Famicom World

Intro (Storyline) 5.0

If you are familiar with the series from the mid 1960's, you will know all of the characters present here and they act like they would in the show. The plot here could be a good plot for a Thunderbirds episode. Note: To follow the storyline, I have looked at game play videos on YouTube of English versions of the game.

Graphics 5.0

This is probably one of the most beautiful games I own from the NES era. Everything about the graphics are beautiful by 8 bit standards and are very well made representations of what is seen in the shows and movies. This game is a terrific example of what 8 bit graphics can be when enough attention is put into graphics. I was blown away by the introduction screen when I first turned it on that I shed a tear of joy when I saw how loyal to the series they were.

Audio 5.0

The audio is terrific. The introduction is reminiscent to the introduction of the series which is a FAB* rendition. The audio throughout the game is upbeat and well done. It deserves the 5 out of 5.

*FAB is a British slang word for fabulous. This word was also used as a phrase in the series as "F A B" (say it as if you were spelling "fab") used to mean "roger", "copy that", etc.

Gameplay 3.0

This is one of the hardest games I own. The game play is comparable to 1942 on the NES; it is a top-down shooter. You shoot at enemy fighters that come your way but there’s power ups along the way. You can upgrade your laser, get another bar of health back, or get a little laser attachment for your ship that always shoots. Even with the triple laser upgrade and that little ship helping out, expect to die often.

I've died so much I thought I had unlimited continues. Sadly, I found that after so many deaths, meteors destroy the world. For as difficult as it is, if you are good at pattern recognition, this is your game. There are also spots throughout the game that you cannot touch or you take damage. The rest of the game play is just picking the places to go to save the world. Most of the game play is spent in the overhead shooting environment which will be very challenging but not quite as hard as games like Silver Surfer on the NES.

Controls 4.5

These are the controls:

The D-Pad - Moves your ship around the screen in all 8 directions and the arrows when you have to select a city on the map screen.

A - Fires your weapon, dialogue progression, and selects menu options

B - Switches the position of the little helper ship you can get in the game

Start - Starts the game

Select - Choose a new game or continue

The controls themselves work just like one would hope for a top-down shooter, and are responsive.

Frustrations 5.0

Dying multiple times can make the game frustrating. However, for many games that came out in that period, dying was common because of the unknown factor in these games. Once you know what is going on, things will start moving smoothly and you'll die less often because you remember the patterns.

Fun Factor 3.0

This game is fun for those that are into the overhead shooting genre and more so if you are into Thunderbirds. The attention to graphics and audio help you have a good time while saving the world from meteors.

Overall 4.0

The game is a top-down shooter so fans of games in that fashion will get the most out of it. But it isn't a typical top-down shooter; it has been branded by a television series from the 1960's. Thunderbirds is a series which involves a secret World Police Organization that helps with worldwide trouble. From women drivers making buildings explode to evil villains plotting to take over the world. Those familiar with the series will find it strange that the Thunderbird vehicles can shoot lasers, but it works with the given plot in this game. A terrific Thunderbirds game if you can get past how tough the game is.