An isometric tactical shooter by Blizzard, slow and strategic, with a truly unique feel. A standout curiosity well worth rediscovering.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player12+
Description
Side-scrolling action game featuring a combat pilot across varied military missions. Published by Thalion, released in the United States in 1994. Helicopter and on-foot missions, weapons and gadgets to collect, mission bosses and detailed 16-bit visuals. An original little-known military action game on Super Nintendo.
Blackthorne review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Cinematic action by Blizzard, a hero of rotoscoped animation and dark settings: the game unfurls a western science fiction of mature, polished atmosphere. The realism of the movements and the cold light overflow with cachet. This art direction, dark and stylish, stands apart from the lightness of the 16-bit platformer.
Blizzard builds a soundtrack of tension rather than action: low pads, distant tribal percussion, wind and long stretches of near emptiness. The rare swells, saved for the most dangerous zones of Tuul, land all the harder because the rest of the time the music is content to press silence onto the mining corridors.
The US SNES release of the Blizzard / Interplay cinematic run'n'gun under the Blackthorne title, contrary to the PAL Blackhawk. The US cart features the original Blizzard cover and title, making it the canonical US version. Boxed CIB in an intact box with manual is valued by American Blizzard collectors who extend their collection into Warcraft and Diablo. The cote climbs steadily, independent of the PAL version.
Is Blackthorne still worth playing in 2026?
Also released as Blackhawk in Europe, Blackthorne is a platform action signed by Blizzard with a very singular touch, namely rotoscoped animation in the Prince of Persia tradition, firearms aimed left or right and dark corridors crossed at a measured pace. The blend of thinking, dialogue and gunfights builds a narrative tension rare for the system. The slow tempo may surprise, but the atmosphere remains immersive. Recommended to fans of off norm 16 bit experiences and auteur driven games.
