Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact

Last updated: January 20, 2026

Overview

Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact is a run and gun action game developed by Game Arts and published by Sierra On-Line for Western markets.¹ Released in 1989 for MSX2 and PC-8801 in Japan, with a DOS version following in October 1990 for North America, the game serves as the sequel to the highly successful original Thexder.² The game was considered revolutionary for its time, featuring fast-paced gameplay, high-resolution graphics, and a transforming robot protagonist that could shift between humanoid and jet aircraft forms.³

The game retains the core concept of its predecessor while adding significant improvements, including new and upgradable weapons, in-game dialogue, and an expanded soundtrack featuring eleven complete songs that were noted for their exceptional quality by contemporary standards.⁴ Fire Hawk features the same essential design as Thexder—a laser weapon, protective shield, and the signature ability to transform into a jet—but with enhanced speed and firepower.⁵ The sequel sold well in both Japan and the United States, building on the tremendous success of the original game.²

Game Info

Developer: Game Arts¹ Designer: Ari Kamijō, Osamu Harada, Satoshi Uesaka, Kazuyuki Ohata²⁶ Publisher: Game Arts (Japan), Sierra On-Line (North America)¹ Engine: Proprietary Platforms: MSX2, PC-8801, MS-DOS¹ Release Year: 1989 (Japan), 1990 (North America) Series: Thexder Protagonist: Fire Hawk Sierra Lineage: Published by Sierra

Story Summary

The game’s narrative centers on an impending extinction-level threat to Earth. An alien race known as the Nediam inhabit a giant vessel resembling an asteroid, which is on a collision course with Earth.⁷ The space ship Repina has detected this asteroid, designated Nedian, and determines that immediate action must be taken to prevent catastrophe.⁵

In response to this threat, Repina’s engineers designed and constructed Fire Hawk, an advanced armored exoskeleton that surpasses the original Thexder in both speed and firepower.⁵ Fire Hawk is dispatched to intercept the asteroid and destroy the alien threat from within.⁵ The player takes on the role of this new combat robot, infiltrating the Nediam mothership across nine increasingly difficult missions to disable the alien vessel before it reaches Earth.⁴

The game continues directly where the earlier Thexder left off, with Fire Hawk representing the evolution of the transforming robot technology first seen in its predecessor.⁸ Throughout the missions, players encounter various alien defenses and hostile creatures within the asteroid ship, culminating in a final boss encounter that takes the form of a giant Thexder—a dramatic confrontation that serves as the highlight of the game.⁵

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Fire Hawk maintains the same fundamental gameplay mechanics as the original Thexder while incorporating significant new features.⁵ The player controls the Fire Hawk robot using keyboard or joystick input, with the ability to fire a laser weapon, activate a protective energy shield, and transform between humanoid robot and jet aircraft modes at will.⁹ The transformation mechanic, similar to the Robotech VF-1 Valkyrie or Decepticon Starscream, allows players to adapt to different combat situations and navigate through tight corridors or open spaces.¹⁰

The DOS version supports keyboard controls as the primary input method, with the game offering an option to disable background drawing for faster gameplay performance on slower systems.¹ Players can access the game’s music tracks directly from the title screen, allowing them to appreciate the acclaimed soundtrack independently of gameplay.¹

Structure and Progression

The game is divided into nine challenging levels of play, each split into sub-levels that progressively increase in difficulty.⁴ Every fourth sub-level features a boss enemy encounter, creating a rhythm of exploration and combat punctuated by climactic confrontations.⁹ The level design requires players to navigate maze-like environments while eliminating hostile aliens and managing their energy reserves.

Fire Hawk introduces an autosave system that was innovative for its time—the game automatically saves progress each time the player completes a mission, remembering energy levels and equipment from the previous stage.¹¹ This allows players to restart at previously visited level beginnings rather than being forced to replay the entire game from scratch.⁹

• Missions 1-3: Initial infiltration of the Nediam asteroid
• Mission 4: First major boss encounter
• Missions 5-7: Deeper penetration into alien territory
• Mission 8: Advanced combat zones
• Mission 9: Final confrontation with the giant Thexder boss⁵

Puzzles and Mechanics

The gameplay emphasizes fast-paced combat and survival rather than traditional puzzle-solving. Players must manage their energy reserves carefully, as the shield system drains power when activated.⁹ The game introduces new weapon systems beyond the basic laser, including guided missiles and special weapons such as the Flasher and Stopper.⁹ A weapons carrier droid accompanies Fire Hawk, providing additional firepower and tactical options.⁵

