If perchance you grew up with arcade games in the 80’s, you may have come across R-Type, a challenging side scrolling shooter from Nintendo and Irem. Featuring a ship going up against a devastating alien force known as the Bydo Empire, it’s up to you to pick up devastating power-ups to send them back to where they came from. Of course, the challenge level makes it a bit of a task, but well worth it to those that are dedicated.
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The game has seen a number of ports over the years, as well as notable sequels like Delta and Final — but Tozal Games’ R-Type Dimensions remains the most impressive. It includes revamped versions of R-Type and R-Type II, with fantastic new visuals and music; but with the press of a button, you can revert back to the original arcade versions of the game, without missing a beat.
After seeing success on the Xbox 360 (and Xbox One, backward compatible) and PlayStation 3 front, R-Type Dimensions is shooting for its biggest audience yet, with a new EX edition for Steam and Nintendo Switch. We’re looking at the console version specifically here, because it’s probably the best of the bunch. After all, nothing beats being able to fend off gross-looking aliens while sitting in the back of a car on a road trip.
Tough, But Something Here For the Easy Road
The games are still as tough as you remember them, as enemies in both R-Type and R-Type II literally throw everything at you; and once you’re out of ships, it’s game over. But for those that are uninitiated or just want to see how the games actually end for once, there’s an infinite mode, where you have countless ships, so you can get through from beginning to end. Granted, it does seem like cheating in a way, but it provides a relief to those that aren’t quite elite players when it comes to “shmup” skills.
The game keeps track of your high score and the ships you lose and adds them to online leaderboards; so if you do want a challenge, you can play normally and see how you fare against others. It’s a rather cool feature, and shows just how weak your gameplay talents might be compared to other players around the world. You were warned.
R-Type Dimensions EX‘s switch-off feature between classic 80’s graphics and new-fangled HD designs is still intact, and works wonderfully on the Switch, again without missing a beat. Tozal Games has this formula nailed down pat, and we can’t help but wonder if they could try their hand at it with other Irem games. (Looking at you,ย In the Hunt.)
EX Options, and a Fun Presentation
We also like the various camera options, including a “crazy” one that tilts it to give the game more of a 3D view. It’s great, and more effective than the “arcade” one, though it emulates the feeling of playing on a retro stand-up machine rather well.
The music is also very loyal to the classic R-Type soundtracks, as the new tunes keep up with the old quite well. The sound effects are good too, with the old-school explosion noises you may remember from the original.
So where does the EX option come in? Well, now you can actually speed up or slow down your gameplay if you prefer, watching bullets whizz by or making them go so slow that you can manipulate your way around them. This is just a tack-on gimmick, but it’s one worth giving a try to, especially if you watch to see how R-Type fares at an insane speed.
That leads us to the game’s controls, which are great. R-Type still feels like R-Type; and being able to shoot out an option to shield you from enemy shots or increase your firepower in certain areas is very cool. Just don’t leave yourself too vulnerable, yeah?
It’s Our Type of R-Type
The only downside is that R-Type Dimensions doesn’t really cover the complete legacy. I would’ve liked to have seen other games get the HD treatment, such as the under-appreciated R-Type: The Third Lightning from the SNES era; as well as R-Type Delta and R-Type Final. Maybe someday.
Collectively, however, Dimensions still gives you an extraordinary deal for your buck — well, fifteen of them anyway. You get the classic games if you prefer to play that way; and the new treatments are excellent, and pay loving tribute to Irem’s work. Throw in online leaderboards, local two-player support (no online, but it works better if you’re a couch team anyhow), options to make the game less painfully difficult (or even more so, if that’s your thing) and the ability to shoot down enemies wherever you go, and you’ve got a package that goes beyond the usual Dimensions. Now if we can just get the rest of the R-Type series to follow this route.
WWG’s Score: 4 out of 5.
(Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher.)
