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R-Type (アールタイプ?) is a side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game produced by Irem in 1987. The player controls a space fighter named R-9a "Arrowhead" to defend humanity against a mysterious powerful alien life-form known as "Bydo". R-Type is recognized as one of the classics of the shooter genre from the 1980s arcade.

Gameplay

R-Type is set in the 22nd century, and the player flies a futuristic fighter craft called the R-9a "Arrowhead", named for its shape, and because it is the ninth model in the 'R' series of fighter craft (but it is the first of the series to actually be used in combat; the previous models were all prototypes). The mission is to 'blast off and strike the evil Bydo Empire'. The significance of the R- in the series title refers to the production code as well as the term of endearment for the player fighter craft, the "Round Canopy".

The original R-Type was well received by most gaming critics. However, it was also infamous for its relentless difficulty. It earned 7th place in IGN's Top 10 most difficult games to beat.[3] The gameplay of R-Type is noticeably distinct among shoot 'em ups. Invariably the player will lose, not because of an inequality in firepower, but because of the design of the levels themselves. There is usually a 'correct' way to get through a level, but players must learn these by experience - i.e. by losing and restarting from earlier in the level.

Score

Computer and Video Games 93%
CRASH 92%
Sinclair User 90%
Your Sinclair 9/10
ACE 871
The Games Machine 90%

Awards

Your Sinclair Megagame
Crash Crash Smash

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum version of R-Type was awarded 9/10 in the January 1989 issue of Your Sinclair[10] and was placed at number 6 in the Your Sinclair official top 100. The Games Machine praised the "incredible use of colour" and that it "blows away almost every other shoot'em up on the Spectrum". Crash congratulated Electric Dreams for "retaining the frenetic arcade feel and producing such a brilliant game". Sinclair User praised the weapons system and difficulty curve. C+VG concluded their review by saying "an excellent shoot'em up that's both challenging and addictive. An absolute must for Spectrum blasting fanatics".

The game was runner-up in the category of Best Coin-Op Conversion of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards, behind Operation Wolf.

Legacy

Sequels:-
R-Type II (1989)
Armed Police Unit Gallop (1991)
Super R-Type (1991)
R-Type Leo (1992)
R-Type III: The Third Lightning (1993)
R-Type Delta (1998) / US version (1999)
R-Type Final (2003)
R-Type Command (2007)
R-Type Dimensions (2009)
R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate (2009)

Influence

Pulstar and Blazing Star for the Neo Geo bear a great similarity to R-Type, right down to the use of a Force-like device. A common myth is that ex-Irem employees left to start the game's developer, Aicom.

An R-Type port was produced as an unlicensed NES/Famicom cartridge by "Magic Series Corp" under the name Magic Dragon. The level design and music are the same as the original game, but the graphics have been largely redone from scratch (for example, the R-9 more closely resembles a fighter jet, and the first enemies encountered have been changed to birds.)

One game very similar to the R-Type series was Konami's 1991 shoot 'em up Xexex (also known as Orius). The game played almost exactly like R-Type, even using a Force-like weapon called a 'flint'; and even going as far as using weapons of the same name, such as the Ground Laser and Search Laser. The game also took elements from Gradius, such as the Speed Up and an announcer naming the craft's (Flintlock TMF-01) power-ups. The Flintlock's ship design is very similar to that of R-Type's R-9 fighter; also having three grips protruding from its back which locks on to its Force-like weapon, the 'flint'; hence the craft's name.

Another game similar to R-Type is Rezon, released by Allumer in 1991.

On the Commodore 64 and Amiga, a clone called Katakis was produced by Factor 5. It was considered by many C-64 players to be technically better to that computer's R-Type port, due to the C-64 version of R-Type being a rushed production. Katakis featured a rather unusual two-player mode, where the second player controlled the Force, creating a dual-role challenge - one of assault and one of protecting the vulnerable main ship. Due to legal challenges from Irem, the clone was later re-made and renamed Denaris.

A fairly accurate port of R-Type was released for the PC Engine and TurboGrafx 16 consoles, although both versions suffered from a slightly lower resolution, reduced colour palette, sprite flickering and slow down - due to the slightly reduced resolution, the playfield also scrolls slightly in the vertical axis whenever the player's ship approaches the top or bottom of the screen. The Japanese release for the PC Engine was split across two game cards (HuCards) titled R-Type I and R-Type II and the later North American release for the TurboGrafx 16 contained the entire game on a single card.[18] The PC Engine version of R-Type is notable for having a boss at the end of Stage 6, rather than a prolonged wave of enemies as in all other versions.

The Turbografx 16 version of R-Type was one of the first games confirmed for Nintendo's Virtual Console. The North American and European versions include all eight levels while the Japanese release is split between two downloads, mirroring the original release formats for each region respectively. A Sega Master System version became available for Japan on May 19, 2009, for North America on November 2, 2009 and for Europe on September 25, 2009, however due to licensing issues, this version has been delisted on September 30, 2011 in North America and Europe and October 18, 2011 in Japan.

At the end of the second level of Turrican II, the player can see the Force in the hangar where the player goes on a ship. The whole third level is made of a ship similar to R-Type.

The third boss of the game Radiant Silvergun, was designed as an homage to the Arrowhead: it has an indestructible force, two bits, a wave cannon, and all three laser types (counter air, rebound, counter ground).

The Xbox Live Arcade game R-Type Dimensions was released on February 4, 2009. It is a port of the original R-Type and the sequel R-Type II. It can be played either with the original 2D graphics or with new 3D graphics, and has added co-op gameplay functionality.

In the PlayStation 3's communitarian-based social gaming network, PlayStation Home, Irem has released a Game Space in the Japanese Home to promote the release of R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate on the PSP and PSPgo. This is the first PSP title to receive a PlayStation Home Game Space.

