Yes, finally! One of the best (if not THE best) PCE-shooters is coming to the VC. Been waiting for this for quite some time.

Blimey, that was quick!

I downloaded (And really like) GoT, is this better?

Looks fantastic!

Didn't a Sega CD version come out also, and was it better?

Jazzem you'll love this even more than GoT!

Cally check this out for a comparison

About time they ring out the big guns. This is my favorite shooter, ever! The graphics, sound, gameplay, and osses are abbsolutely phenominal. Whether you are a shooter fan or not, this game can't be passed up considering the price. Unless you absolutely hate shooters, this game is a must have! I just can't wait!

This is out tonight in Europe, guys...

Good release, even though I'm not too interested in it.

Awesome! TG shmups are just great. I'll definitely download this one.

Why do all the VC videos have overdubbed music? I'd much rather hear the original music play along with the sound effects of the game. I don't know much about TG emulators, but other emulator can output audio along with the video. If you are using a capture card why not capture the audio at the same time. If you are already getting the audio, why do you over dubbed it?

it would be awesome if this music was played in the game.

ive never played this game. is that the real music?

A truly awesome game. Fast and very hard from the beginning (and I didn't even dare to select the "hard" or "super" difficulty settings!), the game never slows down, and keeps assaulting the player with hordes upon hordes of enemies and bullets. Hit detection is unforgiving but the challenge is fair, there's always a way to escape enemy fire.

About the soundtrack... it really depends on your taste. In my opinion, it's absolutely amazing and fits nicely with the action.

@ kelvingreen, I know that music is in the game, I just wanted to hear it and the sound effects with the video at it happens when you play. (And the same for all other vc-reviews videos.) I also know that overdubbing the music eliminates switching sounds between scenes, but the sound effects and specific level music would add to the immersion and ambiance of the games.

Me and a friend got absolutely smashed on coffee liquer and played this game damn near all night on Friday. This gets a thumbs up from me! SLAP BASS ON TITLE SCREEN!

About time! This is a no-brainer. I'll be getting it right after work and playing it til I absolutely have to do other meaningful things, like eat and homework. This is a shooter that must be experienced. Joy!

Just downloaded this game and it is and it isn't the original music. I still have the original game CD from way back. I kept it because you can play the original game cd in any cd player and enjoy the music, as I still listen and have the original Ys for the same reason. For the most part the music is the same but there are changes throughtout that are different from the original game CD.

For the most part someone who's never played it before will still be blown by the rockin' soundtrack and not notice the differences, unless you still have the original, like me, to compare it to, I was a little disappointed at the changes. Maybe it's the way it had to be emulated. All in all, an awesome shooter.

This is one seriously sweet shooter... incredibly hard, even on Normal, but an addictive and rewarding experience, none-the-less. I can't stop playing it.

cartoonking: Do you have the TurboCD or SegaCD version? Because one of the main different's between the two is how the music were recorded. This version used heavy metal while the SegaCD port used hard rock that also utilized the keyboard a bit more to give the music more of a fantasy feel to the game.

Anyway, after reading through many positive reviews, I pretty much knew exactly what I was getting into when I downloaded Lords of Thunder. I've been playing for the past six days and it's has been an amazing experince so far. I like shop system, I like the ability to switch between different elemental armors before starting a level, and I love the fact that you have a health bar.

As for the rest, just sit back, enjoy the music, and try not to die!

You know what I think? I think there are way too many scrolling shooter games on the Virtual Console, and they need to stop releasing them so frequently and release some other games that are missing from the VC for some reason, like Star Fox, Kirby's Dream Land 3, Shining Force II, or The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Downloaded this last week and it's awesome. Love the soundtrack and the way you can buy/choose your weapons and which level to attempt next. It's tough, but not frustratingly so....

This type of game is exactly why I love the VC because while I can pick up most NES, SNES and MD games to play on the real system for less than they cost on VC, there's no way I'd be able to play this game if I couldn't download it. 5 stars from me!

This game rocks! Though, a great tips from me is to start with the Desert Level or Water Level. That is the easiest of them all and will give you many orbs so you can be upgraded and fit for fight for the harder ones (the Forest Level and the Fire Level are both hard).

Anyone else that had noticed that all levels are named in spanish? The snow level Gelado means ice cream in spanish and Bosque (forest level) means...? Exactly, forest. =D

This game is hard but SO good and addicting! Too bad that the last boss had the same pattern as the second last boss in Thunder Blade which i find a little cheap but the game still rocks your socks!

