R-Type Final
We take Irem's classic shooter for a spin. Hands-on impressions and jaw-dropping screens are yours for the taking.
Published: January 26, 2004
In a couple of news stories and especially in our recent interview with series creators Irem, I've waxed nostalgic about how great the R-Type series has been. Sure, it hit a couple snags during the 32-bit era as the mainstream gaming public transitioned from 2D graphics to the then-fresh world of 3D, but by and large the series has remained true to what's made it so damn fun for so long: screen-filling bosses, upgradable weapons, more than a bit of strategy and a healthy helping of controller-throwing difficulty.
With R-Type Final (and yes, it appears it really is final), the team has managed to pull together what very well may be the best game in the series. It's certainly the most enticing to new gamers, offering adjustable difficulty levels that affect everything about the game -- from the number of enemies to the amount of damage your shots do to the number of continues you get to what you get when starting off, weapons-wise -- and offers up one of the prettiest shooters ever made.
With the exception of classic shoot-em-up darlings Treasure, the top-down or side-view 2D shooter genre has all but been abandoned, and for a very obvious reason: these kinds of games, despite having more time than almost any other type of game, save for perhaps the platformer, to become honed and perfected, just don't sell anymore. It's a sad, sorry state of affairs and there's a good chance that if you're reading this and you're a gamer who was brought up in the PlayStation or N64 generation, you're a guilty contributor to the decline of what used to be one of the most highly revered genres in gaming.
Luckily, you can redeem yourself by doing what we did when we finally got a chance to pour over preview code for the U.S. version of R-Type Final. We played the hell out of it, and while the game isn't quite finished yet, we're more than happy to pass along what we've gleaned so far. Eidos' Fresh Games label has had a pretty short run so far, but the switch in gears from publishing the quirky and downright bizarre to rescuing games that would never have seen the light of day Stateside is a smart one. R-Type Final plays exactly like the old games did (more on that in a second), and the result is a game that by all accounts needed to be brought over here.
For those that haven't played an R-Type game, we'll try to try to get you up to speed. The Bydo Empire, a collection of vaguely organic, semi-robotic and altogether creepy critters are involved in all manner of evil things (actually, it's never really been explained why you're fighting them). The R-Type ships, capable of being outfitted with a number of special weapons, have always been the only means of defense Earth can muster, but fortunately, it's rather peppy. Outfitted with a normal rapid-fire- or super-shot-capable cannon (used by pressing circle or holding square, respectively), and the ability to speed up (L2) or slow down (L1) in four different levels to make navigating areas easier, the different ships are well equipped in their own right.
It's the all-important indestructible detachable pod, however, that's the series' hallmark and that makes the real difference. Once acquired, a simple press of the X button can send the pot out to ether passively attack enemies simply by touching them or in the case of some of the new ships, to actively seek out targets and fire upon them. Pressing X again recalls the pod back, but it can attack to either the front or back of your ship. This is a key strategy, since enemies can attack from all sides, and you can only fire in front of you with the ship-mounted cannons. To protect the top and bottom of your ship, you can obtain "bits", little indestructible options that hover above and/or below your ship. They won't destroy enemies with a single touch like the pod, but they will keep you alive a bit longer when it comes to absorbing enemy fire.
The rest of Final follows most shooter truisms, meaning mid-level, upgradeable weapons and entire levels dedicated to fighting one enemy. None of this is particularly new, though Final does love to play with the idea that you're flying a ship in 3D space, often swooping the landscape around your ship and finishing off at odd angles. It's at once disorienting and oddly entrancing, and helps break up usual string of shooter clichés.
Where Final really shines is in the number of ships and weapons. Nearly everything on a ship, from weapons to types of bits to the paint, can be selected from the beginning of the game. Playing more and fulfilling requirements for each of the 100+ ships unlocks more options for your loadout, and offers a level of replay value that borders on the retarded. The ships themselves, especially the later ones are wildly different, and go well beyond the usual R-Type designs. What's more, each ship's subtle physical designs are met with a more pronounced super weapon upgrade, ranging from typical single super blasts to screen-filling lances of white-hot sustained energy to concussive shotgun-like kicks. The variety in ships and the advantages they offer is mind-boggling and instantly propels the game to a level of replayability and variety that few games ever reach.
