Thunder Hoop Collection launches on Steam this October with two Gaelco classics

Steam is getting another pair of arcade games from the early 1990s, and these two aren’t exactly household names. Thunder Hoop Collection arrives on 8 October 2026, bringing together two action games created by Spanish arcade developer Gaelco. QUByte Interactive is handling the new release, giving both games a few modern conveniences without changing the basic run, jump and shoot structure underneath. The first game appeared in 1992. Its sequel followed in 1994. Both feature mutants, oversized bosses, energy blasts and a hero who owes more than a little to the exaggerated anime action of their era. Yes, it gets strange quite quickly.

Thunder Hoop starts with mutants and energy blasts

The original Thunder Hoop puts players in control of a genetically engineered teenage fighter sent after Professor Genbreak and his mutant army. Thunder Hoop doesn’t carry a conventional firearm. He fires energy shots from his hands, which gives the combat a different visual identity from the military shooters crowding arcades during the same period.

Stages mix shooting with platforming. You’ll jump across gaps, climb ladders and fire at enemies coming from several directions, moving through urban locations, sewers and underwater sections before meeting larger bosses.

It’s straightforward arcade design. Keep moving, learn enemy placement and avoid taking too many hits. The character design is less restrained. Thunder Hoop has the spiky hair, muscular build and dramatic attacks associated with early 1990s anime-influenced games, making him resemble a Spanish arcade cousin of several famous Japanese heroes without being tied to any licensed series. Its sequel pushes the shooting much harder.

The sequel turns up the run-and-gun action

Released two years later, the second Thunder Hoop game makes its hero older, broader and considerably more muscular. Combat becomes faster too, with more emphasis on constant shooting and larger groups of enemies. Platforming remains part of the formula, so it isn’t a pure horizontal shooter. Players still have to deal with jumps, platforms and hazards between fights.

One section changes direction completely and sends Thunder Hoop into space for a horizontally scrolling shooting sequence. It’s a sudden switch, but one fitting a game happy to move between ideas without spending much time explaining itself. The sequel includes weapon pickups and bigger combat encounters, pushing closer to the run-and-gun format familiar from other arcade releases of the period.

Its content can get more adult as well. Some enemies wear revealing outfits, and one boss features exposed breasts. The collection carries a mature-content description covering material found in the second game.

Multiplayer works differently across both games

The original Thunder Hoop includes multiplayer through alternating turns. Two players can take part, but they won’t share the screen during the same attempt. The sequel changes this with simultaneous two-player action. Both characters can fight through stages together, making it the more conventional co-op game of the pair.

For the Steam release, local multiplayer remains part of the package. Remote Play Together support is listed too, letting players use the local modes across separate PCs through Steam. Single-player is available across both games.

Save states and rewind join the arcade versions

QUByte Interactive has added several options aimed at making the two arcade releases easier to use on current hardware. Save states let players record progress wherever they choose rather than relying entirely on the original arcade structure. Rewind offers another option after a missed jump, badly timed attack or collision.

Screen filters are included, with CRT and classic television effects among the display choices. Players who prefer the original pixel presentation can stick closer to a clean image instead. None of these additions changes the central setup. These remain fast arcade action games built around short reactions, repeated attempts and learning how each stage behaves.

Thunder Hoop Collection arrives on Steam in October

Thunder Hoop Collection launches on Steam on 8 October 2026, with QUByte Interactive developing the new edition alongside publishing involvement from Bleem.net and Piko Interactive. For anyone unfamiliar with Gaelco’s games, the collection offers two examples of Spanish arcade development from a period dominated internationally by Japanese and American releases. The games have their own odd mix of platforming, shooting, mutants and anime-inspired character design.

The first is a platform-heavy shooter starring a teenage experiment firing energy from his hands. The sequel increases the pace, adds simultaneous co-op and eventually sends its hero into space. It’s a very 1990s pair of games. Soon, they’re coming to Steam in the same package.