In 2010, DotEmu developed an iOS port of R-Type, published by Electronic Arts, released also for Android in September 2011.



Humor

Irem has used R-Type and its Bydo villains for more than a few of their trademark elaborate April Fool's Day pranks.

Dobkeratops, the R-Type level 1 boss can be seen in Irem's Undercover Cops, on a television screen, which can be picked up for points.

R-Type was later represented in the Japan-only Game Boy title, Shuyaku Sentai Irem Fighter along with three other Irem franchises: Mr. Heli, Ninja Spirit and Hammerin' Harry.

2000 saw them selling "traditional Japanese sweets" containing "Force". When asked in the phony order form on which one was your favorite, the three choices were "R9 (Standard Force)", "RX (Tentacle Force)", and "R13 (Anchor Force)". All three were the ship designation and Force names in R-Type Delta.

In 2003, they put up a website that was selling various versions of the R-9 fighter much in the same manner as a car. Three choices were offered: the standard model, the sport model, and the convertible model.

Irem set up "Irem Burger" as their 2004 prank. R-Type played a supporting role here, with three "Bydo Burgers": The Living Body Burger, the Machine Burger, and the Harmony Burger. As well, some of the other "burgers" were filled with game discs, the one for R-Type Final proudly on display right below the top bun.

2005 saw Irem debuting a phony console, the "EXIDNA". One of the "games" available at launch: R-Type Final 2. As if that weren't enough, they also had a triple-wide "Bydo Monitor" as a peripheral, that of course R-Type Final 2 would support.

According to Mediagenic's lawyers, R-Type is a highly original arcade action shoot-'em-up. CRASH readers may have a different opinion of this Irem Corporation licence, but, as is so often the case, game format takes a backseat to actual playability. The scenario for all this is of the peaceful-galaxy-being- invaded-by-hideous-aliens variety. Naturally a lone spaceship will have a better chance against the aliens than the galaxy's massed fleets and as for the pilot.., well, thank you for volunteering. Very brave of you.

The latest spacefighter technology (I thought this was a peaceful place - Ed) is represented by the awesome R-9. A single-seat ship initially armed with just a standard R-type laser. While rather feeble in rapid fire mode, by holding down fire for a few seconds you can discharge a massive blue fireball which destroys virtually all in its path.

Further weaponry can be added to your ship by collecting the glowing orbs deposited by the remains of a large number of blasted aliens. Add-on weapons include missiles, a more powerful laser and a small remote craft which flings out bullets at an amazing rate. These are lost when you die, so some pretty nifty flying is needed to get far into the eight, multiloaded levels. Ranged against you are swarms of alien fighters to chase you around the screen, ground-based missile launchers setting a stream of rockets on yourtail, and rapid- fire gun turrets. An almost equally formidable threat is provided by the scenery - collisions with which are lethal. Then, of course, there's the end-of-level guardian which will take all the firepower you can muster to defeat it.

The guardians, like the rest of the game, look very good indeed. Attacking ships in particular are well-drawn and animated with some really good, bright colours. The ferocity of the aliens' attacks might put some people off at the start, even Nick had problems finishing the first level, but don't give up! Once you've had a bit of practise you can get some great thrills squeezing through amazingly small spdces with a horde of blood-thirsty aliens on your tail. Congratulations to Electric Dreams for retaining the frenetic, arcade feel and producing such a brilliant game.

MARK ... 91%

Producer: Electric Dreams
Legal costs: £9.99 cass
Author: Bob Pape



R-CADE R-TISTRY
Fire rapidly to destroy the aerial enemies.
Use blue plasma bolts to destroy missile launchers and large aliens.
Collect as many extra weapons as possible for further on in the current level.
Make sure you don't crash into the scenery when you're blasting like mad.
Knock out the end-of-level monster's eyes and get right up to its mouth to blast it to smithereens.
Be careful at the start of the second level; camouflaged nasties pop out from below and above you.

The walkers look up

So it's arrived. The Spectrum conversion of one of the arcade's best looking coin-ops. Well it was bound to be disappointment wasn't it? But wait a minute, what's this? Colourful, well-drawn sprites in an absolute orgy of violent action, that's what! Okay, so there's quite a bit of colour clash, and sometimes it's hard to see what's happening, but all the same R-Type is amazingly playable and deviously addictive. The stunning range of weapons featured on the coin-op is available here too, preserving the coin-op's strategic aspects. After collecting a few extra weapons, your ship becomes an absolute fortress of weaponry with heat-seeking rockets, lasers and plasma bolts. And believe me you need all the armaments you can get to combat the constant barrage of varied, multi-coloured enemies. As for the massive, end-of-level monsters... All these features go to make R-Type a truly excellent and challenging shoot-'em-up.

PHIL ... 93%

This has got to be the arcade conversion of the decade (well at least the past three months). I know I've said that conversions have been good before, but R-Type is mega! The amount of colour, sound and excellent graphics that have been packed into it will just knock you over. Some of the sprites almost fill up the entire screen and they take quite a bit of pounding before they're defeated. You collect more weaponry as you destroy each wave of aliens and when you have the lot, you're almost unstoppable. Presentation is highly polished with excellent title and loading screens, plus a multitude of levels for you to blast through. This is an absolute must for every arcade shoot-'em-up freak, you gotta buy it!

NICK ... 93%



Blasting through

THE ESSENTIALS
Joysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair
Graphics: colour is used very liberally, but even the resulting clashes don't spoil the detailed, fast-moving sprites
Sound: plenty of noisy effects during play
Options: definable keys
General rating: the frenzied action really sets pulses racing - a surprisingly good conversion of the classic coin-op


Presentation 92%
Graphics 91%
Sound 60%
Playability 94%
Addictive qualities 93%
Overall 92%