Thundercats - Classic Inspection

The legendary mystic Sword of Omens has been stolen by the demonic, mummified sorcerer Mumm-Ra. The sword holds the Eye of Thundera, the true source of the ThunderCats' power. It’s up to you to go get it back, before Mumm-Ra and his mutants raise all hell on Third Earth.

Along with M.A.S.K, Transformers, Centurions and Starfleet, Thundercats stands heroic as one of my favourite childhood cartoons of the 80's. The Thundercats logo has been burnt firmly into my cerebral cortex forever. Along with the 'Thundercats are on the move, Thundercats are loose' opening theme... Thundercats, hooooo!
Before all you budding hero’s set out from the Cat’s Lair, know this! Mumm-Ra’s stronghold of evil is heavily fortified, and then some. 

Thundercats comprises of fourteen levels, each is a straight line dash, from beginning to end. The priority is to cover the distance within sixty seconds, shooting and chopping your way to the next level. 
Each level is inhabited by Mumm-Ra’s mutants; whose deadly touch zap’s our hero’s energy. Some follow preset patterns and are easily dodged, but others force you to stand and fight. Lion-O can defend himself, but only with a Broadsword for starters. A tricky weapon to handle as timing is critical.

The graphics are impressive throughout, with gorgeous digitized backdrops, and imaginative sprites. The 8-bit versions feature sensational scrolling, with the 128k version adding greatly to the experience.
The 16-bit versions don’t seem as herculean an effort, when considering the hardware, but are equally as playable. Music and sound is sporadic throughout, but what there is, has at least been done well. Thundercats is a tough, but enjoyable challenge, satisfying and addictive, with a variation on the side scroller theme. Well worth checking out.

 


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