<s>
is	O
a	O
2008	O
horizontal-scrolling	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
by	O
Sega	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sixth	O
and	O
final	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
long-running	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
video	O
game	O
franchise	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
only	O
one	O
to	O
not	O
be	O
developed	O
by	O
series	O
creator	O
Technosoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
being	O
designed	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
by	O
Technosoft	O
in	O
2000	O
;	O
very	O
little	O
work	O
was	O
completed	O
,	O
and	O
production	O
was	O
halted	O
after	O
Technosoft	O
folded	O
into	O
Japanese	O
pachinko	O
manufacturer	O
Twenty-One	O
Company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
was	O
led	O
by	O
Tez	O
Okano	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Segagaga	B-Application
,	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
:	I-Application
Omega	I-Application
Factor	I-Application
and	O
Gunstar	B-Device
Super	I-Device
Heroes	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
looked	O
to	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
R-Type	B-Application
Final	I-Application
for	O
inspiration	O
,	O
deciding	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
went	O
"	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
roots	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
instead	O
of	O
making	O
drastic	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
core	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Okano	O
worked	O
to	O
assemble	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
designers	O
that	O
were	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
series	O
and	O
had	O
prior	O
experience	O
with	O
working	O
on	O
shooters	O
,	O
gathering	O
several	O
from	O
Taito	O
and	O
Konami	O
to	O
assist	O
in	O
production	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
and	O
arcades	O
were	O
briefly	O
considered	O
but	O
later	O
scrapped	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
a	O
mixed	O
reaction	O
from	O
critics	O
,	O
with	O
complaints	O
being	O
directed	O
towards	O
its	O
blurry	O
visuals	O
,	O
short	O
length	O
,	O
soundtrack	O
and	O
for	O
mostly	O
consisting	O
of	O
"	O
recycled	O
"	O
stages	O
and	O
mechanics	O
found	O
in	O
earlier	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
is	O
a	O
horizontal-scrolling	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
A.D.	O
2161	O
,	O
ten	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
V	O
.	O
After	O
the	O
artificial	O
intelligence	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Guardian	O
"	O
is	O
destroyed	O
,	O
Earth	O
returns	O
to	O
an	O
age	O
of	O
prosperity	O
and	O
peace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
being	O
developed	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
by	O
series	O
creator	O
Technosoft	O
,	O
reportedly	O
being	O
in	O
production	O
in	O
early	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3	O
–	O
Broken	O
Thunder	O
,	O
encompassing	O
both	O
tracks	O
from	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
and	O
other	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
V	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
was	O
headed	O
by	O
Sega	O
veteran	O
Tez	O
Okano	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Segagaga	B-Application
,	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
:	I-Application
Omega	I-Application
Factor	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Gunstar	B-Device
Super	I-Device
Heroes	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Okano	O
was	O
a	O
big	O
fan	O
of	O
the	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
series	O
and	O
was	O
interested	O
in	O
producing	O
a	O
full-length	O
sequel	O
for	O
a	O
modern	O
platform	O
;	O
he	O
had	O
previously	O
designed	O
a	O
Thunder	O
Force-esc	O
stage	O
for	O
his	O
earlier	O
work	O
Segagaga	B-Application
,	O
which	O
also	O
incorporated	O
music	O
from	O
the	O
Broken	O
Thunder	O
album	O
and	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
,	O
which	O
he	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
use	O
after	O
securing	O
a	O
deal	O
with	O
Technosoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
looked	O
to	O
Irem	O
's	O
R-Type	B-Application
Final	I-Application
for	O
potential	O
inspiration	O
,	O
choosing	O
to	O
"	O
go	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
roots	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
instead	O
of	O
trying	O
to	O
incorporate	O
nothing	O
but	O
new	O
ideas	O
and	O
change	O
the	O
core	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Composing	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
were	O
Tamayo	O
Kawamoto	O
of	O
RayForce	B-Application
,	O
Go	O
Sato	O
of	O
Raiden	O
,	O
and	O
Motoaki	O
Furukawa	O
of	O
Gradius	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Okano	O
claimed	O
that	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
would	O
be	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
under	O
the	O
"	O
Project	O
STG	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
brand	O
name	O
which	O
he	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
