Rolling Thunder - NES

Rolling Thunder was originally a massive arcade hit that was released for the NES in 1989. The game was set in the 1960s, where gamers assumed the role of Albatross, a secret agent and a member of Interpol's 'Rolling Thunder' unit. You must rescue Albatross' female partner, Leila Blitz, who has been kidnapped by a terrorist organisation known as Geldra. There are ten action packed levels, that should provide even the most experienced gamer with a challenge.

The main enemies in Rolling Thunder are masked soldiers, simply known as 'Maskers'. They wear various outfits and colours which determine their strength and how they attack. For example, some don't have a gun but throw grenades, while others shoot their gun below waist-level. Other enemies found in Rolling Thunder are mutated bats, yellow creatures and lava men. Albatross' only weapon is a handgun, which has a limited supply of bullets. Therefore, it is very important to conserve as much ammo as possible. Unlike many similar games, there are no boss characters at the end of each level, except the leader of Geldra, known only as Maboo - once he is defeated, Leila is rescued.

Considering this is a NES game, the graphics are extremely good, and are comparable to the arcade version. Controlling Albatross is easy enough, as there are only two buttons you need to press - 'A' for shoot and 'B' for jump. The music and sound effects complement the game, which is certainly a rarity for NES titles. It must be said that the playability of Rolling Thunder is good, and once we started, we found it very difficult to put the control pad down. With a two-player option as well, there should be something for everyone, especially the wannabe James Bonds out there.



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