In 1992, Turbo Technologies, Inc., in an effort to compete with the Sega juggernaut, unleashed the Turbo Duo upon an unsuspecting public. Unfortunately, no one cared. The Duo was to be the successor to the minimally successful Turbografx-16. Its sleek design combined the technology of the Turbografx Hu-Cards with the then cutting-edge CD-ROM technology. It was an innovative idea and a risky venture. One that didn’t pay off. Even with Johnny Turbo shouting the evils of Sega from the mountaintops, gamers couldn’t be bothered with his machine.
The Turbo Duo did pack quite a punch, regardless of its impending doom. It was packaged with a free Turbo Force magazine and an arsenal of top-notch games including Bonk’s Adventure, Bonk’s Revenge, Y’s Book 1&2, Ninja Spirit, Bomberman, and the outstanding shooter Gate of Thunder. The Turbografx-16 was already known for its outstanding library of shooters and Gate of Thunder was intended to showcase the new Duo’s power and steal the thunder (pun intended) from Sega’s recent release of the Sega CD system. It was a spectacular effort that also failed spectacularly.
If Gate of Thunder wasn’t doomed to exist on the Turbo Duo, it might very well be considered to be a classic game by the general gaming public, ranking up there with the legendary R-Type. While the game isn’t nearly as difficult as R-Type and it borrows heavily from the Thunder Force series, the action in Gate of Thunder is intense, the music is rockin’, and the eye candy is impressive even today.
Taking the roll of Hawk, a space cop, your mission is to stop the evil army of Obellon from stealing a gadget that could destroy the universe. Hey, it’s a shooter, not an RPG. The emphasis is on the action and this game’s got it. While guiding your ship, the “Hunting Dog”, through the reaches of space, Hawk obtains various level-ups standard in most shooters. Laser beams. Waves. Missiles. Shields. All the standard fare is here. But where Gate of Thunder really shines is in the presentation. Enemies come at you in droves, Bosses crowd the entire screen, and the music is so good you’ll want to use headphones. The control is also perfect and, unlike other shooters, you’ll never have the feeling that you were cheated, and with its multiple level settings, Gate of Thunder appeals to both the novice and the advanced, R-Type killer.
I remember popping the disc in back in ’92 and immediately calling my entire family into the room to show them how amazing the graphics were. Ten years later, the graphics are still extremely impressive, especially when you consider that the Turbo is really an 8-bit system at heart. The colors are vivid and the motion is extremely fluid throughout. The folks at Hudson even throw in some fancy, psuedo-3D effects to spice up the action. Enemies range from multitudes of tiny ships to huge, screen filling machines. You’ll steer the Hunting Dog through giant bases, dark caverns, and the depths of space, all depicted in spectacular fashion.
Almost surpassing the graphic presentation is the music. Fortunately, the Turbo Duo is equipped for the use of headphones and you’ll definitely want to use them. The music is comprised mainly of your stereotypical wanky guitar rock, but it’s done so well that you won’t even think of screaming, “Cliché!” The sound effects are done in perfect form as well. Put on your headphones and feel the blasts hit the ship at the beginning of the first level, or the boulders raining down on you in the Mine level. Outstanding.
Our regular readers already know of my odd obsession with the Turbo Duo. What can I say? The system had some spectacular shooters that fans of the genre should not miss. Gate of Thunder is a masterpiece whose fate was sadly tied to that of a doomed system and therefore it never received the respect it deserves. (Its sequel, Lords of Thunder, fared a little better, appearing on the both the Turbo Duo and the marginally successful Sega CD.) When it was released in 1992 there wasn’t much that could come close to its graphic and musical splendor. A decade later, it remains a fun, addicting, and beautifully presented game that nobody played.
[Collectors can find Gate of Thunder at online outlets such as Turbo Zone Direct]
