<s>
is	O
a	O
run	O
and	O
gun	O
video	O
game	O
from	O
Game	O
Arts	O
,	O
originally	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
NEC	B-Device
PC-8801	I-Device
in	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Thexder	B-Device
,	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
a	O
fighter	O
robot	O
that	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
transform	O
into	O
a	O
jet	O
and	O
shoot	O
lasers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
originally	O
released	O
in	O
1985	O
for	O
the	O
NEC	B-Device
PC-8801	I-Device
platform	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Arts	O
licensed	O
Thexder	B-Device
to	O
Square	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
conversion	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
(	O
NES	O
)	O
game	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1987	O
,	O
Game	O
Arts	O
also	O
developed	O
a	O
Thexder	B-Device
conversion	O
for	O
the	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sierra	O
ported	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
multiple	O
platforms	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
IBM	B-Device
PC	I-Device
,	O
Tandy	B-Device
Color	I-Device
Computer	I-Device
3	I-Device
,	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
,	O
Apple	B-Device
IIGS	I-Device
,	O
Apple	B-Device
Macintosh	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Tandy	O
1000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1988	B-Application
,	O
Activision	O
released	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
Europe	O
on	O
the	O
Commodore	B-Device
Amiga	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thexder	B-Device
quickly	O
became	O
a	O
best-selling	B-Application
hit	I-Application
,	O
selling	O
over	O
500,000	O
copies	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
1987	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC-8801	B-Device
platform	O
was	O
only	O
popular	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
,	O
despite	O
home	O
market	O
success	O
,	O
Thexder	B-Device
garnered	O
little	O
attention	O
abroad	O
initially	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
conversion	O
for	O
the	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
(	O
the	O
best-selling	O
platform	O
in	O
Brazil	O
and	O
many	O
Eastern	O
European	O
countries	O
)	O
,	O
it	O
became	O
an	O
international	O
hit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
praised	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
IIGS	I-Device
version	O
of	O
Thexder	B-Device
as	O
the	O
computer	O
's	O
"	O
first	O
true	O
arcade	O
game	O
"	O
with	O
"	O
excellent	O
play	O
value	O
for	O
your	O
dollar	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1988	B-Application
,	O
The	O
Games	O
Machine	O
gave	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
version	O
a	O
74%	O
score	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1991	O
,	O
Dragon	O
gave	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
and	O
PC/MS	O
-DOS	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
each	O
4	O
out	O
of	O
5	O
stars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thexder	B-Device
is	O
considered	O
an	O
important	O
breakthrough	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
run-and-gun	O
shooter	O
game	O
genre	O
,	O
paving	O
the	O
way	O
for	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Contra	B-Application
and	O
Metal	B-Application
Slug	I-Application
.	O
</s>
