Thunder Force IV pushed the Genesis sound chip so hard it practically melted. Toshiharu Yamanishi and the Technosoft team pulled sounds out of the YM2612 that nobody thought were possible in 1992. "Fighting Back" on Stage 1 hits with this relentless FM metal energy that immediately tells you this isn't a normal shmup soundtrack.
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"Metal Squad" and "Lightning Strikes Again" keep that intensity cranked to absurd levels. Then "Space Walk" shifts into something almost atmospheric before the chaos kicks back in. The way every boss theme escalates. People still argue this is the single best soundtrack on the Mega Drive and honestly it's hard to disagree.
If you own a Genesis and haven't blasted this at full volume, fix that tonight.