ThunderCats. You say the name and anyone who grew up in the 80s immediately hears that iconic theme song or sees Lion-O raising the Sword of Omens. It was a massive cultural juggernaut. Naturally, kids in 1987 were desperate for ThunderCats the video game. They wanted to be Lion-O. They wanted to swing that sword and summon the rest of the crew. But when Elite Systems finally dropped the game, what players actually got was... well, it was a bit of a mixed bag, honestly.
It’s weird.
Looking back at the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC versions, you realize how much the technical limitations of the time shaped our childhood memories. It wasn't a masterpiece. It wasn't a disaster either. It was just uniquely, frustratingly 1987.
The Struggle to Make ThunderCats the Video Game Actually Work
Elite Systems had a reputation. They were the ones who ported Ghosts 'n Goblins and Commando to home computers, so they knew their way around a side-scroller. But creating a licensed game based on a sprawling epic like ThunderCats presented a different set of hurdles. How do you fit the lore of Third Earth into a few kilobytes of RAM?
The answer was basically to make a hack-and-slash platformer.
📖 Related: How to Make Milk in Infinite Craft Without Getting Lost in the Weeds
You play as Lion-O. Obviously. You’re running through various levels—the forests, the underworld, Mumm-Ra’s tomb—trying to rescue your captured teammates. Panthro, Cheetara, Tygra; they’re all stuck in cages. It’s a classic trope, but it felt high-stakes back then. The movement was clunky. If you played it on the Spectrum, the "color clash" was real, making Lion-O look like a flickering neon ghost against the background. Yet, we played it anyway. We played it because the loading screen was incredible and the music—at least on the C64—actually slapped. Rob Hubbard, a legend in the chiptune world, handled the audio, and that’s probably the main reason people still talk about this game today.
A Masterclass in Chiptune: The Hubbard Factor
Let's talk about the sound for a second. If you strip away the graphics and the stiff controls, the Commodore 64 version of ThunderCats the video game stands out because of the music. Rob Hubbard didn't just copy the TV theme. He composed something that felt atmospheric and driving. It pushed the SID chip to its absolute limits.
Honestly? Most people spent more time listening to the title screen than actually beating the first level. The difficulty was brutal. You’d jump, miss a platform by a pixel, and lose a life immediately. It was the era of "Nintendo Hard" before that was even a term, except this was British microcomputer hard, which was arguably worse.
The Lost Version and the Nintendo DS Revival
For decades, that 1987 title was all we had. There was a rumored NES version that never saw the light of day, which is a tragedy because the NES hardware would have handled the combat much better than the ZX Spectrum did. Fans were left in a vacuum for a long time.
Then came 2011.
The rebooted ThunderCats animated series arrived on Cartoon Network. It was gorgeous, serious, and unfortunately short-lived. Along with it came a new ThunderCats the video game for the Nintendo DS, developed by Aspect Digital. This one was a 2D side-scrolling brawler. It was... okay. It captured the look of the new show perfectly, and you could actually use the Sword of Omens to fire blasts and call in assists from the other Cats.
But it felt safe.
The 1987 version was weird and experimental. The 2011 DS version felt like a standard licensed tie-in. It’s funny how we crave innovation, but when we get a functional, polished game that lacks "soul," we end up nostalgic for the clunky mess we played on a cassette tape thirty years prior.
Why We Can't Get a Modern ThunderCats Game
You’d think with the success of games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge or the Power Rangers fighters, someone would have made a modern ThunderCats the video game. The potential is huge. Imagine a God of War style action game set on Third Earth, or even a high-fidelity 2D fighter by Arc System Works.
The problem is licensing hell.
Warner Bros. owns the rights, and they seem content to let the brand sit on a shelf, occasionally dusting it off for a crossover in MultiVersus. Lion-O is a playable character there, and he feels great, but it’s not a standalone adventure. It’s a tease. It shows us what modern tech could do with the Eye of Thundera, yet refuses to give us the full experience.
Technical Specs of the 80s Era
If you're a collector or an emulator enthusiast, you've probably noticed the stark differences between the ports of the original game.
- Commodore 64: The gold standard for this title. Best music, smoothest scrolling, and the sprites actually looked like the characters.
- ZX Spectrum: High contrast, lots of yellow and black. It played fast, but the lack of color depth made it hard to see enemies coming.
- Amstrad CPC: Vibrant colors but suffered from a terrible frame rate. It felt like playing a slideshow at times.
- Amiga/Atari ST: These 16-bit versions looked significantly better, almost like a cartoon, but they didn't fundamentally change the gameplay. It was still the same "run right, swing sword" formula.
It’s fascinating to see how the same source code was stretched and squeezed to fit these different machines. Each version has its defenders. Usually, it's just whichever one you happened to own as a kid.
The Gameplay Loop: Frustration vs. Reward
The core loop of the original ThunderCats the video game was simple: kill enemies, collect energy bolts, and don't fall in a hole. Your sword had a limited reach, which meant you had to time your strikes perfectly. If an enemy touched you, you didn't just lose health; you often got knocked back into a pit.
It was infuriating.
But there was a certain magic to finding a teammate. Rescuing Tygra felt like a genuine achievement because the game worked so hard to stop you. There were no save points. No passwords. You either beat it in one sitting or you started over when your mom told you it was time for dinner.
That's something modern gaming has lost.
We have "quality of life" features now. We have tutorials. The 1987 game just threw you into the forest and expected you to figure it out. It was a rite of passage for many young gamers, a test of patience as much as skill.
How to Play ThunderCats Today
If you want to experience ThunderCats the video game now, you have a few options, though none of them are officially supported by Warner Bros. in a "classic collection" sense.
- Emulation: This is the most common route. Using an emulator like VICE (for C64) or Fuse (for Spectrum) allows you to play the original files. The best part? You can use save states. It makes the game actually beatable for a human being with a job and responsibilities.
- Original Hardware: If you’re a purist, you can still find the tapes on eBay. Just be prepared for the "screech" of the data loading and the high probability that the tape will fail halfway through.
- The DS Version: You can usually find the 2011 DS cartridge for a reasonable price. It’s backwards compatible with the 3DS, making it the most "modern" way to play a dedicated ThunderCats title.
- Fan Projects: There have been several fan-made games over the years, built in engines like OpenBOR. Some of these are surprisingly high quality, offering the 4-player co-op brawler experience we always wanted in the 80s.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive back into this world, don't just jump into the first ROM you find. Start by watching a longplay of the C64 version to appreciate the Rob Hubbard soundtrack. It sets the mood perfectly.
✨ Don't miss: Mommy Long Legs Plush: Why This Pink Spider Still Dominates Toy Shelves
Next, check out the ThunderCats character in MultiVersus. While it's not a full game, the move set is a great tribute to the series' history. It's the most polished Lion-O has ever felt in a digital space.
Finally, keep an eye on the retro scene. With the recent trend of "Carbon Engine" re-releases from companies like Limited Run Games, there is always a non-zero chance that a licensed collection could appear. If you want it to happen, voice that interest on social media. Publishers track engagement for these old IPs.
ThunderCats deserves better than a handful of 8-bit ports and a forgotten DS game. Until a studio decides to take a risk on Third Earth again, we'll have to rely on our old hardware and our memories of that soaring Hubbard score. Ho! Out.