Customer Reviews

Thunderstrike: Operation Phoenix

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

At first I found the controls difficult but like every other game it just took some time. Relative to Fire Blade (Midway) TS:OP's controls are golden. My standards on graphics and sound aren't too high so I found TS:OP's acceptable. Missions proved challenging, painfully so at times, on the first play; replays offered a lot of "fly and destroy" fun. I didn't notice a lot of differences between the difficulty levels. About the only thing that stands out is guided missiles weren't as accurate and the enemies required more hits to be taken out. Bad guys didn't get smarter or larger in numbers. As someone who's beaten TS:OP on all difficulty levels and is trying hard to finish Thunder Blade, I've got to vote for TS:OP. It's one I'll hold on to and plug in every now and then just for fun.

This is a pretty good game, if you like war and helicopters, you will love it. If you are unsure between a couple of flying games I also have Ace Combat 4, and Top Gun. Stay away from Top Gun, Ace Combat is so much better than Top Gun. But if you want the a little helicopter fun, Thunderstrike will take care of it.

It took a couple of times to get the hang of it, then when I knew about the weapons I could choose at any time after each stage WOW it's just great....but I then realized that I needed the 8MB chip to save the game that's just a hassle but overall 5 stars.

This is another one of those underrated bargain bin classics, it's a shame that TSOP has been bashed by "professional" game critics who seem to think they know what makes a video games fun. Make no mistake; TSOP isn't fun at the arcades, but it is a realistic flight sim.
First off, there is no AIRWOLF turbo button to outrun missiles and dogfight jet fighters(sorry Fireblade fans). The fact is that there is no such thing as a supersonic helicopter. But as exotic as it looks, your ride still has the normal flight dynamics of a helicopter using both analog sticks, which adds to the realism and challenge of this game.
You can choose from 4 preset or 4 custom controls. I matched my layout to to the accuratly designed cockpit view. Even in combat mode the angry Tomagachi hanging in the cockpit was clever as a personal touch, but I prefer fuzzy dice or a Jolly Roger because it would be more "American".
There are some insignificant flaws, but that is expected for a genre that is not very well known. But other points I appreciate are the combat dynamics which remind me of Mechwarrior 3 in the sense that you are not only fighting vehicles and aircraft, you are also engaging the enemy on foot. And yes, they will tear up your prop and be reckoned with your GE chaingun. Primary missions are difficult, but patience, stealth, and a wingman who sounds like Tommy Lee Jones helps you finish "Formation Alfer".
So get in it Troop, and show Gunny what you are made of, especially if you think you can fly an egg beater...
HOO-RAH!

TS:OP is a good game,although sometimes it's hard to see or to even complete the level but i'm up to a challenge. I like to use the maverick and firestorm mostly but rockets aren't too good. Also they could've put a co-op mode but oh well. graphics are great sound is great the only thing that's not great is the fact that the enemy has guided missles and other hi-tech weapons, but overall it's a great buy.

The graphics are good, but there isn't much detail in the landscapes until you use the zoom camera, which is pretty tricky to master. The controls are difficult. I'd give it a 1-hour learning curve, and that's mainly due to the slack enemy AI. If the AI was smarter, the game would lose some of its replayability because you wouldn't want to have to put up with a difficult AI AND still try to fly the chopper. I would recommend this game to SERIOUS gamers because of the difficulty in the controls. Ace Combat 04 is more of a traditional, arcade-style game. Happy Flying!!

Thunderstrike is a great game if you have the patience for it. Don't expect to pick it up and start gunning down and bombing everything in sight. A couple of hits and you're done. This game requires strategy (a refreshing change of pace for this genre). Graphics are pretty good, gameplay is great (once you get the hang of it). The missle cams, bomb views and zoom cameras are excellent extras that really add to the enjoyment of this game. Recommended!

After playing this game for 5 days, I feel that it is not as good as it first looks. The grpahics are nice, but not sectacular. The Flight controls could be better. The enemies at times are super tough. This can be very frustrating. If you find yourself easily annoyed at doing the same mission over and over till you get it right then avoid this game like the plague. There were a couple of good chopper games out on the old Psx. But none have really made a definitive chopper game. Hope springs eternal though.
If you want a flight game game Ace combat 4 a go.

So far, I've only beaten the first level so this is just first impressions, I guess, but still a lot more fun than I expected. I haven't read the professional reviews and I don't want to, quite frankly. I played the training ground first, which you should if you're smart, so I got the controls down. Learning the controls is not as difficult as others would have you believe.

I was really surprised how fun this game was. I heard someone say even the first mission is too hard, but I found it pretty easy to evade missiles, which are the only thing that pose any real damage. You just have to keep moving. I just love the gameplay. I love that you can change the camera view from cockpit, to first person, to third person(which I prefer). The controls also took me about 5 minutes to master, seriously.

Like I said in my title I'm used to games like Ace Combat and this was a nice change of pace using a gunship instead.

I know I haven't beaten the game yet, so I really shouldn't pass judgments, but I gave it 5 stars just to get the rating up. Only 3 1/2 stars is ridiculous for such a fun game.

This game surprised me!, It is a well made game, it could be better of course but overall it is really good, good graphis and gameplay, easy to use controls. The game can get very intense and frustrating. Rent it first but if you like air combat games then you will love this game.