R-TYPE (PCE)
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Publisher: Hudson; Irem.
Developer: Irem. Released: 1990 (US). Genre: Horizontal-scrolling shoot 'em up. Other versions: AMI; AST; C64; SPC; CPC; SMS. Posted 27th March 2013. By Chris Weatherley © 2013 |
It’s a strange premise, but the very one-dimensional idea of simply travelling in a single direction and blasting the hell out of everything in your path has provided an extensive repertoire of inspiring and first-class titles across nearly every platform in the gaming world. Not many genres can claim to have achieved this, but the scrolling shoot ‘em up is certainly one of them. With its beginnings rooted in 1980 with Defender, the scrolling shooter has seen many incarnations to the genus, and some have been quite prolific. Amiga classic Xenon 2: Megablast inadvertently spawned a dance floor hit with its soundtrack, whilst the Gradius series proved one of the most popular around with its vast depth. But for all out firepower, alien weirdness and downright titanium-level hardness, 1987’s R-Type made a massive impact. Such as a product of its popularity, it was ported in various manifestations to nearly every noteworthy format over the last 25 years. The original game had some excellent conversions, none more so than the PC Engine port, which was highly impressive to say the least.
What sets R-Type apart from the space shooters of the day, as well as many more recent titles, is threefold. Firstly, there’s the plot. A complex backstory of the evil manmade Bydo empire threatening to take over the universe, which, like many of the genre stable mates, is not explained much within the game. Secondly and more importantly is the level of difficulty R-Type sets. Let’s make no bones about this, it is one of the hardest games you will ever play! The more recent versions have quelled this a tad, but the first releases were notorious for the challenge they presented. The first game set the standard high; with a clever mix of exactitude, trial and error and basic honest luck. The third aspect of R-Type’s individuality is its weapons. For the first time, careful accumulation of icons will adorn your R-9a ‘Arrowhead’ fighter with tremendous power, displayed with original appearance and wonderment and proving essential in achieving your goals. Getting that Reflective Laser or Ring Laser WILL be the decisive factor as to whether you live or die. Additional to this, each weapon has a specific purpose and reason, chiefly for the 8 stage bosses. Surreptitiously done, meticulous forward planning is needed to keep a certain power in your possession, or more to the point, when to discard an ill-fitting power-up. All too often in the heat of battle you will find yourself with a weapon completely inappropriate to the situation, knowing you could defeat your enemy if you had kept the one before.
What sets R-Type apart from the space shooters of the day, as well as many more recent titles, is threefold. Firstly, there’s the plot. A complex backstory of the evil manmade Bydo empire threatening to take over the universe, which, like many of the genre stable mates, is not explained much within the game. Secondly and more importantly is the level of difficulty R-Type sets. Let’s make no bones about this, it is one of the hardest games you will ever play! The more recent versions have quelled this a tad, but the first releases were notorious for the challenge they presented. The first game set the standard high; with a clever mix of exactitude, trial and error and basic honest luck. The third aspect of R-Type’s individuality is its weapons. For the first time, careful accumulation of icons will adorn your R-9a ‘Arrowhead’ fighter with tremendous power, displayed with original appearance and wonderment and proving essential in achieving your goals. Getting that Reflective Laser or Ring Laser WILL be the decisive factor as to whether you live or die. Additional to this, each weapon has a specific purpose and reason, chiefly for the 8 stage bosses. Surreptitiously done, meticulous forward planning is needed to keep a certain power in your possession, or more to the point, when to discard an ill-fitting power-up. All too often in the heat of battle you will find yourself with a weapon completely inappropriate to the situation, knowing you could defeat your enemy if you had kept the one before.
The title screen, used to scare confessions out of suspected felons
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The R-9a heads for an uncomfortable day in the space dentist's
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This ingenious weapon system is attributed to the most unique and endearing part of R-Type’s gameplay, The Force. Once acquired, the glowing orange orb attached to the front of your ship gives you access to a range of techniques, once powered. One of the most effective is the ability to release the force, and have it fire lasers on your behalf. This is a skill you must learn during the game if you wish to progress. Creating a real depth to the game, and even more so when you know that getting destroyed removes ALL the firepower you have obtained before, it urges you to acknowledge your failed attempts and try again, having to start from scratch upon re-spawn. The TG16 succeeds in presenting all these attributes just as the arcade original did. Surprisingly, the graphical similarities are astonishing. With only a few less colours and a slightly lower resolution than the coin-op, the visuals are utterly first-rate. The realisation of the creepy bosses and the awesome firepower are prevalent, and it puts many other 8-bit and 16-bit versions to shame. An excellent demonstration of the PCE’s graphical superiority of the time. It’s no shock to see that Dobkeratops, one of the most recognisable bosses in shoot ‘em up history is just as menacing in all his Giger-esc prowess. The other stages are interpreted with equal excellence, through the imposing mothership of stage 3, to the organic womb of the final stage, it’s a wonderful game to look at in all its originality and surrealness.
It's either a very small ship or a very big monster...
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At this point, I'm leaning towards 'very small ship'
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As you are mankind’s last hope, taking control of the R-9a is no mean feat. Such is the difficulty, you really have to be 100% accurate with your positioning and manoeuvring, so the responsiveness is highly important. Thankfully, there are no problems here, as you have no delay or slow movement, it is as tight as it should be. The vertical scrolling blip does annoy slightly, as does the rare occurrence of graphical slow-down, but they’re the only negatives to the gameplay on the whole. The collision detection is very strict, but consistent and with only a tiny sprite-flicker now and then, the enemies attack waves are fluent and precise. Helping you on your hard Bydo-killing journey is the iconic and mind-warping soundtrack. All R-Type games have been supported by a fine bewitching OST, and this version is no different. A little hollower than the arcade, the original music is all in place, memorable and enjoyable, and all the beam blasts, explosions and alien sounds are present and correct. It’s fair to say that the only poor aspect of the game’s presentation is the shoddy box-art design.
Some gamers may get frustrated quickly with the high difficulty of R-Type, but if you persevere through the repeated deaths and restarts, adhering to the age-old proverb “practice makes perfect”, it’s a rewarding game to conquer. This toughness is reconstructed faithfully on the TG16, and it would be deleterious to the game if this was not so; R-Type is a game that gives you so much, and asks a great deal in return. It wants you to commit to the cause. Top visuals, sound and playability, the only drawback is the challenge it gives you, because some may find it’s just too hard, too austere and not worth going that extra mile to master and thus dismiss it too early. Regardless, R-Type remains a significant and important title in the shoot ‘em up genre, whilst the PC Engine port distinguishes itself with class, justifying its place in gaming history.
Some gamers may get frustrated quickly with the high difficulty of R-Type, but if you persevere through the repeated deaths and restarts, adhering to the age-old proverb “practice makes perfect”, it’s a rewarding game to conquer. This toughness is reconstructed faithfully on the TG16, and it would be deleterious to the game if this was not so; R-Type is a game that gives you so much, and asks a great deal in return. It wants you to commit to the cause. Top visuals, sound and playability, the only drawback is the challenge it gives you, because some may find it’s just too hard, too austere and not worth going that extra mile to master and thus dismiss it too early. Regardless, R-Type remains a significant and important title in the shoot ‘em up genre, whilst the PC Engine port distinguishes itself with class, justifying its place in gaming history.
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VERDICT
Visual: 10/10
Audio: 9/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Longevity: 7/10 OVERALL: 9/10 |