R-Types

Last updated
R-Types
R-Types artwork.png
Developer(s) Irem
Publisher(s)
Series R-Type
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release
  • JP: February 5, 1998
  • EU: October 1998
  • NA: March 1999
Genre(s) Various
Mode(s) Single-player

R-Types [lower-alpha 1] is a 1998 shoot'em up video game compilation developed and published by Irem for the PlayStation. It was published by ASCII Corporation in North America, and by Virgin Interactive in Europe. R-Types contains two games from Irem's R-Type franchise - the original R-Type (1987) and its direct sequel R-Type II (1989) - alongside bonus material such as promotional artwork and a gallery spanning the series' history.

Contents

Kazumi Kujo, the chief producer for the series, suggested R-Types to Irem executives whilst in talks of a potential new R-Type game. Having fallen into heavy financial difficulties and being weary of the current console game market, Irem proposed that Kujo and staff create a collection of early R-Type games as a way to test the market if a sequel was suitable. Both games were reprogrammed from scratch via reverse-engineering the original hardware, as opposed to using software emulation. R-Types allowed Irem to familiarize themselves with the hardware of the PlayStation console.

R-Types sold well, and gave Irem hope in a new R-Type game returning a profit. The game was praised by critics for its quality and extra content, although some argued that it could have benefited from additional games and that the difficulty of the two games could turn off potential players. It was re-released as a budget title in 2003, and as a digital download for the PlayStation Network in 2006.

Gameplay

R-Types hosts several pieces of extra content, such as an "R Museum" containing information on the series' history. R-Types screenshot.jpg
R-Types hosts several pieces of extra content, such as an "R Museum" containing information on the series' history.

R-Types includes conversions of the arcade games R-Type (1987) and R-Type II (1989). [1] In both games, the player controls a starship named the R-9 that must eradicate the Bydo, a powerful extraterrestrial race bent on the destruction of mankind. Gameplay involves shooting down enemies and avoiding collision with enemies, projectiles and obstacles. The R-9 can perform a charge shot by holding down the fire button, which when released disperses a blast that cuts through enemies. [2] Destroying small "POW Armor" enemies causes them to leave behind a power-up item, which grants the player one of several unique abilities when collected. One is the "Force", an orange-colored pod that acts as a shield for the R-9 and provides additional firepower. [3] The Force can be attached to either the front or back of the R-9, and can also be launched forwards or backwards to fly freely. [3] R-Type II adds a number of additional features and mechanics, including new weapon types and a new type of charge shot that creates a barrage of shots that home in on enemies. [2]

Alongside the ports of the first two games, R-Types includes several pieces of bonus content. The "R Museum" is an extensive gallery featuring models and information ships, characters, enemies and locations spanning the history of the R-Type series up to that point, as well as a history of the series and promotional artwork. [4] [5] A demo for the then-upcoming R-Type Delta can be played, which ends upon completion of the second level. [2] Two FMV cutscenes can be unlocked by getting a certain score in R-Type and R-Type II. [4] High scores are saved to a PlayStation memory card. [5] Controls for the Delta demo and the arcade ports can be modified to the player's liking. [2]

Development and release

By the late 1990s, Japanese video game company Irem, known for arcade hits such as R-Type and Moon Patrol , [6] were having financial difficulties, attributed to a severe lack of major money-making hits compared to their golden years. [7] Shortly after the release of R-Type III: The Third Lightning for the SNES, Irem closed all of its video game production lines in 1994 to focus on restructuring itself and becoming more stable. [7]

After the company emerged as Irem Software Engineering in 1997, R-Type series chief producer Kazumi Kujo proposed a new R-Type game to executives. [7] In an interview with Retro Gamer magazine, Kujo remembers Irem executives being very hesitant towards the idea, saying they felt the shoot’em up genre was a niche market. [7] After several discussions, Irem proposed that Kujo and other employees create a compilation of early R-Type games as a way to test the market and see if a new sequel would be profitable. Kujo agreed, and got to work on what later became R-Types. [7] As opposed to using software emulation like other classic game compilations, Irem reprogrammed both of the included games from scratch via reverse-engineering the original arcade boards. [7] R-Types allowed Irem programmers to familiarize themselves with the internals of the PlayStation console, which became useful for later projects. [7]

