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Written by Ian Johnston
Byline: Farewell R-Type, you'll be missed.
Classic shooters (also known as shoot em' ups, or SHMUPS) have been a dying genre for years now. Sporadic releases by small developers such as Treasure and G-Rev have managed to keep the console shooter alive, if just barely. Back in the 8-bit and 16-bit days, when gaming was still a niche hobby, games like Gradius, Life Force, Zanac, Stinger, Xevious, Gaiares, Thunderforce II, Thunderforce III, Steel Empire, Axelay and many others found favor with gamers of the time.
The same doesn't hold true any longer unfortunately. Complex gameplay and state of the art graphics are what's valued most, so the simplistic gameplay and relatively plain look of the modern SHMUP seem to have ensured the genre's eventual demise. Thankfully, what few SHMUPs that do come out these days are usually worth playing, and that holds true for Fresh Games' latest release, R-Type Final.
The R-Type series has quite a lineage, at least as far as videogames are concerned. The series has appeared on the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, TurboGrafx-16, Super Nintendo, and PS1 to name but a few. And now the final chapter in the R-Type saga has landed on the PS2, and has made its way to America thanks to Eidos' Fresh Games label (they bring obscure Japanese games to the U.S., such as the underrated Mr. Mosquito and Mad Maestro).
Visuals:
Compared to most current console games, R-Type Final isn't exactly a visual tour de force. However, for a SHMUP it's quite nice looking. The various ships, of which are there around 100, are extremely well designed, thanks in large part to how different they look from one another. With so many ships it would have been easy to simply change certain ship designs slightly to create a new ship, but the folks at Irem went the extra mile and put some time and effort into the ship designs. The stages themselves are also very well crafted and have a lot of visual appeal. The water effects in particular are extremely well done, reminiscent of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.
There are some nice particle effects to be seen as well, and the contrast provided by the disparate looking stages is a welcome facet of the game. The enemy characters also exemplify variety, including robots and bizarre creatures of all kinds, such as a giant, sperm-shooting phallus (yes, you read that right). All in all, the graphics are quite bright and vivid, although somewhat unexceptional given the visual splendor of many current games.
Audio:
The game's aural elements are perhaps its most unremarkable feature. The typical blips and beeps that have been synonymous with SHMUP sound effects are present and in full force. They're expected and not at all bothersome, but forgettable nonetheless. As for the music, it's better than average, but still inconsequential. Some tracks are slow paced, sporting rhythmic drum-like sounds, while others are a bit more intense. The sound effects and music add up to a bland, but perfectly tolerable, listening experience.
Gameplay:
Gameplay is always the most important element in any game, and in that respect R-Type Final delivers. With roughly 100 ships, almost all of which must be unlocked, and numerous modes of play, any SHMUP fan will revel in R-Type Final's multiplicity. As previously mentioned, virtually all of the ships look distinct, and that distinction goes beyond mere appearance. Each ship starts out with the typical single bullet shot. By obtaining weapon upgrades, of which there are three types, your ship is outfitted with a special weapon.
The upgrades come in the form of yellow, red, and blue emblems, each of which - when obtained - give you a unique weapon. By getting multiple emblems of the same color you can upgrade that specific weapon. Each weapon has a different shot pattern, so the best one to use can largely depend on circumstances dictated by the game or personal preference. At any time you can go to the R-Museum in the Data & Gallery section and see what the weapons for each ship look like, as well as their shot pattern.
In addition, the Force and Bits from previous R-Type games are an integral component of R-Type Final's gameplay. Although the Force is most usually associated with Star Wars, in this case it refers to a sentry of sorts that can dock on the front or rear of your ship. It can absorb certain forms of enemy fire and can be launched as a weapon. When launched the Force shoots and moves on its own. You can bring it back at any time. In order to stay alive it's important to know when to dock and launch the Force, as well as where to dock it. At times you'll need to have it docked on the rear of your ship, and other times it'll need to be on the front of the ship.
As for the Bits, they are tiny orbs that hover directly above and directly below your ship. They work in harmony with your primary weapon and fire their own ammunition, usually small lasers or the like. They can also be used in a more direct fashion by simply flying them into an enemy. As soon as the Bit comes into contact with an enemy it begins inflicting damage. The offensive possibilities don't end there though. By holding down the square button you can charge up a powerful blast. Charging it up briefly will result in a fairly powerful discharge, but if you charge it long enough you can unleash a devastating, prolonged attack that inflicts heavy damage. You can even change the speed of your ship, ranging from level one, the slowest, to level four, the fastest.
Funfactor:
SHMUPs have endured for so long in large part because they require a different kind of focus to play than do most other games. They're twitch gaming in its purest form, requiring fast reflexes and impeccable timing. Plus, what's not to like about taking down hordes of enemies with a lone ship? Given all the ships that can be unlocked, the various gameplay modes, and the excellent enemy and stage design, there's a lot to like about R-Type Final.
However, you definitely have to take the good with the bad. There is noticeable slowdown at times, which saps the fun out the game in a hurry, and some of the weapon upgrades just seem totally useless. Granted, when you're trying to make different weapons for around 100 ships it can be difficult to make weapons that are unique, practical, and effective. However, given how utterly useless some of the weapons, one has to think that the development team could've come up with something better.
Overview:
When stacked up against the likes of relatively recent shooters such as Ikaruga, Border Down, Shikigami no Shiro (known as Mobile Light Force 2 In North America) and Psyvariar 2, R-Type Final comes out looking pretty good. It doesn't have the kind of manic feel that many of its contemporaries do, opting instead for a more deliberate, methodical approach, which is perfectly fine. Nevertheless, it's got plenty of modes, ships, and good old fashioned shooting mayhem to be more than worth the $29.99 retail price. Fans of SHMUPs and or the R-Type series won't be disappointed. It's a shame that one of the genre's biggest names is being retired, but R-Type Final was a fitting sendoff. Thanks for the memories Irem.
| Visuals: | 3.75 |
| Audio: | 3.75 |
| Gameplay: | 4.25 |
| Funfactor: | 4.5 |
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| Overall: | 4.25 |
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