The fourth installment in the Thunder Force series is a boon to shoot 'em up fans with detailed animations and a rocking soundtrack. The game features vast vertically scrolling levels, providing an improve sense of scale to each level.

After the end of Thunder Force III, the Orn empire is plotting to destroy mankind. You must lead the battle against this evil Lead the attack on their heavily defended military planet. Knock out the planet's command center to pave the way for the invasion force. The game features five different weapon types, each upgradable through power-ups. Half-way through the game you also get access to a ultima weapon; The Thunder Sword - a powerful energy beam that charges when you're not firing.

The game features 10 levels, where you can choose in what order to play the first four. Thunder Force is regarded as one of the best shoot 'em ups of the era, with high graphical fidelity, effects and variety. However, the game suffers from sluggish framerates when there's alot happening on screen.