Weapon upgrades can be collected throughout the levels, encouraging thorough exploration while maintaining the frenetic pace of combat.⁴ The transformation ability serves as both a combat and navigation mechanic—jet mode offers greater speed and maneuverability for traversing open areas, while robot mode provides more precise control for tight corridors and intense firefights.⁹

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

The game received positive coverage in gaming publications of the era. The One magazine, reviewing the game in February 1991, praised its combination of elements, noting that “with furious arcade action, high-resolution graphics and 11 complete songs… Thexder II looks set to surpass the success of the original.”² The magazine highlighted the visual polish and soundtrack quality as standout features that elevated the game above typical action titles of the period.

Japanese MSX Magazine featured coverage of the game in their January 1990 issue, documenting its release for the MSX2 platform.¹² The game garnered attention from multiple European publications including Joystick magazine (France), Micromania (Spain), and MSX Force (Portugal), indicating strong international interest in the sequel.¹³

However, not all reviews were uniformly positive. MobyGames user reviewer Tomer Gabel offered a more critical assessment, stating the game was “horribly less appealing than the original” while acknowledging that “the graphics are somewhat improved and the engine is only the slightest bit faster.”¹⁴ Another reviewer characterized it as “a solid shooter, if somewhat repetitive.”⁵

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospective coverage has generally been favorable, with the game recognized as an important entry in the transforming robot action genre. Home of the Underdogs (HOTUD) awarded the game a perfect 5/5 score, praising it as having “more of everything: enemies, power-ups, levels, and sports much-improved graphics and a rocking soundtrack.”¹⁵

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames: 7.1/10¹
• Glitchwave: 2.50/5.0¹⁶
• GameFAQs User Rating: “Outstanding” (MSX version), “Great” (PC version)⁸¹⁷

GameFAQs users characterized the difficulty as “Tough” with estimated completion times ranging from 20 to 37 hours depending on the platform version.⁸¹⁷

Development

Origins

Fire Hawk represents the continuation of Game Arts’ debut franchise, building upon the tremendous success of the original Thexder which had sold extraordinarily well in Japan and subsequently found an audience in Western markets through Sierra On-Line’s localization.¹⁰ The development team sought to improve upon every aspect of the original while retaining the core transformation mechanic that had defined the first game.

The concept evolved from the transforming robot games of the mid-1980s, with the original Thexder having been inspired by Atari’s arcade game Major Havok and following in the tradition of earlier transforming robot titles like Formation Z and Volguard.¹⁰ Fire Hawk took this foundation and expanded it with enhanced visuals, improved gameplay mechanics, and a more ambitious soundtrack.

Production

Game Arts developed the game simultaneously for multiple Japanese computer platforms, including the MSX2 and PC-8801, before Sierra On-Line handled the localization and distribution of the DOS version for Western markets.¹ The development prioritized improvements in design and gameplay to provide enhanced enjoyment over the original.⁸

The DOS version included a short comic book in the manual, providing additional narrative context for players and representing an effort to make the Western release more appealing to the action game market.¹ Sierra marketed the game emphasizing its nine challenging levels, new features and options, and “a degree of visual polish virtually unknown in U.S. action games products.”⁴

Development Credits:¹⁶

• Designers: Ari Kamijō, Osamu Harada, Satoshi Uesaka, Kazuyuki Ohata
• Composers: Hiromi Ohba, Tadashi Shimayama, Masahiko Yoshimura, Mecano Associates
• DOS Sound Adaptation: Rob Atesalp
• Additional Composition: Masakuni Mitsuhashi (includes arrangement of Ludwig van Beethoven)¹⁸

Technical Achievements

The game’s soundtrack represented a significant technical achievement, featuring eleven complete music tracks of a quality that was relatively exceptional for video games of the late 1980s and early 1990s.⁴ The PC-88 version’s audio was noted by enthusiasts as having “high quality, fast album with that nice synthesizer zing (the PC-88 sounds a lot like the X68000 here).”¹⁹

The MSX2 version utilized both PSG (Programmable Sound Generator) and FM synthesis through the YM2413 chip, with the game supporting multiple audio configurations including MSX-Music and FM-PAC.¹⁸²⁰ An enhanced version improved the FM detection routine with a specific preference order: MSX-Audio BIOS v1.3, internal MSX-Music, then external MSX-Music.²⁰