Some of the more subtle touches, like the water in the second level that ripples when you plunge your ship down onto its surface, make this easily the most visually impressive R-Type game in the series, and while we still need to play plenty more of the game (damn that difficulty!), there's easily enough here to ensure that nobody will think of the R-Type series as going out with a whimper. We'll reserve final judgment for the retail copy of the game, but for now, there's no reason to not believe the Fresh Games treatment was done with the utmost respect and thanks to them, we'll soon be seeing the best shooter on the PlayStation 2.
With R-Type Final (and yes, it appears it really is final), the team has managed to pull together what very well may be the best game in the series. It's certainly the most enticing to new gamers, offering adjustable difficulty levels that affect everything about the game -- from the number of enemies to the amount of damage your shots do to the number of continues you get to what you get when starting off, weapons-wise -- and offers up one of the prettiest shooters ever made.
With the exception of classic shoot-em-up darlings Treasure, the top-down or side-view 2D shooter genre has all but been abandoned, and for a very obvious reason: these kinds of games, despite having more time than almost any other type of game, save for perhaps the platformer, to become honed and perfected, just don't sell anymore. It's a sad, sorry state of affairs and there's a good chance that if you're reading this and you're a gamer who was brought up in the PlayStation or N64 generation, you're a guilty contributor to the decline of what used to be one of the most highly revered genres in gaming.
Luckily, you can redeem yourself by doing what we did when we finally got a chance to pour over preview code for the U.S. version of R-Type Final. We played the hell out of it, and while the game isn't quite finished yet, we're more than happy to pass along what we've gleaned so far. Eidos' Fresh Games label has had a pretty short run so far, but the switch in gears from publishing the quirky and downright bizarre to rescuing games that would never have seen the light of day Stateside is a smart one. R-Type Final plays exactly like the old games did (more on that in a second), and the result is a game that by all accounts needed to be brought over here.
For those that haven't played an R-Type game, we'll try to try to get you up to speed. The Bydo Empire, a collection of vaguely organic, semi-robotic and altogether creepy critters are involved in all manner of evil things (actually, it's never really been explained why you're fighting them). The R-Type ships, capable of being outfitted with a number of special weapons, have always been the only means of defense Earth can muster, but fortunately, it's rather peppy. Outfitted with a normal rapid-fire- or super-shot-capable cannon (used by pressing circle or holding square, respectively), and the ability to speed up (L2) or slow down (L1) in four different levels to make navigating areas easier, the different ships are well equipped in their own right.
It's the all-important indestructible detachable pod, however, that's the series' hallmark and that makes the real difference. Once acquired, a simple press of the X button can send the pot out to ether passively attack enemies simply by touching them or in the case of some of the new ships, to actively seek out targets and fire upon them. Pressing X again recalls the pod back, but it can attack to either the front or back of your ship. This is a key strategy, since enemies can attack from all sides, and you can only fire in front of you with the ship-mounted cannons. To protect the top and bottom of your ship, you can obtain "bits", little indestructible options that hover above and/or below your ship. They won't destroy enemies with a single touch like the pod, but they will keep you alive a bit longer when it comes to absorbing enemy fire.
The rest of Final follows most shooter truisms, meaning mid-level, upgradeable weapons and entire levels dedicated to fighting one enemy. None of this is particularly new, though Final does love to play with the idea that you're flying a ship in 3D space, often swooping the landscape around your ship and finishing off at odd angles. It's at once disorienting and oddly entrancing, and helps break up usual string of shooter clichés.
Where Final really shines is in the number of ships and weapons. Nearly everything on a ship, from weapons to types of bits to the paint, can be selected from the beginning of the game. Playing more and fulfilling requirements for each of the 100+ ships unlocks more options for your loadout, and offers a level of replay value that borders on the retarded. The ships themselves, especially the later ones are wildly different, and go well beyond the usual R-Type designs. What's more, each ship's subtle physical designs are met with a more pronounced super weapon upgrade, ranging from typical single super blasts to screen-filling lances of white-hot sustained energy to concussive shotgun-like kicks. The variety in ships and the advantages they offer is mind-boggling and instantly propels the game to a level of replayability and variety that few games ever reach.
Some of the more subtle touches, like the water in the second level that ripples when you plunge your ship down onto its surface, make this easily the most visually impressive R-Type game in the series, and while we still need to play plenty more of the game (damn that difficulty!), there's easily enough here to ensure that nobody will think of the R-Type series as going out with a whimper. We'll reserve final judgment for the retail copy of the game, but for now, there's no reason to not believe the Fresh Games treatment was done with the utmost respect and thanks to them, we'll soon be seeing the best shooter on the PlayStation 2.
