For some reason even though Thunder Force III would be eclipsed by other shmups and even its own sequel, I find the game to be a really fun pickup and play game. I’ve played it a few more times since I first tried it and I just find it fun despite it not being perfect. I really like the balance the weapons have and how even the most powerful of them is rare and is sometimes placed in hard to reach spots. This game also just uses the speed function pretty well. It’s something I find shmups to be inconsistent in. This game is also a pretty good beginner entry as it’s not too easy but it’s also not too hard. Though the bosses on normal difficulty probably die a bit too fast. The level design is also pretty solid though that one level where the terrain moves along with falling rocks is a bit of a pain. Still it’s got a solid set of levels with my favorite being the one where you destroy that giant ship, I always love when shmups have those levels.

I think in today’s age I get why this game isn’t as well received as people used to see it back in the day. It’s not better than Thunder Force IV but if you haven’t played this game, I’d argue you really should play this and try to get good at it. The game looks nice, sounds good, and plays really well. It’s also just a huge improvement over the 2nd game which I don’t dislike but some of it could be designed a lot better and removing overhead levels was probably for the better. It won’t ever be a game I see as one of the best but I’ll keep enjoying this game every time I replay it, maybe one day I’ll even beat the Mania difficulty.