This Week In Retro: Thexder

April 1985: More than meets the eye

by Diamond Feit

It's funny how certain pop cultural properties proliferate across various mediums but manage to miss out on one that, by all rights, they really should have conquered. 20th Century Fox enjoyed full ownership over the Alien and Predator characters and yet, despite years of crossover comics, video games, board games, novels, and even toys, the studio didn't pair the two on the big screen until 2004 in a film that few people enjoyed.

Frank Herbert's Dune saga has enjoyed decades of relevance and seen many adaptations including movies, television, video games, trading cards, and multiple tabletop RPGs, yet in 60 years no one has seen fit to recreate the barren desert world of Arrakis in animation. I realize the mixed success of these other projects have lessened the urgency for yet another interpretation, but I can't think of a better medium for the fourth book and its infamous human/sandworm hybrid who rules the universe.

For me, The Transformers represent the zenith of this particular phenomenon. The toy line debuted in 1984 alongside comic books and a syndicated cartoon with a feature film arriving two years later—perfect timing for both the Famicom in Japan and the NES in the United States. Despite this, the only video games available during this red-hot period were a pair of forgettable computer titles and a Famicom cartridge so bad, Takara never released it abroad.

Fortunately, no one owns the idea of cool robots that turn into vehicles, so other developers had the foresight to step up to the plate and deliver "transforming robot action" to attention-starved children around the world. 40 years ago this month, Game Arts made their debut with Thexder, an original title for Japanese home computers that morphed into an international success.

In Thexder, players take control of the eponymous robot and fight their way through a fortress buried inside the "mysterious asteroid Nediam" according to Game Arts' official website. I should specify that both Japanese and English language materials suggest a pilot actually controls Thexder, even though they also describe it as a robot which would imply a manner of autonomy. No matter, whether you operate Thexder or you are Thexder, the game pits you against wave after wave of security forces in your quest to destroy the central computer at the heart of the facility.

By default, Thexder struts around on two legs at a decent pace and can jump fairly high. When facing obstacles or enemies, Thexder can fire a beam that locks onto the nearest threat and deals continuous, instant damage for as long as the player holds down the button. Note that the proximity targeting does not factor walls into account, so if a bogey approaches Thexder in a tight space while another floats harmlessly on a platform above, the laser will home in on whichever is closer.

For those occasions where two legs are not enough, Thexder can transform into a jet and fly in eight directions. Thexder fits into smaller spaces in this shape and moves much faster but also must keep moving; hovering in place is not an option. In jet form the laser no longer auto-aims, instead firing straight ahead. This allows for more precision shooting with the drawback that the jet's constant forward momentum sends it hurtling towards its target.

Thexder uses a nondescript Energy source to power its functions. Discharging the laser slowly depletes the Energy reserves but contact with any hazard rapidly drains it. Crucially, Thexder does not offer players any invulnerability when taking damage; even a single sentry can completely empty the tank. As the English instruction manual puts it, "there is only one Thexder in the universe," meaning that running out of Energy ends the game. No extra lives, no continues.

Thexder slowly made its way from platform to platform, garnering more attention as new players discovered it. In December of 1985 Square licensed and ported Thexder to the Famicom, although this version never made it to the NES. An MSX port in 1986 became the first incarnation of Thexder to reach international markets. I later discovered Thexder in middle school when Sierra published it in the United States for DOS and Apple computers.

By the time I got my hands on the Super Assault Vehicle I was used to running and gunning with Mega Man but I still loved Transformers so Thexder immediately held my attention. The intense difficulty compared to arcade or NES games took me aback, as those other platforms usually offered players more than one attempt to reach the end without restarting. Thexder refuses such shortcuts, instead insisting that I either learn the ins and outs of every stage or die trying.

I never came close to completing Thexder, and by high school I had completely forgotten about the game. I wonder if its unusual nomenclature impaired my ability to remember it once I stopped playing. The title comes straight from the original release and carries no particular meaning, although in Japan they pronounce it テグザー (teguzā). Fans suspect Game Arts combined the names of three popular shooters—Theseus (テセウス), Exoa II Warroid (エグゾアIIウォーロイド), and Grobda (グロブダー)—into one new term.

It wasn't until 2009 that I got a hands-on reminder about this lost game from my childhood when I attended my first Tokyo Game Show as a member of the press. In between demos for Bayonetta and Left 4 Dead 2, I spotted Square Enix's new Thexder Neo and everything came flooding back to me. I even ventured out to a game bar that night so I could find and try the Famicom version we never saw in the U.S. At the time, I concluded that Thexder demanded too much of me and never gave it a second thought.

Today, however, I find myself drawn to Thexder all over again. The original title remains available and affordable via Project Egg and like many extremely challenging video games, Thexder demands caution. If you try to blast your way through Nediam at full speed, you'll soon see your robot chassis smashed to pieces.

Careful players, on the other hand, can alternate between robot and jet form to avoid getting trampled. Certain enemies provide Energy refills once destroyed, so learning which ones are worth mowing down and which are best ignored makes the experience much more manageable. Thexder also rewards players with bonus Energy at the end of each stage; these buffs can raise the maximum capacity as high as 500%!

While Game Arts continues to exist and develop new software, it seems they have left the Thexder business behind. Square Enix released Thexder Neo for PlayStation 3 and PSP back in 2010 and it remains the last entry in the series as of this writing. Like The Transformers though, Thexder lacks any exclusive hold on shape-changing robots; it's possible that an indie studio or even a single programmer out there is hard at work on a Thexder-like.

To that mystery person or persons, I ask: Do you need help naming the robot? Because I am very good at that.

Writer/podcaster/performer Diamond Feit lives in Osaka, Japan but xer work and opinions exist across the internet.