Retro Run-and-Gunners Thunder Hoop 1 & 2 Blast Onto Steam This October

Remember when arcades were packed with weird, wonderful games you'd never see anywhere else? Well, two of those hidden gems are making a comeback. QUByte Interactive, the retro specialists, are bringing Gaelco's Thunder Hoop and its sequel, TH Strikes Back, to Steam on October 8. If you've never heard of them, you're not alone—these were Spanish arcade oddities from the 1990s that barely made a dent outside their home country.

So what's the deal with Thunder Hoop? The original 1992 game stars a teenage hero who's basically a hand-blasting machine, fighting off armies of mutants unleashed by the evil Dr. Genbreak. It's a platformer where you battle cartoonish monsters across a cityscape, including the obligatory sewer and underwater levels. Think classic run-and-gun action with a healthy dose of 90s cheese.

Then there's the 1994 sequel, TH Strikes Back, which ages our hero up to a beefcake adult who thinks shirts are for cowards. This one leans harder into run-and-gun action, with enemies like women in latex and a wild sequence where the hero goes Super Saiyan and flies into space for a Gradius-style scrolling shooter section. It's about as 1990s as it gets.

But these aren't just straight ports. QUByte is adding modern quality-of-life features like save states and a rewind function, so you can undo those cheap deaths. There are also customizable screen filters for that authentic CRT look, if you want to relive the arcade experience without the sticky carpet.

Multiplayer fans, take note: the sequel includes local co-op, so you can team up with a friend. The first game's multiplayer mode, however, is alternating turns—so you'll have to share the controller. It's a nice nod to the old-school arcade etiquette.

The Thunder Hoop Collection hits Steam on October 8. If you're into retro run-and-gunners or just curious about what Spain was cooking up in the arcades, this is one to watch. Will you be picking it up?