Steam Adds Two 1990s-Style Run-and-Gun Shooters With a Spanish Goku Fighting Mutants

The next retro games coming to Steam are a pair of extremely 1990s run-and-gunners where Spanish Goku fights mutants, and that is exactly what it sounds like. Gaelco, the Spanish arcade label behind a string of obscure titles from the 1990s, is getting two of its games back on Steam through QUByte Interactive, and the pitch is pure 1990s nonsense: a genetically engineered hero, a villain called Dr Genbreak, and a plot involving armies of mutants.

Thunder Hoop and TH Strikes Back

The collection brings Thunder Hoop and its 1994 sequel, TH Strikes Back, to Steam on October 8. Gaelco released both as arcade titles, and QUByte is handling the port, adding modern conveniences along the way. The original Thunder Hoop came out in 1992 as a platformer, and the sequel aged the hero up to an adult beefcake who thinks shirts are for cowards.

The games share a premise. The Thunder Hoop of the title is a hand-blasting hero who fights armies of mutants unleashed by the evil Dr Genbreak. In the original, the teenage hero moves through a cityscape with sewer and underwater levels, fighting cartoonish monsters. The sequel adds more run-and-gun action against women in latex, a Super Saiyan transformation, and a sequence where the hero flies into space for a Gradius-style scrolling shooter bit.

The Hero’s Evolution

The protagonist’s change between the two games is the core of the package. Thunder Hoop starts as a teenager in 1992, moving through familiar platform stages with enemies and obstacles. By 1994, he is older, more muscular, and far more confident about his wardrobe choices. The sequel’s shift from platformer to run-and-gun action is a natural fit for the character’s new age, though the latex scenes are the kind of detail that will draw attention regardless of the genre.

The Super Saiyan transformation is a strange addition. Thunder Hoop is not a Dragon Ball character, but the reference is unmistakable, and the source describes it as a sequence in the sequel rather than a permanent power-up. The space shooter segment follows, sending the hero into orbit for a scrolling shooter bit inspired by Gradius.

What Comes With the Collection

QUByte is not just dumping old titles onto Steam. The collection includes modern quality-of-life features, which means save states and a rewind function are part of the package. Customizable screen filters round out the presentation, letting players dial in a CRT look if that is what they want. The sequel includes local co-op, which is a nice addition for players who want company. The first game’s multiplayer mode, by contrast, requires alternating turns.

Gaelco’s Arcade History

Gaelco operated in the 1990s, producing arcade games and electronic dartboards. Outside Spain, few people know about the label beyond the occasional breakout title like World Rally. The Thunder Hoop games were arcade titles, and arcade games tend to be forgotten quickly once the machines stop running. Bringing them to Steam gives them a second life, and the quality-of-life additions mean players do not need to hunt down an emulator or worry about screen calibration.

The Sequel’s Oddities

The sequel’s content is the more unusual of the two. The run-and-gun sections against women in latex are a product of their time, and the Super Saiyan transformation is a strange crossover moment for a character who is not from Dragon Ball. The space shooter bit is the strangest element of all. A scrolling shooter in the middle of a run-and-gun game is a bold choice.

The combination of elements is what makes the collection worth noting. A platformer, a run-and-gun game, a scrolling shooter, and a Super Saiyan transformation all in one package is a lot to ask of a single hero.

Preservation and Accessibility

The Thunder Hoop Collection is a small piece of gaming history, but it is a piece with personality. A genetically engineered hero, a villain called Dr Genbreak, and a plot involving mutants are not the usual ingredients for a retro release. The fact that Gaelco made a game about a Spanish Goku fighting mutants is the kind of detail that makes the 1990s feel alive.

Arcade games are fragile. Machines break, boards decay, and the knowledge of how they worked fades with each passing year. A digital release on Steam means the games live on, and the modern conveniences added by QUByte make them accessible to players who might not have the patience for the original arcade experience.

Why This Collection Matters

The Thunder Hoop Collection is a small piece of gaming history, but it is a piece with personality. A genetically engineered hero, a villain called Dr Genbreak, and a plot involving mutants are not the usual ingredients for a retro release. The fact that Gaelco made a game about a Spanish Goku fighting mutants is the kind of detail that makes the 1990s feel alive.

Arcade games are fragile. Machines break, boards decay, and the knowledge of how they worked fades with each passing year. A digital release on Steam means the games live on, and the modern conveniences added by QUByte make them accessible to players who might not have the patience for the original arcade experience.

The collection is a reminder that the 1990s were a decade of excess, and video games reflected that. Thunder Hoop and TH Strikes Back are not subtle, and they are not trying to be. They are a hand-blasting hero, a villain called Dr Genbreak, and a plot involving mutants, and that is exactly what makes them worth playing.

The Thunder Hoop Collection arrives on Steam on October 8.

Source material: “The next retro games coming to Steam are a pair of extremely 1990s run-and-gunners where Spanish Goku fights mutants,” PC Gamer.

arcade games · gaming history · retro gaming · run-and-gun · Steam