First and foremost, there's a real challenge here. You have only the standard run, jump, and shoot abilities, with enemies doing the same to block your progress. The difference between this and others of its ilk is that the gameplay is seamless. You are constantly posed with new challenges without the feeling that you're playing the same game with new backgrounds. Everything moves very quickly, demanding lightning-fast reflexes, and in many cases, your ability to pass through an area depends on your ability to think fast (think? I thought this was an action game!).

The two-player simultaneous mode goes beyond the norm as well. Instead of a dead player just popping back on the screen, it's the duty of the surviving player to fight on until he/she can recover the other. It's a neat twist, usually resulting in one player cheering on the other. Now that's teamwork.

The graphics and sound won't blow you away, but they are very well done. Usually, you won't even notice the intricacies of each level unless you pause the game to get a good look. I must say, also, that the graphics get better with each level. There's a fantastic Egyptian motif in one of the later levels and level 10 will remind arcade-goers of the classic Elevator Action. There's a lot going on throughout the eleven levels of play.

If you thought you'd seen it all in games like ESwat, Dick Tracy, and Batman for the Genesis, you won't want to miss Rolling Thunder II. It's should be considered the new standard for 16-bit action games.

TIP: To get to my favorite level in the game, you should know that a digital nucleus punched the device.