R-Types was completed by early 1998, and was released in Japan on February 5. [8] As a way to create bonds with international publishers, and to rake in additional much-needed profit, Irem worked with European publisher Virgin Interactive and the American branch of the Japanese ASCII Corporation to bring R-Types overseas. [7] Virgin released the game in Europe in October 1998, while ASCII America released it in North America in March 1999. [9]

On October 21, 2001, Irem re-released R-Types in Japan as a budget title, published under the "R's Best" brand alongside R-Type Delta . [10] [11] R-Types was digitally re-released for the PlayStation Network service on December 21, 2006 in Japan, [12] [8] later released on April 24, 2008 in Europe and North America; [13] due to Sony's license with Irem expiring, this version of the game was removed from the storefront. [8]

Reception

According to Kujo, R-Types sold well and gave Irem hope in a new R-Type sequel performing well financially in the market. [7] Original copies have greatly risen in price over the years, and is seen as a collector's piece among R-Type fans. [17]

The game received mostly positive reviews. Computer + Video Games said "Although we've had some great shooting games recently, R-Types still stands out as one of the very best on the PlayStation." The quality of the collection itself has been mixed, with some saying it could have benefited from additional titles. GameSpot said that Irem should have included additional games to make the price point justified, such as Super R-Type and R-Type Leo , [4] which Famitsu agreed with. [8] Official US PlayStation Magazine thought the game had a nice selection of bonus features, as did PSX Magazine. [2] GameSpot said the presentation was good, but felt outside the CG movies it was rather basic. [4]

The included games, R-Type and R-Type II , were liked by several. Many applauded the conversions for being arcade-perfect, and the best ways to play them. [15] [16] [5] Official US PlayStation Magazine said their quality was the standout among the collection, saying that ports as well-done as these made it one of the best classic game collections released for the system. [16] IGN , GameSpot and PSX Magazine all stated that the games were fun to play and had an addictive quality to them [15] [2] [4] - GameSpot in particular wrote that they offered plenty of gameplay time. [4] Most publications agreed that the game's grand difficulty could put off players. [8] [16] [15] [2] [4] GameSpot said: "For gamers less enamored of the past, you'll definitely want to rent before you buy." [4] CVG said that both games were just as fun as they were back in their heyday, saying it made for one of the best classic game collections released. [5] They wrote: "While it's easy to write off classic game compilations as a waste of time and money, the good ones give you the chance to play the very best examples of video gaming excellence. R-Types is one of these." [5]

In 2007, IGN re-reviewed R-Types for its "Retro Roundup" segment of articles, describing it as "a perfectly cool pairing of some very classic shooters". [17] They liked the collection for its graphics, precise controls and spot-on emulation quality, saying that it makes for one of the best PSone Classic releases yet. [17] IGN also said that both R-Type and R-Type II hold up very well, making it a great recommendation for fans of the genre. [17]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: アール タイプス, Hepburn: Āru Taipusu

Related Research Articles

<i>R-Type</i> 1987 video game

R-Type is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and released by Irem in 1987 and the first game in the R-Type series. The player controls a star ship, the R-9 "Arrowhead", in its efforts to destroy the Bydo, a powerful alien race bent on wiping out all of mankind. The R-9 can acquire a glowing orbicular device called a "Force", protecting it from enemy fire and providing additional firepower. The arcade version was distributed by Nintendo in North America; it is the last arcade title Nintendo distributed.

<i>Radiant Silvergun</i> 1998 shooter video game

Radiant Silvergun is a shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Treasure. It was originally released in Japanese arcades in 1998 and subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn later that year. The story follows a team of fighter pilots in the far future who are battling waves of enemies summoned by a mysterious crystal dug up from the Earth. The player hosts an arsenal of six different types of shots to choose from, and a sword to destroy nearby targets. The stages are tightly designed to present players with scenarios that can be approached differently with the various weapon types.