The music is one great aspect too! I ususally think it is cheesy with Electric guitars in games but this game has that and it is still really good music. Some levels even reach the quality level of a Mega Man game (and that says it all to most people).

This game is truly an instant download!

Are there any sound effects or just this power metal stuff?

I just downloaded this title. First of all its tough as nails in difficulty but not in a cheap or frustrating way. The shop system really can help you upgrade if you have some good runs and grab alot of crystals. The sound track is amazing! This is a great game if you have a few minutes to pick up and blast stuff. I love the whole mid-evil/sci-fi theme. Maybe I will try Gate of Thunder soon. I highly recommend this game, and I am not a shooting game fan.

This game is great! Surely one of my most favourite VC games so far!
The music is kickass and great sound effects! A must have for everyone!
(I know i have written one review but i like it so much that i needed to make another).

I'm really considering this. That music is freaking amazing sounding- thought I'm not a huge Shooter nut, that may be enough to get me to plunk down the 800 Wii points for this.

I downloaded this based on the review and the comments. I must say that though it is a good game it's at the same time incredibly hard. This lowers my score to a solid 3 stars. I must say that I prefer Soldier Blade over this one.

This is a hidden gem on the VC

just downloaded this wonderful game, very hard indeed, but great. However I have a problem that really bothers me: shooting with the water armor at full power makes too much flashing, cause the fire covers the entire screen and after some time it gives me nausea...I never had such a problem with other games,nor I suffer from epilepsy, so I thought it's worth to mention this. Does anyone experienced the same problem?

A classic! It brings back sooo many memories from when I was a kid. Thumbs up for this release! And the music....I remember us being blown away!

Actually never played this before I got it for the wii. Decided to download it because of the music and the review, turns out its a great game Thanks VC-reviews!

Hmm, I can't really get into this game. I've finished about half the levels (using about a trillion lives), and it's yet to really grip me. I think I would have prefered linear progression.

Maybe I'll try it again once I've finished Soldier Blade...

One of the few games in the world that makes you feel AWESOME.

downloaded this a few months ago, and it's easily my most satisfying VC purchase. excellent excellent game, for any fan of video games, I highly recommend this. I agree with the above poster that it makes you feel AWESOME. the action is unbelievable.

I can't believe I had never played this game until yesterday. Holy crap. BEST. SHOOTER. EVER.

I think there should be some sort of a remake of this game, and they should use some modern power metal bands - such as Dragonforce, The Sword, Blind Guardian, etc - for the soundtrack. How freakin' awesome would that be?

At 800 points this game is a steal. Download now for your VC collection to be Awesomely Awesome!

So, I had never even heard about this game before, until I stumbled upon Tony's comment. I watched the video preview above, and it looked cool. So much so that I took a chance, and downloaded the darn thing!

I was blown away. It was so awesome, what a killer soundtrack. And, it plays horizontally, just like Thunderforce III (my former favorite shooter). I can't believe this thing has been out since February and I am just now discovering it in in September. Man, I'll never overlook the TG16 again! NEVER!!!!!!!!!

Really great game. Some fantastic CD quality music that suits this game. The levels are top notch too with great bosses and great elvel design.

Highly recomended if you like shoot em ups.

Yeah, I downloaded it shortly after my comments in March. It DOES make you feel awesome and the Classic Controller gives you greate gameplay with the joystick. I actually ONLY used the Water Armour for the first 10 times I played it, due to people's comments here. That was a shame, because the Earth Armour is totally my favourite after trying it just once! Holy moly, the Water Armour may have a wider spread, but it is certainly NOT the most power weapon. Love the variety AND the difficulty level. It really helps to push the player to step up their game. I've gone back to old favourites such as Gradius III after playing this and Lords of Thunder has made me a better SHUMP player!

i wanna dl this for the music alone! sounds and looks intense.

When i played this i thought it looked amazing i really loved the soundtrack. this game is worth getting no doubt about it if your not a fan of games like this Just have a go.

Downloaded it today. Have to say I'm impressed. It's just shot to the top of my favourite shooters along with Gradius 3, R-Type 3 and Soldier Blade.
@Jon: The fact that it's tough should add stars to the score! 7 stars I say!

Definitely gotta get!

