The Galaxy Federation has defeated the forces of the Orn Empire. But the former allies of Orn have united into a single powerful army known as Vios. The Galaxy Federation attacks their headquarters on the planet Aceria, but loses the battle. They then develop a new fighter spacecraft, the FIRE LEO-04 Rynex, and send a trained pilot to neutralize the Vios.

Quest for the Darkstar (Thunder Force IV in Japan and Europe) is, like its predecessor, a side-scrolling shoot-em-up. The gameplay system is similar to that of the previous game, upgradeable default weapons as well as additional ones that can be collected throughout the stages. Unlike the previous games, the player can choose between four different initial stages. It is possible to control the game's speed by tapping or pressing a correspondent button. Another new addition is a powerful Thunder Sword weapon, which the player acquires halfway through the game.

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Alternate Titles

"Thunder Force IV" -- European/Japanese title
"サンダーフォースⅣ" -- Japanese spelling

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Part of the Following Groups

Merchant	Title	Platform
	Lightening Force	Genesis
	Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar
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User Reviews

Fantastic Genesis SHMUP - get it!	Lucas Schippers (59)
More than a side-scrolling shooter	none 1974 (11)
Fantastic Shooter.	Majestic Lizard (655)

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The Press Says

Sega-16.com	Jun 16, 2005	10 out of 10	100
HonestGamers	Mar 19, 2011	10 out of 10	100
Retrogaming History	Apr 28, 2008	10 out of 10	100
GameFan Magazine	Oct, 1992	96.5 out of 100	96
Sega Force	Aug 26, 1993	92 out of 100	92
Mean Machines	Sep, 1992	87 out of 100	87
Megablast	Jan, 1992	87 out of 100	87
Power Play	Sep, 1992	85 out of 100	85
All Game Guide	1998		80
The Video Game Critic	Oct 30, 1999	B	75