Technical Specifications

DOS Version:²¹

• Video Modes: EGA (640x200, 16 colors), MCGA (320x200, 256 colors), PCjr/Tandy (320x200, 16 colors)
• Minimum RAM: 512 KB
• Minimum CPU: Intel 8088 / 8086
• Audio Support: OPL2 (AdLib), Roland MT-32²²
• Media: 3.5” Floppy Disk¹
• Perspective: 2D scrolling, Side view¹⁵

MSX2 Version:⁶

• RAM Required: 64 KB
• VRAM Required: 128 KB
• Sound: PSG, MSX-Music/FM-PAC support
• Input Devices: Keyboard, Joystick
• Language: Japanese
• Media: 2x 3.5” Floppy Disks¹⁶

Soundtrack Technical Details:¹⁹²³

• PC-88 Version: 24 tracks, ~47 minutes total duration
• MSX2 OPLL Version: 24 tracks, ~48 minutes total duration
• Sound Chips (MSX2): AY-3-8910, YM2413¹⁸

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	November 1989	MSX2	Initial Japanese release6
1.0	November 1989	PC-8801	Japanese release17
1.0	October 1990	MS-DOS	North American release by Sierra2
HDD	Later	MSX2	Fixed MSX-Music detection routine20

Technical Issues

The MSX2 version exhibited strict FM detection requirements that could cause compatibility issues with certain hardware configurations.²⁰ Save game functionality could be problematic on systems with old or weak batteries in the clock chip, as the game utilized clock chip storage for saving progress.²⁰ A BASIC program workaround was developed by the community to manually write save game data in cases where the automatic save system failed.²⁰

The DOS version notably does not support mid-game saving through a traditional save system, instead relying on the autosave mechanism at mission completion.²¹ The game also features copy protection requiring manual word lookup to bypass.²¹

Save File Details (DOS):¹¹

• File Name: SAVEGM.DAT
• File Size: 315 Bytes
• Save Slots: 8
• Slot Size: 34 bytes each
• Data Stored: Mission progress, energy, missiles, option slot information

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The final boss takes the form of a giant Thexder, creating a direct visual callback to the original game’s protagonist⁵
• The DOS version included a short comic book in the manual providing narrative context¹
• Players can listen to all game songs from the title screen menu¹
• The game offers an option to disable background drawing for improved performance on slower systems¹
• The Fire Hawk robot was designed by the fictional space ship Repina, establishing in-universe lore for the sequel⁵
• The soundtrack includes an arrangement of music by Ludwig van Beethoven¹⁸

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Fire Hawk sold well in both Japan and the United States, continuing the commercial success established by the original Thexder.² The game demonstrated the viability of Japanese action games in Western markets when properly localized, and represented an important title in Sierra On-Line’s catalog of published games from Japanese developers during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The game appeared in Sierra’s product lineup as featured in Sierra News Magazine Volume 3, Number 3 (Fall 1990), indicating its prominence in the publisher’s release schedule.²⁴ Game Arts’ description emphasized it as “a sure-fire winner” with unprecedented visual polish for American action game products.⁴

Collections

The game has been preserved through various abandonware and archival efforts. Internet Archive maintains a playable DOS version through browser-based DOSBox emulation.⁹ MyAbandonware hosts the game with a download size of approximately 749 KB.¹⁵ DOS.Zone also provides browser-based playability with virtual mobile controls.²⁵

Fan Projects

The game’s soundtrack has received particular attention from preservation communities. VGMRips maintains comprehensive music packs for the MSX2 version in VGM format, with documentation of the sound chips used (AY-3-8910 and YM2413).¹⁸ Khinsider hosts downloadable soundtracks in multiple formats (MP3 and FLAC) for both the PC-88 and MSX2 versions, totaling approximately 92-127 MB depending on format.¹⁹²³

Related Publications

• Game Manual: Included short comic book providing narrative backstory (DOS version)¹
• Japanese Magazine Coverage: MSX Magazine (January 1990)¹²
• Save Game Hacking Guide: Technical FAQ by theruler, Version 4.0 (June 14, 2017)¹¹

Critical Perspective

Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact occupies an interesting position in gaming history as both a successful sequel and a representative example of Japanese action game design finding an audience in Western markets during the transitional period of the late 1980s. While the original Thexder is often remembered as the more groundbreaking title—being the first Famicom game published by Squaresoft and establishing the transforming robot action genre—Fire Hawk refined and expanded upon that foundation in meaningful ways.¹⁰

