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Thexder

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Thexder
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Game Arts
Designer(s)Hibiki Godai
Satoshi Uesaka
Composer(s)Hibiki Godai
Platform(s)
Release
April 1985
  • PC-8801mkII SR
    • JP: April 1985
    PC-8001mkII SR
    • JP: June 1985
    PC-8801mkII
    • JP: July 1985
    FM7/77/77AV
    • JP: October 1985
    Famicom
    • JP: December 19, 1985
    X1
    MZ
    • JP: March 1986
    PC-9801/M/F/U
    • JP: April 1986
    MSX
    • JP: July 1986
    PC-8801
    • JP: November 1, 2002
    Apple II
    MS-DOS
    • NA: September 1987
    Color Computer 3
    Amiga
    Macintosh
    Nintendo Switch
    • JP: October 26, 2023
Genre(s)Run and gun
Mode(s)Single-player

Thexder (テグザー, Teguzā) is a run and gun video game from Game Arts, originally released for the NEC PC-8801 in 1985. It was ported to many systems, including the Famicom, MSX, Apple II and DOS. It was a commercial success, selling over one million units worldwide.

Gameplay

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In Thexder, the player controls a fighter robot that is able to transform into a jet and shoot lasers.

Release

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The game was originally released in 1985 for the NEC PC-8801 platform in Japan. Game Arts licensed Thexder to Square in order to develop a conversion for the Family Computer (Famicom) game console. In 1987, Game Arts also developed a Thexder conversion for the MSX platform. The game was licensed to Sierra Entertainment for release in the United States. Sierra ported the game to multiple platforms, including the IBM PC, Tandy Color Computer 3, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Apple Macintosh, and Tandy 1000. In 1988, Activision released the game in Europe on the Commodore Amiga.[1] D4 Enterprise was re-released for the Nintendo Switch on October 26, 2023 in Japan as part of the EGG Console.

Reception

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Thexder quickly became a best-selling hit, selling over 500,000 copies in Japan by 1987.[2][3] As the PC-8801 platform was only popular in Japan, Thexder did not garner significant attention abroad until it was converted for the MSX (the best-selling platform in Brazil and many Eastern European countries), Apple II, and DOS, eventually becoming an international hit. It became the company's best-selling title of 1987. By 1990, the game had sold over one million copies worldwide.[4]

Compute! praised the Apple IIGS version of Thexder as the computer's "first true arcade game" with "excellent play value for your dollar".[5] In 1988, The Games Machine gave the Amiga version a 74% score.[1] In 1991, Dragon gave the Macintosh and PC/MS-DOS versions of the game each 4 out of 5 stars.[6] The game went on to sell over one million copies worldwide, becoming Game Arts' biggest-selling title of 1987.[4] Thexder is considered an important breakthrough title for the run-and-gun shooter game genre, paving the way for titles such as Contra and Metal Slug.[7]

Other games in the series

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Title Details
Thexder 2

Original release dates:
(MSX/PC-8801, Game Arts release)

1990-12-30 (DOS)
2003-03-10 (PC-8801, D4E release)

  • UK: 1990-12-30
(DOS)
  • NA: 1990-12-30
(DOS) 		Release years by system:
1989 – MSX/PC-8801
Notes:

Thexder 2, also known as Fire Hawk and Fire Hawk: Thexder – The Second Contact, was released in 1989 on MSX2 and 1990 on DOS. It retained the same concept as the original Thexder but added many improvements. The Fire Hawk robot had the same design as the Thexder: the main laser, shield, and ability to transform into a jet. It also had upgrades to allow it to launch guided missiles, and use special weapons found throughout the game. Obtaining special weapons caused a weapon carrier droid to be deployed, and if positioned correctly, would act as a shield against enemies. Graphics were improved from the original game, and gameplay was divided into sub-levels, with the fourth sub-level containing a "boss" enemy. It was also possible to restart later games at the beginning of a level previously visited.


Thexder 95

Original release date(s):
1995 		Release years by system:
1995 – Windows 95
Notes:

Thexder 95 (also called Thexder for Windows 95) is a Windows 95 remake of the original Thexder game, which was built with Microsoft's Game SDK (precursor of DirectX). In this game, Thexder can become a tank and jet, and has a large number of new weapons, from grenades to thermal bombs. The game runs in multiple windows: the main view, and several smaller windows each having a different function, e.g., ammo count, map, and actual game, that the gamer could open, close, and resize at will during play.[8] It was also one of Sierra's showcase games at the launch of Windows 95.[citation needed]


Thexder & Fire Hawk

Original release date(s):
  • JP: July 15, 2005
(PC-8801, D4E release) 		Release years by system:
July 15, 2005 – PC-8801
Notes:

Thexder & Fire Hawk is a compilation that includes the MSX versions of Thexder and Thexder 2. The compilation was designed by Hibiki Godai and Satoshi Uesaka, and was released in 2005 for the PC–8801.


Thexder Neo

Original release dates:
October 1, 2009 (PSP)[9]
January 28, 2010 (PS3) 		Release years by system:
October 1, 2009 – PlayStation Portable (PSP)[9]
January 28, 2010 – PlayStation 3
Notes:

Thexder Neo is a complete rework of the original PC game from 1985, released by Square Enix.[10] In early 2009, Square Enix sent an application to the ESRB to receive a rating for a game titled "Thexder Neo".[11] Later that year, the game's existence was confirmed by Square Enix at the Tokyo Game Show.[12] It was released worldwide on the PlayStation Network on October 1, 2009 as a download for the PlayStation Portable and on January 28, 2010 for the PlayStation 3.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b The Games Machine 7, page 68.
  2. ^ "THEXDER Coming from Sierra" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 5. August 1987. p. 1.
  3. ^ Storer, Andy (July 1988). "Thexder". ST/Amiga Format (1): 55. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Back Cover", Fire Hawk: Thexder The Second Contact, Game Arts & Sierra On-Line, 1990, archived from the original on 2013-01-16, retrieved 2012-02-10
  5. ^ Trunzo, James V. (March 1988). "Thexder". Compute!. p. 21. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  6. ^ Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia & Lesser, Kirk (December 1991). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (176): 57–62.
  7. ^ Travis Fahs (24 March 2008). "The Leif Ericson Awards – Retro Feature at IGN". Retro.ign.com. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
  8. ^ "Thexder". Next Generation. No. 16. Imagine Media. April 1996. p. 95.
  9. ^ a b c "Thexder NEO: Information". Square Enix. Retrieved 16 October 2009. Thexder NEO for the PlayStation Portable: October 1, 2009 […] Available worldwide via the PlayStation Store
  10. ^ "Square Enix Ltd. announces Thexder NEO available exclusively for download via PlayStation Network" (Press release). Square Enix. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2009. Now you can experience the excitement of the original, complete with revamped graphics, a novice mode, six-player online races, and a host of other all-new features in Thexder NEO.
  11. ^ "Square Enix revives "THEXDER", 80's robot action for PS3 and PSP – GIGAZINE". En.gigazine.net. 2009-08-24. Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2015-11-07.
  12. ^ "Sony TGS lineup includes unannounced games, newly announced games". Joystiq.com. 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2015-11-07.
[edit]
Thexder
Thexder 95
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