Review: Thunderhoop Collection
Here we go again with another collection of games I’ve never heard of before. Will they be hidden gems, or are they best left buried in the sands of gaming history?
Let’s find out.
Thunder Hoop is a game that completely passed me by. It’s an odd title for a game but never mind.
Released in 1992, Thunder Hoop is a run-and-gun action platformer. You play as the titular Thunder Hoop, a superhuman designed to defeat Dr Genbreak’s mutants. Ah, the 90s. Someone actually got paid to come up with that story. Anyway…
The first thing that stands out is the bizarre enemy design. You’ll encounter electric fish, flying sperm-like creatures, weird blobs, and all manner of oddities. Some of them look like they escaped from Berk’s Trap Door.
The gameplay is tough, and the controls feel a little sluggish, which is exactly what you don’t want in a game that demands quick reflexes. Despite being a supposedly unstoppable superhuman, Thunder Hoop can only take a single hit before dying. Various weapons can be collected throughout the game, helping you survive for at least a little longer.
The soundtrack screams 90s arcade action, but the sound of Thunder Hoop’s death cry, something you’ll hear a lot, quickly becomes irritating.
Released in 1994, Thunder Hoop Strikes Back takes place ten years after the events of the first game. But, as the saying goes, same shit, different decade.
To be fair, the graphics have received a noticeable upgrade, and the visuals are much more polished. However, the strange enemy designs remain. This time you’ll be battling scantily clad female warriors who explode like Thunder in Big Trouble in Little China.
The controls feel tighter than in the original, but it’s still a very bizarre game to play.
Overall
Thunder Hoop Collection is a strange package containing two equally strange games. As always, I’m glad I’ve had the chance to play them, but I’m not entirely sure who they’re aimed at beyond arcade enthusiasts and completionists looking to tick another obscure title off their list.
It’s certainly an interesting slice of gaming history, even if it’s one that most players probably won’t revisit very often.