a	O
potential	O
series	O
of	O
shoot'em	O
up	O
revivals	O
and	O
reboots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
stated	O
in	O
an	O
interview	O
that	O
more	O
games	O
would	O
likely	O
be	O
released	O
under	O
the	O
Project	O
STG	O
name	O
if	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
proved	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Okano	O
had	O
thought	O
about	O
porting	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
either	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
or	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
,	O
but	O
these	O
ideas	O
quickly	O
fell	O
through	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
was	O
published	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
October	O
30	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviews	O
for	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
were	O
often	O
mixed	O
,	O
with	O
common	O
complaints	O
being	O
towards	O
its	O
unbalanced	O
difficulty	O
level	O
,	O
soundtrack	O
and	O
usage	O
of	O
assets	O
and	O
entire	O
stage	O
designs	O
from	O
earlier	O
entries	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fans	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
were	O
particularly	O
negative	O
towards	O
it	O
for	O
failing	O
to	O
live	O
up	O
to	O
prior	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
games	O
and	O
for	O
greatly	O
lacking	O
in	O
both	O
innovation	O
and	O
originality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Japanese	O
publication	O
Famitsu	O
criticized	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
relying	O
mostly	O
on	O
stages	O
and	O
concepts	O
from	O
earlier	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
series	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
it	O
lacked	O
innovation	O
and	O
originality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MeriStation	O
praised	O
the	O
variety	O
of	O
weapons	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
particularly	O
the	O
CRAW	O
for	O
being	O
greatly	O
improved	O
over	O
the	O
one	O
featured	O
in	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
V	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
disappointed	O
towards	O
the	O
level	O
design	O
for	O
being	O
too	O
similar	O
to	O
those	O
in	O
prior	O
entries	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
its	O
graphical	O
style	O
for	O
being	O
inferior	O
to	O
games	O
like	O
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
.	O
MeriStation	O
applauded	O
its	O
soundtrack	O
for	O
its	O
"	O
techno	O
new	O
age	O
"	O
vibe	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
gameplay	O
still	O
being	O
enjoyable	O
and	O
fun	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
although	O
were	O
critical	O
of	O
its	O
short	O
length	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
expressed	O
hope	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
being	O
released	O
outside	O
Japan	O
for	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
Xbox	B-Device
Live	I-Device
Arcade	I-Device
,	O
writing	O
:	O
"	O
In	O
a	O
world	O
dominated	O
by	O
3D	O
and	O
high	O
definition	O
,	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
jewelry	O
like	O
this	O
is	O
worthy	O
of	O
admiration	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
Spain	O
disliked	O
its	O
overly-easy	O
difficulty	O
level	O
and	O
for	O
reusing	O
assets	O
and	O
ideas	O
from	O
older	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
2016	O
retrospective	O
review	O
,	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101	O
stated	O
it	O
felt	O
like	O
a	O
"	O
step	O
back	O
"	O
compared	O
to	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
R-Type	B-Application
Final	I-Application
and	O
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
for	O
its	O
blurry	O
textures	O
,	O
bland	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
greatly	O
lacking	O
in	O
originality	O
,	O
specifically	O
criticizing	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
simply	O
lifting	O
entire	O
stage	O
ideas	O
from	O
earlier	O
entries	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
light	O
of	O
their	O
criticism	O
,	O
they	O
commended	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
3D	O
graphics	O
and	O
overall	O
gameplay	O
for	O
still	O
staying	O
true	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
core	O
,	O
concluding	O
their	O
review	O
with	O
:	O
"	O
Though	O
it	O
’s	O
a	O
bit	O
disappointing	O
that	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
VI	I-Application
feels	O
so	O
recycled	O
,	O
at	O
its	O
core	O
,	O
it	O
’s	O
still	O
a	O
well-made	O
shooter	O
that	O
pulls	O
off	O
the	O
difficult	O
task	O
of	O
appealing	O
to	O
both	O
casual	O
and	O
hardcore	O
shooter	O
fans	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
retrospective	O
coverage	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
was	O
critical	O
of	O
its	O
short	O
length	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
unique	O
ideas	O
,	O
disliking	O
that	O
it	O
simply	O
reused	O
ideas	O
from	O
other	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Thunder	B-Application
Force	I-Application
franchise	O
instead	O
of	O
utilizing	O
original	O
mechanics	O
and	O
concepts	O
.	O
</s>