Shoot 'em ups are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of character movement, while others allow a broader definition including characters on foot and a variety of perspectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irem</span> Japanese video game and pachinko company

Irem Software Engineering is a Japanese video game developer and publisher, and formerly a developer and manufacturer of arcade games as well. The company has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

<i>Metal Slug</i> (1996 video game) 1996 video game

Metal Slug is a 1996 run and gun arcade video game originally developed by Nazca Corporation and released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS. It is the first installment in the eponymous series. Set in 2028, players assume the role of Peregrine Falcon Strike Force soldiers Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving on a fight against the Rebel Army led by Donald Morden and overthrow his coup d'état to prevent a New World Order.

<i>Lode Runner</i> 1983 video game

Lode Runner is a 2D puzzle-platform game, developed by Doug Smith and published by Broderbund in 1983. Its gameplay mechanics are similar to Space Panic from 1980. The player controls a character who must collect all the gold pieces in a level and get to the end while being chased by a number of enemies. It is one of the first games to include a level editor.

<i>Xevious</i> Vertical scrolling shooter arcade game released in 1983

Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco in 1982. It was released in Japan by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious forces before they destroy all of mankind. The Solvalou has two weapons at its disposal: a zapper to destroy flying craft, and a blaster to bomb ground installations and enemies. It runs on the Namco Galaga arcade system.

<i>Moon Patrol</i> 1982 video game

Moon Patrol is a 1982 arcade video game developed and released by Irem. It was licensed to Williams for distribution in North America. The player controls a Moon buggy which can jump over and shoot obstacles on a horizontally scrolling landscape as well as shoot aerial attackers. Designed by Takashi Nishiyama, Moon Patrol is often credited with the introduction of full parallax scrolling in side-scrolling games. Cabinet art for the Williams version was done by Larry Day. Most of the home ports were from Atari, Inc., sometimes under the Atarisoft label.

<i>Kung-Fu Master</i> (video game) 1984 video game

Kung-Fu Master, known as Spartan X in Japan, is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed by Irem and released as an arcade video game in 1984. It was distributed by Data East in North America. Designed by Takashi Nishiyama, the game was based on Hong Kong martial arts films. It is a loose adaptation of the Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao film Wheels on Meals (1984), called Spartan X in Japan, with the protagonist Thomas named after Jackie Chan's character in the film. The game is also heavily inspired by the Bruce Lee film Game of Death (1972), which was the basis for the game's concept. Nishiyama, who had previously designed the side-scrolling shooter Moon Patrol (1982), combined fighting elements with a shoot 'em up gameplay rhythm. Irem and Data East exported the game to the West without the Spartan X license.

<i>Image Fight</i> 1988 Video game

Image Fight is a 1988 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Irem. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine (Japan-only), Sharp X68000 (Japan-only), and FM Towns (Japan-only) in 1990. It was followed by Image Fight II: Operation Deepstriker.

<i>R-Type Delta</i> 1998 video game

R-Type Delta is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Irem and released for the PlayStation console in 1998. It is the fourth game in the R-Type series and the first to feature 3D graphics. The game received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>R-Type II</i> 1989 video game

R-Type II is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed and published by Irem. It was released in arcades in 1989. It is the sequel to R-Type, and the second game in the R-Type series.

<i>Namco Museum Battle Collection</i> 2005 video game

Namco Museum Battle Collection is a 2005 video game compilation developed by Tose and published by Namco for the PlayStation Portable; the first Namco Museum since the original PlayStation series to be developed in Japan. It includes 21 games - four of these are brand-new "arrangement" remakes of older Namco games, while the rest are emulated ports of Namco arcade games from the 1970s and 1980s. These ports include an options menu that allows the player to modify the in-game settings, such as the screen orientation and number of lives. Players can send one-level demos to a friend's console via the "Game Sharing" option in the main menu.

<i>R-Type Leo</i> 1992 video game

R-Type Leo is a 1992 horizontal-scrolling shooter arcade game developed by Nanao and published by Irem. It is a spin-off of the R-Type series and the last R-Type entry to be released in arcades. In Leo, players take control of the titular space fighter to travel the man-made mechanical planet Eden and destroy its supercomputer core Major. The game was initially conceived as an original shoot 'em up by Nanao before being retooled into an R-Type project by Irem. The title was met with positive reception from reviewers. It has since been re-released as part of Dotemu's 2010 Irem Arcade Hits compilation.

