R-Type Final

"Another form of horizontal bliss"

I have to admit, I'm not a hardcore shooter fan. I did grow-up with them, but I never really got into them. 1942, Contra, Contra III, and an R-type on the SNES were some of the games in the genre I played in the past. It hasn't been until recently, with games such as Einhander, and Ikaruga that I really have come to realize, and appreciate, just how fun this type of game can be. R-Type Final is an amazing horizontal shooter.

Starting out with a few ships, you blast through action-packed levels filled with organic and mechanical looking enemies (sometimes both), as you try to take on the Bydo Empire once again. At your disposal are various power-ups that allow you to fire shots of various types. Each of the three power-ups of red, yellow, and blue give differing effects when collected and used. When you collect a power-up for the first time it gives you a pod, or a "Force" as it's called, that you can launch. You can send it into enemies, call it back, and attach it to the front or back of your ship firing it from either end. It acts as a sort of shield, taking damage that might be intended for your ship. It can also shoot when detached, and depending on how much you power it up it can shoot from many angles--it is your best friend.

When attached at either end of your ship, The Force pod acts as a second gun to your standard cannon, firing in various types of patterns. For example, a yellow power-up can give you a plasma-like wavebeam or an energy discharge that shoots straight up and down, hugging the ceiling and floor, along with your gun shots. And if your Force pod has come into contact, as in touched or used to destroy many enemies, it can be powered-up in a different way and be used to send a devastating blast that can fill the screen. It really depends on which ship you choose that determines your weaponry.

Also dependent on what ship you select are the various types of charging beams called Wave Cannons. You charge it up, sometimes at several rates, and let go with a powerful force that can take down bigger foes with a bit of ease; some Wave Cannons can even provide shielding, and be controlled. There is a cost though: You can't shoot while charging. Meaning, you are vulnerable unless you discharge (shoot) your Force pod, use it to ram into enemies while it's attached, or pick up a missile power-up that can give your ship extra firepower; however, they can be scarce. This can definitely lead to some very hairy situations, as the screen can be littered with enemies coming at you from every angle. Enemies from behind, in-front, below, and above, don't give you enough time to rest, especially if they are shooting at you--and I mean every angle. Don't worry though, through memorization, the ability to slowdown/speed-up, and continues that turn into "free play," you can get through rough patches as I did. You can also collect other types of pods, called bits, that fly along side you acting as more defense.

The enemies may be plentiful, but they are awesome opponents. As I stated before, the enemies range from organic creatures, such as giant birds, to the mechanized war machines of the Bydo Empire; all of them are well done. The enemies fit and are equally well-done as the various levels that share the organic/machine themes.

What's also great about the levels is you can enter different versions of them by completing certain tasks. Say you do so in level 1, you then can go to level 2.2 instead of just level 2. I haven't quite figured out exactly how this is done, but it is possible. And by doing so, a beautiful jungle in level 2 can be a sort of wasteland in level 2.2. Along with the new scenery, new types of enemies can also appear. This just gives the game more replay and a sense of change.

Every time you play, you can get a chance to earn a new ship. To get new ships the game may require you to use a certain one for a period of time, finish a certain level, or use a password. There are around 99 you can unlock, and doing so gave me a reason to keep on playing. Even if some look the same (many are stronger versions of the former), they can have different weaponry, some customizable. The color can also be customized. You can even have access to Bydo ships--very cool.

Aside from collecting ships, you can also gather artwork in a gallery, enemy information like descriptions and pictures (special ships can be used for better reconnaissance of enemy info), and stats. The stats are in a ''War Chronicle'' that basically tell you how many times you cleared the game, high score, how many ships you have, and how much you have used them, along with other things.

The really neat stat collector is the ''Awards'' data. It works sort of like in the game Super Smash Bros: Melee. It keeps track of when you accomplish something noteworthy, such as discovering Level 4.0, finding 20 ships, or launching over 100 times, along with the date. It keeps me guessing of what can be found next.

Along with all this is the AI mode which is a two-player-like duel. You choose a ship, assign it AI, and have it duel with another ship. It can be by yourself, with your friends ship via memory card, or a password ship. In the AI, you select things like how far apart the ship should be from its opponent and what kind of weaponry you prefer it battle with. You then sit back and watch as the battle takes place, AI vs AI, without your control. It is sort of like a RPG battle, but very limited; and also very fun. I found this mode to be quite fun and different from the controlled dogfights you normally see.

The only bad in the game I could come up with were a slight showing of some slowdown, some cheesy named ships, like the delicatessen (just look at the numbers...just look at the numbers...), and some often frustrating parts where I kept getting killed. However nothing really dampened my adoration for this overall well made game.

Practice does eventually payoff, including in the controls, as everything is simple and laid out well. Being able to call back your Force pod and shoot minimally or rapidly is easy and effective. If you don't like the layout, you can customize it to you liking. Everything from speeding up to slowing down is easy and manageable. I had no problems whatsoever in dodging enemies or taking them down. You can even skid along the top or bottom of many levels and not take damage--quite forgiving.

And while shooters are not generally known for their story, there is some attempt at one with back-story to know, about 500 years worth. Basically you are again out to take on the Bydo Empire. The Bydo are a ruthless ''living weapon with self-replicating properties of DNA.'' They basically take control of machines and can evolve life, such as in the giant bird-like enemies you'll encounter. The game has a cool sci-fi feeling to it: the enemy is in everything.

Absolutely brilliant is what I would call the visuals; the graphics are nicely done. From rippling water effects to the topsy-turvy camera that has your ship spinning all about, the game offers up great visuals and effects, such as in a part where you are taking on an enormous battleship in the skies above the city. It switches from a side view, to an overhead view, but only the ships rotate. Meaning, your still moving horizontally, but the skyscrapers are now beneath you, as evident when you blast apart an enemy or part of the ship and see their debris go tumbling down below. Many enemies are also well designed, but some are rather generic like a giant flying robot with a giant gun. Some of the bigger bosses are richly presented as larger than life. And the explosions, for the bigger guys, are truly grand and give a sense of great destruction.

Great sounds and music also fill the game. If you like Techno you'll get your fill; there's also a song from Blue Man Group. Other tones fill the game with somber and threatening music ominously playing in certain levels, giving somewhat of a foreshadow of what's to come. It's war, so dire music is fitting. The menu screens give a bit of relief from the rest of the game's music by offering its own unique Jazz-like style. You'll also get great effects like in the explosions, weapon effects, and in the screeching of organic beasts you torture with your arsenal.

Few games are worth the trouble of enduring challenging gameplay, even rarer are games that truly make doing so not a chore, but fun. R-Type Final is one of those games. Getting to the end of a level is a task worth completing and celebrating. With great challenging gameplay and replay, R-Type Final is definitely a buy. You may get frustrated in parts, but that is, of course, why practice makes perfect.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/04/04, Updated 02/03/06