History Videogame / ThunderForce

** Subverted in ''V'' in that your character leads a squad of RVR-01 Gauntlets (named "Thunder Force", incidentally). Later on, after the battle at Babel only the [[PlayerCharacter protagonist]] takes on the Guardian as only one model of the RVR-02 Vambrace is operational; [[AllInTheManual Cene Crawford's report]] mentions that her squadmates essentially drew straws.

* ''Thunder Force V'' (Saturn, 1997) -- The first game in the series with three-dimensional graphics, and introduces the [[LimitBreak Over Weapon]] system. Ported to the {{PlayStation}} as ''Thunder Force V: Perfect System'', with less slowdown (but reduced visuals) and some {{omake}} content.

* HarderThanHard: "Very Hard" in ''Thunder Force II'' for the Sharp X68000, "Mania" in ''III'', "Master" in the PlayStation version in ''V'', and "Maniac" in ''IV'' and ''VI''.

* SuperTitle64Advance: The PlayStation port of ''Thunder Force V'' was called ''Thunder Force V: '''P'''erfect '''S'''ystem''.

* {{Homage}}: Some of the boss names in ''Thunder Force V'': DeepPurple, Music/IronMaiden, and A3 (for Alabama 3).

** The "Good" Ending in ''VI'' made the ending of ''IV'' more sweet than bitter[[spoiler:, hinting that the crew of Rynex not only was rescued by people of Earth but also found them to be sympathetic enough to warrant further contact]].

** In ''V'': "ALERT! The enemy is (approaching fast) / (dead ahead)! Code Name: <boss name> - <boss description>". The FinalBoss mixes it up by [[spoiler:having the usual alert screen play out, only to suddenly be replaced by "ALERT!!" repeated across the screen.]]

** In ''V'': "ALERT! The enemy is (approaching fast) / (dead ahead)! Code Name: <boss name> - <boss description>".

--> [[{{Engrish}} ''Legend of Wings continue.'']]

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first game, released in 1983, has no side-scrolling stages and plays more like a combination of ''{{Xevious}}'' and ''TimePilot'', and is similar to 1985's ''RaidOnBungelingBay''. It also features a PublicDomainSoundtrack (Rossini's William Tell Overture) that plays throughout the entire game.

* BittersweetEnding: ''Thunder Force IV'' has [[spoiler:the Rynex being crippled in the escape from the explosion following the defeat of Khaos and being abandoned to drift in space, while the scientists of the Galactic Federation admit that sending it in the first place was a mistake in and of itself. It also hints at its incipient return. Yet they still have hope for humanity's future.]]

* ICannotSelfTerminate: The Guardian, whether because it's designed that way [[spoiler:or because Khaos has compromised the AI. This is also why the Guardian, which is still loyal to mankind, intentionally makes tactical errors and implicitly goads Cenes Crawford into SuicideByCop.]]

* HopelessBossFight: Versus for stage 5 in ''Thunder Force IV''

* ItsUpToYou: ORN's forces are so much greater than the Galaxy Federation's that if the Fire Leo fails, their regular forces won't stand a chance.

* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe

* MidSeasonUpgrade: The player's RVR-01 Gauntlet upgrades to the RVR-02 Vambrace in ''V'', which has superior weapons. As well as the [[MechaExpansionPack Brigandine module]], a [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement super durable part that supplys unlimited use]] of SecondaryFire. Although the Brigandine [[TooCoolToLive only lasts for one stage]].

* OneHitPointWonder

* RealTimeWeaponChange

* SingleBiomePlanet : The sole exception is ''V'', which occurs on Earth. The ocean planet in ''VI'' is justified; it's a post-global warming world and you will get to pass the submerged city at one point. The jungle is really an abandoned space colony, with overgrown forests having overtook residental area.

* VideoGameLives

* [[BigWhat What?]]: The name of the BGM for the second half of Stage 1 in ''IV''.
** [[PlayingWithATrope Where!]]: The track title for the second half of the fourth stage of the same game.

