Thor: God of Thunder for the Nintendo DS is based on the 2011 film featuring Marvel’s God of Thunder. Like otherversions, the game doesn’t adapt the story of the film directly but instead presents an original story set before the film.
When Asgard is attacked by trolls, Thor is called upon to defend his home. His brother Loki then gives him the chance to exact revenge. Guided by Loki (who of course follows his own agenda), Thor must travel to several of the Nine Realms to get to the bottom of the invasion.
The game is a side-scrolling brawler consisting of seven chapters of three acts each. Thor must defeat hordes of trolls, giants or demons, and a giant boss at the end of each chapter. He can use a basic attack that can be used to deliver combos and also more powerful moves like a ground slam or a dash attack. He can also throw his hammer Mjolnir at enemies as well as pick up obstacles or enemies to use them as melee or throwing weapons. Defeated enemies leave red or blue orbs behind. Red orbs restore Thor’s health while blue orbs fill a power bar. When at least half full, the power bar allows Thor to unleash one of his godly powers (lightning, thunder or wind) as an extra powerful attack that reaches every enemy on the screen. To further enhance Thor’s powers, the game features rune powerups. Hidden in the game’s levels, more than a dozen different runes can be collected. Thor’s helmet, armor and weapon each fit one rune at a time. Effects include increased range or damage, additional attack powers and more.
Graphically the game uses classical 2D pixel art as seen in SNES/Genesis or early 1990s arcade games. Both screens of the DS are used for displaying the levels, with Thor being able to jump great heights to move along the vertical environment. Several of the bosses are so large they fill both screens as well. The story of the game is told via cutscenes that employ comic-style portraits drawn by Marvel artist Mark Brooks, reflecting the film’s designs and costumes without actually being in the actors’ likeness.
Moving through the game’s story mode unlocks several extras. There is a portrait gallery for characters met during the game as well as several new game modes. These include Survival, which pits Thor against an unending number of enemies with no way to regenerate health. Frostgrinder Assault is a bonus level that shows events only hinted at in the game’s main story. Instead of playing Thor, players choose one of the other Asgardians to control. Archon Chaos challenges players to roll a giant boulder as far as they can and enjoy the ensuing destruction.
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