Something old is new again.
There has been a marked resurgence in the return of the arcade game. In some
cases, the latest release of old stand-bys is merely that – a somewhat straight
port of a classic game to a new platform. But in some cases, the old arcade
title is undergoing a facelift for the next generation console systems.
Take R-Type for example. This was a solid arcade side-scrolling shooter that
consumed quarters almost 20 years ago when it was introduced. If you ever
visited the arcade, you remember the game. Up, down, accelerate, brake, and
shoot at enemies, dodge asteroids, and other airborne junk.
Well, it’s baaaaack!
Fresh Games, Irem Software and Eidos Interactive have teamed up for the February
release of R-Type Final. If you want to talk about a serious graphical upgrade –
this game has it. And yes, it is still somewhat mindless, challenging and
time-consuming fun. This game promises a lot of innovations to the title to move
it away from the ‘just another retread’ category and into a title that borrows
heavily from the original, but still manages to create its own space.
There are several ways to play and several difficulty levels. The game sports
the tutorial (which is a quick overview of the control set-up, so don’t expect
too much there), then the main game mode, a Versus AI mode, and the Score
attack. The difficulty levels show off a little attitude and challenge players
as well: there is Baby, Kids, Human, Bydo and R-Typer.
The game employs a Force System to power up ships, which are sent into battle
against the evil Bydo. There are more than 100 ships available and each, after
you unlock them, can be customized with weapons upgrades and paint jobs.
The basic set up is this, you select your ship, launch it and then sit back and
get ready for a terrific piece of eye candy. The levels are imaginative, and
though this is still a side-scrolling game, the environments and ships look
three-dimension. Not only will you have floating mines, but also giant bots
armed with big guns and rocket backs to fight.
The audio track features pulse-pounding music, and the usual array of
space-blasting effects.
While the game play is generally simplistic, the game is challenging. This is a
game that looks terrific and plays very well. Don’t expect rocket science with
this title. This is an old-arcade game that has undergone some major changes and
steps bravely forward into the next century with a look that will be totally at
home.
This is billed as the final release of R-Type. If you are a fan of classic
arcade shooters, and don’t mind that they have been upgraded to embrace the
graphical capabilities available now, then pick this one up fast.
