<s>
It	O
usurped	O
both	O
Libble	B-Application
Rabble	I-Application
and	O
Toy	B-Application
Pop	I-Application
(	O
the	O
latter	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
earlier	O
in	O
1986	O
)	O
as	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
most	O
powerful	O
8-bit	O
arcade	O
games	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
from	O
them	O
to	O
use	O
an	O
analogue	O
(	O
360-degree	O
)	O
joystick	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
stereoscopic	B-Application
3-D	I-Application
sequel	O
,	O
3-D	O
Thunder	B-Application
Ceptor	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
towards	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
must	O
take	O
control	O
of	O
the	O
eponymous	O
Thunder	B-Application
Ceptor	I-Application
,	O
a	O
hyper-way	O
fighter	O
ship	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
Federal	O
Troops	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
rapid-fire	O
zapper	O
cannon	O
,	O
and	O
rocket	O
artillery	O
napalm	O
bombs	O
–	O
it	O
can	O
possess	O
up	O
to	O
five	O
of	O
these	O
bombs	O
at	O
a	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
will	O
be	O
replenished	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
each	O
command	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thunder	B-Application
Ceptor	I-Application
was	O
Namco	O
's	O
answer	O
to	O
Space	B-Application
Harrier	I-Application
,	O
a	O
similar	O
arcade	O
game	O
published	O
by	O
rival	O
Sega	O
in	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
Namco	O
's	O
most-powerful	O
arcade	O
games	O
,	O
posing	O
custom	O
DAC	O
chips	O
and	O
a	O
12.2MHz	O
68000	O
processor	O
,	O
the	O
same	O
one	O
used	O
in	O
consoles	O
like	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
System	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
were	O
designed	O
by	O
Shigeki	O
Toyama	O
,	O
an	O
artist	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Xevious	B-Application
,	O
Point	B-Application
Blank	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Galaxian3	B-Application
:	I-Application
Project	I-Application
Dragoon	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
the	O
arcade	O
trade	O
publication	O
Game	O
Machine	O
listed	O
Thunder	B-Application
Ceptor	I-Application
as	O
being	O
the	O
fourth	O
most	O
popular	O
arcade	O
game	O
of	O
August	B-Application
1986	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospectively	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
Corwin	O
Brence	O
of	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101	O
described	O
its	O
gameplay	O
as	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
Xevious	B-Application
and	O
Pole	B-Application
Position	I-Application
,	O
and	O
said	O
it	O
made	O
for	O
a	O
unique	O
3D	O
shooting	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brence	O
expressed	O
disappointment	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
never	O
included	O
on	O
any	O
Namco	O
video	O
game	O
collections	O
or	O
received	O
any	O
contemporary	O
home	O
releases	O
,	O
writing	O
that	O
:	O
"	O
Namco	O
has	O
also	O
not	O
bothered	O
to	O
include	O
Thunder	B-Application
Ceptor	I-Application
on	O
any	O
of	O
its	O
Namco	B-Device
Museum	I-Device
series	O
,	O
deciding	O
to	O
focus	O
instead	O
on	O
their	O
pre-1985	O
hits	O
like	O
Pac-Man	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thunder	B-Application
Ceptor	I-Application
would	O
remain	O
lost	O
for	O
the	O
years	O
to	O
come	O
,	O
except	O
to	O
a	O
curious	O
few	O
with	O
an	O
emulator	O
and	O
an	O
Internet	O
connection	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
,	O
who	O
compared	O
it	O
to	O
Space	B-Application
Harrier	I-Application
and	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
,	O
argued	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
little	O
to	O
offer	O
that	O
made	O
it	O
stand	O
out	O
from	O
other	O
3D	O
shooters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultimately	O
,	O
they	O
stated	O
that	O
Thunder	B-Application
Ceptor	I-Application
was	O
n't	O
as	O
refined	O
as	O
Sega	O
and	O
Atari	O
's	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
recommended	O
that	O
readers	O
play	O
those	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
arcade	O
cabinet	O
incorporates	O
stereoscopic	B-Application
3-D	I-Application
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3-D	O
image	O
is	O
generated	O
using	O
LCD	B-Algorithm
shutter	I-Algorithm
glasses	I-Algorithm
,	O
which	O
is	O
enhanced	O
by	O
a	O
fresnel	O
lens	O
placed	O
between	O
the	O
video	O
screen	O
and	O
shutter	B-Algorithm
glasses	I-Algorithm
,	O
giving	O
the	O
impression	O
of	O
large	O
3-D	O
images	O
coming	O
near	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
followed	O
on	O
the	O
heels	O
of	O
several	O
stereoscopic	B-Application
3-D	I-Application
arcade	O
games	O
released	O
by	O
rival	O
companies	O
Irem	O
,	O
Sega	O
and	O
Taito	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
commercially	O
successful	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
tied	O
with	O
Street	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
as	O
the	O
fifth	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1987	I-Application
.	O
</s>
