Developer: Namco Publisher: Namco Released: 1993 Genre: Action
Namco took an early liking to the Sega Genesis, porting over many of its arcade titles and giving the system a boost early on. As well as their arcade ports they released exclusive sequels to those same titles on the platform. Both Splatterhouse 3 and Pac Man 2 were great games that both did something different in their respective series. But the true gem would be Rolling Thunder 3. Released with little fanfare this sequel would introduce a number of long overdue features that made the game more accessible and arguably the best in the series.
The events of Rolling Thunder 3 run concurrently with part 2. While Agents Albatross and Leila are busy taking down Gimdo new agent Jay is sent after Dread, second in command of the Geldra forces. His task is to hunt him down to wipe out all traces of their organization. The cinematic cutscenes of its predecessor have been expanded and sport an anime aesthetic. But overall this is still the Rolling Thunder you know and love.
Rolling Thunder is notable for its mechanics such as taking cover in the background and your character’s rigid movement. There are a number of subtle enhancements that make this a smoother experience. Agent Jay can not only jump and shoot but fire diagonally as well. This change is huge as it gives more options in how you approach the levels. It does not break the game either as enemies can also do the same or are more likely to toss a grenade in your direction. The useless life bar of the past titles has been upgraded to three bars. This allows you to survive at least one gunshot now. In addition collisions with enemies will only bounce you back. These additions are subtle but for veterans of the series are colossal in their impact.
The limited selection of weapons is a thing of the past. Rolling Thunder 3 offers a choice of nine weapons before each level. These range from a shotgun and bazooka to different kinds of grenades. The catch is once chosen a weapon is no longer available, forcing you to make hard choices. It is not as bad you think. In most stages you can find at one or two of the weapons behind closed doors, making this system less rigid. A cool addition is a separate button for special weapon attacks, allowing you to conserve ammo. If you don’t have special weapon ammo it performs a knife attack. This is an excellent way to save bullets as the Geldra come in a number of different flavors.
Rolling Thunder 3 continues the globetrotting adventures the series does so well. Jay’s hunt for Dread takes him from the Las Vegas strip to Easter Island and even across the Pacific Ocean before concluding in Dread’s castle. The Geldra forces are more varied and smarter this time around. They are aggressive and won’t hesitate in tossing a grenade if you stray too far. In addition the game mixes up enemy types to create tricky situations. Even with your expanded move set the game does not take it easy on you. Two vehicular levels offer a brief respite from the side scrolling action although they aren’t as interesting as the rest of the game. Thankfully they are brief. With its generally excellent pace Rolling Thunder 3 is surprisingly one of my favorite action games on the system.
The only feature that would have made Rolling Thunder 3 even better is two-player coop. I enjoyed running through its predecessor with a friend but sadly this is a solo affair. There are a few secrets that add some longevity. Beating the game on the hardest setting unlocks the true ending. A code will allow you to play as Ellen, Jay’s contact at headquarters. Sadly it is only a cosmetic change and makes the absence of multiplayer more egregious.
Rolling Thunder 3 is less difficult than its predecessors and more accessible for a few reasons. You instantly respawn upon death rather than being sent back to a checkpoint. That right there lessens the challenge significantly. With a three hit life bar you can survive longer too. The game still puts up a fight and is still more challenging than similar titles. Even though the clock is gone there is still an invisible timer. Take too long and you will have to contend with sniper fire for the rest of the level. The boss battles are brutal and later levels increase the number of soldiers significantly. The last stage in particular is a nightmare as every Geldra soldier requires multiple hits and ammo rooms are not plentiful. Overall however I feel they set the difficulty just right.
In Closing
While it is a shame that Rolling Thunder 3 is the last in the series at least it went out on a high note. In my opinion Rolling Thunder 3 is only one step below classics like Gunstar Heroes and Contra: Hard Corps. Buy this game.
