War is a word that is on the tip of our tongues and is engrained at the fore of our minds. It’s devastating, heartbreaking, and the path to much senseless loss and sorrow. However, no matter how emotive or sensitive the subject is, it is always a popular theme. Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor is the latest war inspired game. Though, luckily, this futuristic title is so farfetched that it is unlikely to offend anyone.
It has been developed by Renegade Sector Games and Eastasiasoft Limited and published by the latter. It is a third-person shooter set in a futuristic but low-poly world. Furthermore, it is distinctly old-school in every way. Therefore, if you hate retro gaming, you may want to look elsewhere.
Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor is absurd.
Set in the year 201X, war has ravaged much of the continent. A rogue AI rebels against its creators and takes over North America. Subsequently, this act changes the world while forming a new power known as the Robot Empire. You control a young lad who has trained his whole life to protect his kingdom. He is an Agent of Justice and he’ll stop at nothing to prevent the robots from taking over the world.
Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor has it all! A young hero who must prove his worth, an evil overlord, and humanity on the cusp of extinction. However, its futuristic tones and varied environments make it absurd. What’s more, you quickly forget the story as you dive into the repetitive and simple gameplay. Consequently, it’s easy and mindless fun with a heavy dose of nostalgia.
Dodging and shooting.
The game’s absurd plot doesn’t affect its simple gameplay. The action effectively boils down to a handful of goals. First, shoot anything in sight. Second, collect energy tokens and health vials. Third, avoid traps and leap across moving platforms. Finally, fourth, kill each enormous boss. This is Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor in a nutshell! It’s easy to pick up, simple to play, and gloriously old-school.
The robots you face are determined to kill you! Subsequently, they shoot a barrage of projectiles that must be dodged, or death is a certainty. Sadly, though, they are predictable and this makes it too easy. Therefore, they offer little challenge and this was disappointing.
Alongside the enemies, you must tackle are energy tokens to gather. These collectables, unfortunately, add nothing to the gameplay and this undermines their existence. Furthermore, finding them wasn’t challenging, so it was another wasted opportunity for the developers. It would have been nice if they made you stronger or gave you new abilities. However, this sadly wasn’t to be.
The rest of the gameplay is a blend of platforming moments and end-of-chapter bosses. The latter element will test you, as these hulking beasts are tough to beat. With lasers, projectiles, long arms, and more, they will test your resolve. The platforming elements, however, are simple to master. With a few spikes and some shifting surfaces to overcome, they offer little challenge.
Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor is a retro gamers paradise.
With blocky graphics, simple but colourful backdrops, and foes that lack detail, this is super old-school. It was reminiscent of a Sega Saturn title but without the finesse or polish. Consequently, I was a little confused by its style. Now, I like retro gaming, but I want it to be unique and interesting to look at. Unfortunately, Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor was underwhelming. It lacked variety and identity, and this was disappointing. On top of this, the level designs failed to evolve past their initial approach. Subsequently, it was frustrating and made the action unnecessarily repetitive.
Talking of repetitive, the audio needed a shakeup! The developers used a limited number of high-energy songs that added drama to the action. Sadly, though, they emphasised the familiar nature of the gameplay. Furthermore, the lack of variety became tedious, and this was unfortunate. I did, however, like the loud and basic sound effects that enhanced the retro style.
Move, shoot, jump.
What could be easier than focusing on three basic commands? In Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor, all you must do is move, shoot, and jump. Alongside this, every command is easy to control. With responsive inputs and a straightforward approach, you’ll have this mastered in minutes.
Sadly, the understated action undermines the replay value. Yes, there are 5 worlds with unique enemies, but there is little else. Unfortunately, this reduces the longevity considerably and will take around 2 to 3 hours to finish. Had the developer’s incorporated extra skills and more complex levels, the game would benefit exponentially.
Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor isn’t fantastic.
I love retro games, so I understand what the developers tried to achieve. However, they focused on oversimplifying the action and this is to its detriment. If the gameplay was more complex, or there were additional modes, it would have been great. Yet, Thunder Kid: Hunt for the Robot Emperor is lacking in key areas. If you love retro games, then you’ll probably adore it. Everyone else, though, will probably not understand it. Everything considered, I cautiously recommend you to buy it despite its shortcomings. Can you stop the robots from destroying humanity? In short, yes you can!
