Rolling Thunder 3 (Mega Drive) (1993)
Developer: Namco

Review by Faididi and Co.

Sometimes the next guy has the more interesting story

Story: Above Average

Namco's Rolling Thunder 3 isn't a sequel in the standard sense, because it takes place at the same time as Rolling Thunder 2. As you may recall from the second installment, agents Leila and Albatross are after Gimdo, the top boss of Geldra, which is an evil organization that uses killer robot terrorists known as Maskers to do its dirty work. In this game, the next available agent, Jay, has to bring down Geldra's second-in-command, Dread. Thanks to the fancier movies and the well-composed dialogue, the story here is much more interesting than the stuff seen earlier.

Gameplay: Above Average

Unlike its predecessors in the action shooter series, Rolling Thunder 3 is created exclusively for the Mega Drive / Genesis. Curiously enough, it drops the 2-Player mode introduced in the second game, so it can focus on delivering the strongest single-Player experience possible.

For starters, Jay is much, much easier to play than his colleagues. Not only can he shoot while jumping (finally!), but he can even aim upward at an angle, giving him much greater versatility in taking down bad guys. In addition to his standard revolver, Jay has access to an eye-popping set of 10 special weapons, including a combat knife, an assault rifle, a shotgun, a flamethrower, a grenade launcher, a laser rifle, a bazooka, and three different kinds of hand grenades. Although Jay can find these weapons within the 10 side-scrolling rounds themselves, he also has the new option to begin a round equipped with one. The knife is a permanent part of his arsenal, too, which certainly comes in handy if he runs low on special weapon ammunition. If that isn't enough, our hero can suck up two bullets or grenade blasts instead of one before dying, and he even gets to continue straight from where he gets wasted, instead of being booted back to a checkpoint.

The level and enemy designs receive a major overhaul as well. The rounds throw out the old moving platforms and bottomless pits in favor of adding vehicle scenes and hidden areas. New types of bad guys, such as the well-armored heavy Maskers, the nimble martial arts Maskers, and the rapid-firing elite Maskers help mix up things further, and the large bosses come with very different attacks while appearing less stiff than their past counterparts. One of the most impressive rounds is the airplane scene, where Jay can duck between the chairs for cover and lean out to shoot at bad guys down the aisles. (One may recognize this as the inspiration for Namco's later classic, Time Crisis.)

Controls: Excellent

The controls can't be any more responsive. Moving, jumping, and aiming all feel perfect now. Unlike the previous installments, Rolling Thunder 3 uses separate buttons for the standard handgun and for the special weapons, providing more control over the attacks.

Graphics: Excellent

Expect to see lots of fluidly animated characters and dynamic backgrounds. Jay looks awesome whenever he flings himself over the railing in a full, sweeping motion or whenever he leans out from cover to fire. The scenery is packed with vivid details, such as floating clouds, splashing water, diffusing smoke, and moving cars. The casino city round is especially pretty, no small thanks to the countless glittering lights breathing life into its night air. Slowdown is nonexistent, despite the glut of visual activity. The animated movies are also drawn well.

Audio: Excellent

The gunfire and the explosions are loud, and each of the special weapons produces its own distinct noise whenever it's fired. Jay's gunshots don't sound as deep as Leila's and Albatross' from Rolling Thunder 2, but they make a ricocheting noise whenever they miss a bad guy and hit an object instead. The vocal effects take on a bigger role, too. Besides the grunts and groans, you can hear speech coming from Dread and from Jay's headquarters. Perhaps the most striking part, however, is the richly inspired music. Cool and jazzy, the substantial tunes flow together harmoniously with great effect.

Overall: Above Average

A fantastic single-Player action shooter, Rolling Thunder 3 comes packed with flawless controls, deeply expanded weapon options, vibrant visuals, wonderful music, and a neat story. If not for the removal of 2-Player support, this unusual sequel would be a must-play for fans of the genre, whether they're already into the series or not.