Edit: Aaaand got it!

Edit again: and it is awesome!

5/5--awesome

I sure admire Hudson for not just trying to make lightning strike in the same place twice with this follow-up to Gate of Thunder.

Okay, honestly . . . no pun intended. Really. I totally didn't see that coming. <runs>

In fact, it has less in common with Gate of Thunder than most other shooters (in the sub-genre) do, on the surface. But like GoT, its level scripting is fantastically memorable; enemy encounters and environment hazards are inspired and have great timing, giving the whole game a great poetic flow to it that will stick with you after you play it. The shop, of course, makes the game stand out simply because it marks one of the few things in this sub-genre (forced-scrolling shooter) where there are multiple, but equally-effective strategies--I mean, rather than just "how many ships did I lose THIS playthrough?" there are more things that can distinguish people's experiences with it.

What a great change of pace, with these two games. I prefer Gate of Thunder, but how I feel like I--the player--am not the only sucker doing the work when I'm playing at it is a really nice thing. They really decided to make the "Thunder" games feel like a dramatic experience as well as a game.

I have never been the biggest fan of shooter games; just never seemed to be able to get into them. However, I decided to add one to my VC collection and ended up choosing Lords of Thunder due to the great reviews and engaging video clip of the gameplay. This game has given me a new perspective on the genre. The music is simply awesome and the gameplay is compelling, fun and surprisingly doesnt feel repetetive at all. The shop feature adds an extra dimension to the gaming experience by allowing for you to adjust the difficulty levels of the game as you progress through the various stages. It's fun seeing how far you can get with only a few points of life and no shields or bombs. This may be the best game I have ever played that is devoid of any sort of plot or storyline. Would highly recommend this game to anyone who has previously shunned the shooter genre.

If I wanted to buy 1 more shooter for the VC (or 2 if I could be convinced), what should I get? The gameplay in Gates of Thunder looks too similar to this, and I'd rather have a bit of variety if I'm only purchasing a few shooters. I was looking at Star Parodier...any suggestions?

^ Gate of Thunder may very well be the greatest shooter on the VC INCLUDING the arcade-style run-and-guns (like the Contras, Gunstar Heroes, Metal Slug . . .). I consider it about as different from Lords as any other side-scrolling space shooter, really.

But if you absolutely don't want Gate of Thunder . . . Axelay is the easy #3 for me. Six stages, three overhead, three side-scrolling. R-Type and Galaga are kind of the bread-and-butter classic shooters that might be a little too vintage for some, so newbies to shooters would prolly have trouble with that. Haven't gotten to Star Parodier or MUSHA yet, but the rep is good.

So out of curiosity, I just went and downloaded the Sega CD version of this game and an emulator on which to play it (for what it's worth, I have already purchased the VC version).

You know what? The Sega CD version SUCKS! The music lacks the intensity of the TG-CD version. Lots of the sound effects have been changed, too. The most annoying change I noticed is that the Water armor (my personal favorite) makes a horrible "machine gun" sound when fully powered up. To top it off, the game is too easy! I just sat down and beat it on Normal mode without losing a single life - something I could never manage on the TG version! It seems like each difficulty level has been bumped down a notch or something. "Normal" on the TGCD version is similar to "Hard" on the Sega CD. There was never an "Easy" mode in this game, but "Normal" on the Sega CD version seems like it's pretty much equivalent to an Easy mode.

Now, what's interesting there is one added factor in this version that seems like is should make it a tad harder - Landis pauses when he gets hit. Somehow, though, it doesn't make much difference.

The grpahics are also kind of grainy compared to the Turbo version as well - it's not that noticable, but they're definitely inferior if one were to compare them side by side.

The ONLY thing this version seems to offer that the TG version does not is the voice-overs. If I am not mistaken, there were voice overs in the original Japanese version of the game, but they are not in the US version. At any rate, the voices in the Sega CD version are nothing to write home about, but interesting nonetheless.

Man, I'm glad the Turbo CD version is available on the VC! This is one of my favorite games of all time, and I am glad we got the better version of it!

Forgot to mention that I beat the Sega CD version without dying, using mostly the Fire Armor and the Wind Armor.... definitely something wrong there.

i am a big fan of heavy metal. this game is metal. idk what to say bout this game, i love it so much. It like being asked what it is about pizza that you like. the only answer is "EVERYTHING"