The game’s emphasis on audiovisual polish, particularly its acclaimed eleven-track soundtrack, anticipated the increasing importance of production values in action games. Contemporary reviewers recognized this quality, with The One noting that the combination of “furious arcade action, high-resolution graphics and 11 complete songs” positioned it to potentially surpass its predecessor.² However, some players and critics felt that the improvements were incremental rather than revolutionary, with the core gameplay loop remaining fundamentally similar to the original.¹⁴

In the broader context of Sierra On-Line’s publishing history, Fire Hawk represents the company’s efforts to diversify beyond their core adventure game catalog through strategic partnerships with Japanese developers. This relationship with Game Arts would contribute to Sierra’s reputation as a publisher willing to bring quality international titles to Western audiences, even in genres outside their primary expertise.

Downloads

Download / Preservation

• Internet Archive – DOS Version
• MyAbandonware
• DOS.Zone – Browser Playable
• Classic Reload – Browser Playable

Soundtrack Downloads

• Khinsider – PC-88 Soundtrack
• Khinsider – MSX2 OPLL Soundtrack
• VGMRips – MSX2 OPLL Music Pack

Series Continuity

Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact continues the story of the original Thexder, introducing an upgraded transforming robot designed to address a new extraterrestrial threat. The game maintains continuity with its predecessor through shared gameplay mechanics—the laser weapon, shield system, and transformation ability—while establishing Fire Hawk as a technological evolution of the original Thexder unit.⁵ The climactic boss battle against a giant Thexder creates a direct narrative and visual connection between the two games.⁵

The Thexder series would later see additional entries and remakes. A 2008 remake updated the graphics and added new levels, bringing the franchise to newer platforms including PlayStation Network.³ The original Thexder was re-released on Nintendo Switch in 2023 as part of retro gaming preservation efforts.¹⁰

• Previous: 1985 - Thexder

References

Footnotes

1. MobyGames – Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact – credits, ratings, technical specifications, trivia ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

2. Wikipedia – Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact – release dates, developers, designers, composers, reception, sales ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

3. Retrolorean – Fire Hawk: Thexder - The Second Contact – historical context, remake information ↩ ↩²

4. GOG.com – Dreamlist Entry – game description, soundtrack quality, mission count ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

5. MobyGames User Review – Katakis – gameplay mechanics, story details, final boss description ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

6. Generation-MSX – Fire Hawk Database Entry – MSX2 technical specifications, credits, release date ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

7. Pixelated Arcade – Fire Hawk – story overview, platform information, gameplay description ↩

8. GameFAQs – MSX Version – user ratings, game description, difficulty assessment ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

9. Internet Archive – DOS Version – platform information, gameplay mechanics, trivia ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

10. StrategyWiki – Thexder – series history, transformation mechanic description, development origins ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

11. Neoseeker – Save Hacking Guide – save file technical details, autosave mechanics ↩ ↩² ↩³

12. Internet Archive – MSX Magazine January 1990 – Japanese release documentation ↩ ↩²

13. Abandonware Magazines – European magazine coverage ↩

14. MobyGames User Review – Tomer Gabel – critical assessment ↩ ↩²

15. MyAbandonware – Fire Hawk – HOTUD rating, download information, alternative titles ↩ ↩² ↩³

16. Glitchwave – Fire Hawk – aggregate rating, media format, alternative titles ↩ ↩²

17. GameFAQs – PC Version Data – release dates by platform, publisher information ↩ ↩² ↩³

18. VGMRips – MSX2 OPLL Music Pack – composer credits, sound chip information ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

19. Khinsider – PC-88 Soundtrack – soundtrack details, user review, technical specifications ↩ ↩² ↩³

20. MSX.org Forum – Fire Hawk Discussion – technical issues, FM detection, save problems ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

21. PCGamingWiki – Fire Hawk – DOS technical specifications, video modes, copy protection ↩ ↩² ↩³

22. OPL3.com – Fire Hawk Audio Comparison – audio mode information ↩

23. Khinsider – MSX2 OPLL Soundtrack – soundtrack file sizes, track count ↩ ↩²

24. Internet Archive – Sierra News Magazine Fall 1990 – Sierra publishing documentation ↩

25. DOS.Zone – Fire Hawk – browser playability, platform information ↩