Rolling Thunder 2

Written by Tom Clare in MegaDrive Game Reviews, Wednesday 27 February, 2008

Before Namco were able to make a healthy living off of their Ridge Racer and Tekken series, they had endured a largely indifferent 16-bit era. Famed in the eighties for the likes of PacMan, Galaga and many other coin-op classics, the mixed reception that greeted Splatterhouse 2's release in 1992 meant the Japanese giants notable contribution to gaming in the early nineties was limited to the Mega-Drive port of their arcade showpiece, Rolling Thunder 2.

Belonging to the now nearly-extinct run 'n' gun genre (which only Metal Slug really continues to champion into the 21st Century), RT2 involves a mix of good old fashioned blasting and some tactical cunning, as you tackle a host of terrorist-infested stages; dodging bullets; hopping ledges and ducking in and out of any cover you can find. There is little beyond this, though RT2 certainly carries enough trimmings to make it worthy of your attention.

Though the story is nominal, the game is nevertheless nicely dressed considering its age (released as it was in 1991); from the animated opening sequence that introduces us to the two playable characters codenamed Albatross and Leila, to the pre-mission briefing stills, there's a definite air of style to this spy/action thriller that carries over into the action.

The lack of into-the-screen movement means Namco were somewhat limited in the variety of challenges they could pose, but though you can simply duck under most of the bullets that come your way in the early levels, this doesn't hamper the enjoyment they provide. There's just the right mix of pace and required skill; for the most part, reflexes are enough to get you through large chunks of the levels, and there isn't a reliance on having to replay sections so as to memorise how and why you died every few steps.

Most of the enemy cyborgs look the same, though the degree of danger they pose can usually be identified by the colours they are adorned in. Over the course of the adventure, Leila and Albatross will encounter enemies that emerge from cover only momentarily to use their devastating lasers; lightning fast panther-like creatures, and goons who use higher-tiers to their advantage by ceaselessly lobbing grenades at your agent, and as if this wasn't enough, latter stages of the game see you having to contend with some ledge-hopping platform antics whilst being attacked by bats. Though the A.I. is not especially clever in itself, the levels present the player with the unusual challenge of finding how to use the scenery to their advantage - whether to jump up a level, hide behind a crate, hide in the shadows or just go in blasting - there are often several ways in which to tackle the situations that you are faced with.

Graphically it's fairly uncomplicated with some average sprites and fairly simple colour schemes - the backdrops are the standout feature visually, as scenery is both varied and intelligently employed. For instance, there's a saloon near the end of the opening level which is ideal for a fire fight, and as well as various large vehicles motoring past and an appearance from the Sphinx, RT2's spy-inspired settings get more and more ambitious as you progress, with high-tech labs and army bases providing the setting for later missions.

The music is another area in which RT2 oozes quality; admittedly, the odd tune does begin to grate after awhile, but mostly Namco have got it spot on. The intro theme pretty much sets the scene; mixing sultry blues with some pacy drum beats, to uncommonly good effect for a Mega-Drive title, whilst the laboratory levels are given a haunting atmosphere by some spookily impressive accompaniment. Sadly, the sound effects ('Special' power jingle aside) are completely awful - tinny, fuzzy and very lame. Can't have everything, I suppose.

Neat touches include the ability to collect ammo, guns and health from 'rooms' (pressing 'up' in front of doors sees your character momentarily disappear inside), and the uniquely brilliant password system - at the end of each level you are given four key words that spell out a code; such as 'a MAGICAL THUNDER LEARNED the SECRET'; a small but eminently welcome feature that fits in with the spy story really well. In many respects, it's the Bond game that 007: The Duel never was.

Despite all if this, Rolling Thunder 2 isn't quite the classic it could (and perhaps should) have been. Firstly, the male and female characters you get to choose between are almost entirely homogenous - only in appearance do they differ. Secondly, Namco could have added a little more to the controls for the Mega-Drive version; conspicuously absent is the ability to shoot diagonally or upwards, making certain sections harder than they needed to be, and as there is no action assigned to the 'A' button, the opportunity to allow the player to cycle between weapons has been passed over. As is often the case with games of this ilk though, it is the difficulty level that ultimately spoils the fun.

The second half of the game becomes a real grind as you'll find yourself being ambushed by large numbers of enemies at one time, and as one bullet is usually enough to kill you, whether it hits your character in the head or the legs, you're really up against it. It's times like these where the controls (particularly the jump feature) come up a little short. Three lives aren't quite enough and with the occasional boss fight or end-of-level encounter to contend with, you'll be seeing a heck of a lot of the Game Over screen.

If you have the mettle, there are eleven missions to beat, and should you prove up to the task, you'll be rewarded with an even harder mode. The chief difference here is that the enemies take a few more bullets to dispatch, though it's also worth noting that the levels have remixed backgrounds so as to appear that some missions are taking place at night. A well-conceived 2-player cooperative mode helps and there's certainly weeks worth of play for those dedicated enough, though it will wear down the resolve of many less-experienced gamers well before the end.

Nevertheless, Rolling Thunder 2 is a good shoot 'em up and a distinguished footnote in Namco's grand history. Though it can't match Gunstar Heroes as an overall package, its attractive presentation, appealing subject matter and fast-paced gameplay mean many will be able to overlook the slightly suspect controls and steep difficulty curve, and discover a decent Mega-Drive blaster.

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