R-Type
Contents
R-Type
R-Type is a horizontal shmup developed and published by Irem in 1987. Alongside Gradius, R-Type has a legacy as one of the earliest and most popular examples of a shmup, helping pave the way for the genre today. R-Type takes place in the 22nd Century, and puts the player in the seat of the R-9 Arrow Head as they fight against the Bydo, a race of hybrid machine aliens. It is well-known for its punishing difficulty which relies heavily on routing and memorization, and for its distinct visual style and enemy design, with many of the more organic creatures bordering on the edge of terrifying.
Gameplay Overview
In R-Type, the player uses two buttons, with one controlling your standard shot and the other being used to control your Force Pod (if you have one). The standard shot is equipped with a charge function, with three strengths of shot possible. Levels scroll horizontally and make use of lots of environmental hazards, requiring the player to react quickly and establish routes through stages that allow them to navigate safely. The player will be dodging bullets, enemies, walls, and all sorts of objects that move all over the screen.
R-Type contains eight stages, with a second loop that has more aggressive enemies -- making for a total of 16.
Controls
- A (Press): Fires a Shot
- A (Hold): Charges a Beam, release to fire
- B: Controls the Force Pod. When equipped, this button shoots the Pod off the ship across the screen; when operating on its own, this button slowly calls the Pod towards the player's ship
Weapons
Items
Loops
R-Type features a second loop with more challenging enemies. There are no other major changes in the second loop.
Scoring
Strategy
See R-Type/Strategy for stage maps, enemy and boss descriptions, walkthroughs, and advanced play strategies.
Dying in R-Type is extremely punishing, as you are thrown back to a checkpoint with no weapons, Force Pod, Bits, or speed-ups. Because of this, players are typically encouraged to avoid death in any way possible and to play very safely. Practicing checkpoint recovery is a critical aspect of success in this game.
Story
Development History
Version Differences
Trivia
Gallery
See R-Type/Gallery for our collection of images and scans for the game.
References & Contributors