* HardLevelsEasyBosses: Many bosses in ''III'' die within seconds of exposure to your weapons, especially the [[GameBreaker Sever]]. In contrast, the stages themselves have many deathtraps that demand twitch reflexes and ''VideoGame/{{R-Type}}''-style memorization.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first game, released in 1983, has no side-scrolling stages and plays more like a combination of ''{{Xevious}}'' and ''TimePilot''. It also features a PublicDomainSoundtrack (Rossini's William Tell Overture) that plays throughout the entire game.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first game, released in 1983, has no side-scrolling stages and plays more like a combination of ''Xevious'' and ''TimePilot''.

* {{Leitmotif}}: ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkC3kY0TdoM And the Wind Blew All Day Long]]'' for Styx, ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VzLxWBho-8 Lightning Strikes Again]]'' for Rynex, and ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL3Aq5hmqjE Beginning of War]]'' for Vambrace.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Halfway through ''IV'' this becomes the motivation for Rynex's pilot for going after Khaos.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Halfway through ''IV'' this becomes the motivation for Rynex's pilot for going after Faust.

* ExcusePlot: Most of the series, though it starts getting elaborated upon starting with ''IV''.

* GodzillaThreshold: The impending invasion of the ORN forces in ''VI'' prompted Earth to reengineer Vasteel technology. The same technology Cenes Crawford [[spoiler:and the Guardian]] tried to seal in ''V.''

** TheBrute: Gargoyle Perfect

* AIIsACrapshoot: Main plot of ''V''. Humanity built a super computer named Guardian to study the wreckage of Rynex, the 4th game's Fire Leo. It then built a large fleet of starships based on the data. Then Guardian's AI damper program mysteriously disappeared and it turned against humanity with said fleet. [[spoiler:Subverted. Guardian is still loyal to humanity. Faust (the BigBad from the previous game) escaped its destruction by transferring its program to Rynex, which deleted the AI damper after Guardian accessed its history logs. In the end, Guardian reveals that it helped humanity by purposefully spreading its forces thin and leaving critical flaws in its tactics, allowing the protagonist, Cenes Crawford, to destroy the fleet.]]

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: ''V'' initially comes across as this, as it's set around 22nd Century Earth, though the story reveals a considerable connection to the events of ''IV''. Especially since Vasteel ''is'' Rynex [[spoiler:and that the Guardian was compromised by Faust.]]

* BigBad: Faust is a pretty impressive one. After harassing TheFederation for two games, we've finally blown it up in the third. Only to find its program was transferred to a secondary system in the fourth. [[spoiler:And it's even revealed [[HijackedByGanon to be the one behind Guardian's rampage]] in the fifth.]]
* BittersweetEnding: ''Thunder Force IV'' has [[spoiler:the Rynex being crippled in the escape from the explosion following the defeat of Faust and being abandoned to drift in space, while the scientists of the Galactic Federation admit that sending it in the first place was a mistake in and of itself. It also hints at its incipient return. Yet they still have hope for humanity's future.]]

** ''V'' has [[spoiler:Cenes Crawford, pilot of the Gauntlet/Vambrace, learn that the Guardian was on Earth's side all along, and that it did what it could to help her fight Faust, who was behind the corruption. Cenes destroys herself and the Vambrace so that another incident like that can not happen again. As it turns out in ''VI'', however, ORN Empire ends up finding its way to Earth, forcing Earth to resurrect Vasteel technology.]]

* OneManArmy: In most of the games, but deconstructed in ''V''. :As it turns out, the reason Cenes Crawford was even able to take on the Guardian's forces, let alone the Sword Fleet ''at all'' [[spoiler:was because the Guardian, still loyal to humanity despite Faust compromising the AI's control, intentionally pursued HollywoodTactics and left open gaping holes for Cenes and her squadmates to exploit. All so she could commit what amounts to a SuicideByCop.]]

* SequentialBoss: Many of them. Of note is Armed Armament Arm from ''V'', who has three different forms. Same applies to UNKNOWN II, the FinalBoss (effectively [[spoiler:a FusionDance of the Faust and Guardian AIs. With [[BigBad Faust]] in charge]]).

* SuicideByCop: [[spoiler:The Guardian]] in ''V'', in order to save humanity [[spoiler:from Faust/Vasteel's influence]].

* HarderThanHard: "Very Hard" in ''Thunder Force II'' for the Sharp X68000, "Mania" in ''III'', and "Maniac" in ''IV'' and ''VI''.