overall, Thunder Hoop offers the more unusual approach to arcade gameplay, while TH Strikes Back has the visual production values to elevate the experience. As a double pack, there’s certainly something worthwhile here, even for players like me who have never played or even heard of these games before.
You get two games that feel a little awkward and outlandish compared to the big-budget arcade productions of their time, but are nevertheless fun to play and explore. As always, the emulation is top-notch, and both games receive the familiar QUByte Classics treatment, including display filters, rewind functionality and three save slots.
With a suggested retail price of $9.99/€9.99, it’s good value for money, too.
Thunder Hoop Collection brings together two rather unusual arcade games that may feel a little awkward compared to the big-budget productions of their time, but are nevertheless fun to play and explore. Thunder Hoop stands out for its more methodical approach to arcade gameplay, while TH Strikes Back offers a more action-oriented experience with considerably better visuals. With top-notch emulation and the familiar QUByte Classics features, including rewind, display filters and save slots, this double pack offers good value for money, even if you've never heard of either game before.
