Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar, also known as Thunder Force IV, is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up that was developed by Technosoft and the fourth game in the Thunder Force series. The same gameplay mechanics from the previous games return, including the weapons, the CLAW pods, and the ability to change the ship's speed. New to this entry is the ability to play the first four stages in any order and the Thunder Sword, a powerful weapon tat requires the CLAWs. As for the story, the war between the ORN Empire and the Galactic Federation continues and approaches its 100th year, with the Galactic Federation continuing to be the underdog and stop the ORN Empire's tyrannical reign.

In this run, thegugafá plays the game on the Normal difficulty and finally ends the ORN Empire for good in record time, leaving a potential enemy in Faust to return in a later entry.