Thunder Bird

You are Zintkala of the Lokota. She has lived as an outlaw since the massacre of her tribe by gold miners, ten years ago. Now she must return to defeat an evil Demon Serpent Unk Cekula, reawakened by the reckless miners, whom her ancestors first slew in ages past.

Proceed left to right. Jump over obstacles. Avoid or shoot hazards and enemies. Try not to die. Are there any subtleties to this? Why, yes… Look out for the small flashing brown barrels, which contain valuable power ups. If your main weapon power level is at zero, the next barrel you collect will always raise that level to 1, unlocking your second pistol. Otherwise, it will grant one of three random bonuses: 1 – raise your main weapon power as far as level 3 (both pistols unlocked, rapid fire). 2 – an extra stick of dynamite, up to 4. 3 – an extra reserve life, up to 6. If the selected bonus is already maxed out, you will instead receive a protective shield that will last a little over ten seconds (effective against enemies and their shots but will not protect you if you fall into deep rapids). Along with the enemies you encounter, there are also animals that can be dangerous, but are not evil. Killing them, whether with pistols or dynamite, will displease the holy forces that have blessed your endeavour, and cause you to lose a level in weapon power. There are three stages to traverse before your fateful encounter with Unk Cekula, an evil Serpent Demon, each with its guardian:

1 – The Mining Town.

2 – The Badlands Express.

3 – The Black Hills.