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Thundercade
A landmark action game for the NES, Thundercade combines tight controls with engaging gameplay. Its enduring appeal lies in the perfect balance of challenge and reward.
- Developer
- SETA Corporation
- Released
- 1989
- Platform
- NES
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 2P
- Rating
- 4.6 / 5 (1.9K)
- Last updated
Thundercade Controls — NES Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Thundercade on our in-browser NES emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | D-Pad Up | Move up |
| ↓ | D-Pad Down | Move down |
| ← | D-Pad Left | Move left |
| → | D-Pad Right | Move right |
| X | A | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | B | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| Enter | Start | Start / Pause |
| Shift | Select | Select / Mode |
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Thundercade Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Thundercade on NES before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Thundercade" NES longplay 1989
Thundercade Cheat Codes
15 community-curated cheats for Thundercade. Tick any to activate them automatically when you click "Play with cheats" — or copy a code into your own emulator.
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Infinite Lives
GXVYPZVI008B:03 -
Start With 1 Life
PAOYIILA -
Start With 6 Lives
TAOYIILA -
Start With 9 Lives
PAOYIILE -
Infinite Missiles
AAUNLIPP -
Infinite Bombs
GZXYZTVI008D:03 -
Start With Double Bombs
TENNPZLA -
Start With Triple Bombs
PENNPZLE -
Autofire!
ZANYGSZA -
Invincibility
0480:C0+0504:04 -
Infinite Lives P1
008B:09 -
Infinite Bombing Runs P1
008D:09
Show 3 more cheats Show fewer
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Infinite Lives P2
008C:09 -
Infinite Bombing Runs P2
008E:09 -
View Secret Ending immediately
00B0:01
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Thundercade released?
Thundercade was released in 1989 for the NES.
Who developed Thundercade?
Thundercade was developed by SETA Corporation, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Thundercade support?
Thundercade supports up to 2 players, ideal for couch co-op or competitive sessions on the NES.
What type of game is Thundercade?
Thundercade is a Action game for the NES, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Thundercade for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Thundercade runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Thundercade in the browser?
No. Thundercade streams from a public archive into a browser-side NES emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Thundercade?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original NES cartridge supported.
Does Thundercade work on mobile devices?
Yes — the NES emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Thundercade this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Thundercade. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