<i>Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1</i> 1995 video game

Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1 is a 1995 arcade game compilation developed and published by Namco. It includes three of the company's most well-known games from the early 1980s — Galaga (1981), Xevious (1983), and Mappy (1983) — alongside brand-new "Arrangement" remakes of these games that have updated gameplay, visuals, and sounds. The arcade originals are also modified slightly to end after a certain number of rounds. Super Xevious (1984) is also playable. It ran on the Namco ND-1 arcade system, being one of the first games to utilize it.

<i>Xevious 3D/G</i> 1997 video game

Xevious 3D/G is a 1996 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The eighth entry in the Xevious series, it combines 2D-based gameplay with 3D gouraud-shaded polygon graphics. Players control the Solvalou starship in its mission to destroy a rogue supercomputer named GAMP and the Xevian Forces, using two basic weapon types - an air zapper to destroy air targets, and a blaster bomb to destroy ground targets. The game also features destructive power-ups, new bosses, and two player simultaneous play.

<i>In the Hunt</i> 1993 video game

In the Hunt is a 1993 scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Irem. It is the third installment of D.A.S. Tetralogy. Versions for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Microsoft Windows were also released. The player assumes control of the Granvia, a submarine tasked with overthrowing the Dark Anarchy Society before they activate their doomsday device. Gameplay involves shooting enemies, collecting power-up items, and avoiding collision with projectiles. It runs on the Irem M-92 hardware.

<i>Hammerin Harry</i> 2009 Video game

Hammerin' Harry, known in Japan as Daiku no Gen-san, is a series of platforming video games developed and published by Irem in 1990. The titles were developed and published for the arcades, Famicom, Game Boy, Super Famicom and Sony PSP platforms. The series is centered around the titular Harry, a hammer-wielding carpenter who protects his hometown of Beranme from the corrupt construction companies that mean to tear it down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazca Corporation</span> Japanese video game company acquired by SNK in 1996

Nazca Corporation was a Japanese company that developed video games for the Neo Geo games console. The company was formed in 1994 by a group of employees from Irem who were tired of the company's inactivity. In 1996, the company was acquired by SNK.

<i>Arcades Greatest Hits: The Midway Collection 2</i> 1997 video game

Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Midway Collection 2 is a compilation of arcade games either made by, or acquired by Midway Games for the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. This game is technically the sequel to Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits, which also had Midway acquired games included, also released on the PlayStation.

References

  1. ↑ "PlayStation Previews: R-Types". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 103. Ziff Davis. February 1998. p. 64.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Playtest - R-Types" (in Spanish). No. 23. PSX Magazine. November 1998. pp. 92–93. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 IGN Staff (28 January 1999). "R-Types". IGN. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mielke, James (1 April 1999). "R-Types Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 4 October 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lomas, Tom (October 1998). "Review - R-Types". No. 203. United Kingdom: Future Publishing. Computer + Video Games. p. 54. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  6. ↑ Eddy, Brian R. (2012-07-20). Classic Video Games: The Golden Age 1971–1984. ISBN   9781782001003.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Beyan, Mike (6 June 2008). "The Making of R-Type Delta". No. 51. United Kingdom: Imagine Publishing. Retro Gamer. pp. 72–75.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "R-TYPES (PS)". Famitsu . Kadokawa Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  9. ↑ IGN Staff (24 November 2018). "R-Types US Publish-R". IGN. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "〜R's BEST〜R・TYPES" (in Japanese). Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  11. ↑ "ダイジェスト・ニュース - アイレム". Game Watch (in Japanese). Impress Group. 28 September 2001. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  12. ↑ Ishida, Kazuo (20 December 2006). "SCEJ、PS3経由のPSP用ゲーム配信「ゲームアーカイブス」に 「激走トマランナー」など9タイトルを追加". Game Watch. Impress Group. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  13. ↑ Haynes, Jeff (24 April 2008). "PSN Update (04.24.08)". IGN. Archived from the original on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  14. ↑ "R-Types Review Score". Archived from the original on 2019-12-05.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Harris, Craig (26 February 1999). "R-Types". IGN. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 4 MacDonald, Mark (February 1999). "Reviews - R-Types". Vol. 2, no. 5. Ziff Davis. Official US PlayStation Magazine. p. 79. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Clements, Ryan (25 April 2008). "Retro Roundup: R-Types". IGN. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.