| Thunder Force VI | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Kagasei Shimomura |
| Producer(s) | Naofumi Shioya |
| Designer(s) | Tetsu Okano |
| Composer(s) | Tamayo Kawamoto Motoaki Furukawa Go Sato Tsuyoshi Kaneko |
| Series | Thunder Force |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Horizontal-scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Thunder Force VI[a] is a 2008 horizontal-scrolling shooter video game developed and published for the PlayStation 2 by Sega. The game places the player in the role of a starship that must eradicate the Orn Faust empire before they destroy all of Earth. The player must complete each stage by shooting down enemies and avoiding collisions with them and their projectiles, using an arsenal of powerful weapons to destroy them. It is the sixth and final entry in the long-running Thunder Force video game franchise, and the only one to not be developed by series creator Technosoft.
Thunder Force VI was originally being designed for the Dreamcast by Technosoft in 2000; very little work was completed, and production was halted after Technosoft folded into Japanese pachinko manufacturer Twenty-One Company. Sega acquired the rights to revive the project in early 2007. Development was led by Tez Okano, known for his work on titles such as Segagaga, Astro Boy: Omega Factor and Gunstar Super Heroes. He looked to games such as R-Type Final for inspiration, deciding to create a game that went "back to the roots" of the series instead of making drastic changes to the core gameplay. Okano worked to assemble a team of designers that were fans of the Thunder Force series and had prior experience with working on shooters, gathering several from Taito and Konami to assist in production. The game was intended to be the first under the "Project STG" brand name, intended for remakes and reboots of older shoot'em up franchises. Versions for the Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable and arcades were briefly considered but later scrapped.
Thunder Force VI was met with a mixed reaction from critics, with complaints being directed towards its blurry visuals, short length, soundtrack and for mostly consisting of "recycled" stages and mechanics found in earlier games in the franchise. Fans of the series were especially negative towards the game for lacking originality and innovation, alongside it being mostly a rehash of its predecessors. Its gameplay, graphical style and weapon variety were often the subject of praise.
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