""Blast off and Strike the Evil Bydo Empire...for the last time""

R-Type is one of my favorite shmups and also one of the heavy favorites back in the day when 2d shmups are one of the common genres in the gaming world. But now, it's a dying breed. Irem made this last installment and as the result it really did went out with a bang!

CONTROLS: 10/10

The old R-Type control scheme is still intact! Maneuvering the ship, dodging serious firepower, accelerate and decelerate with a touch of a button, easy menu navigation, all of this are well done due to the simple controls. The joystick is well done as well.

GRAPHICS: 9/10

The Eye Candy in this game is littering all over this game! The backgrounds are meticulous as well from the heavy foliage of stage 2.0 to the beyond weirdness of stage 5.0. From start to finish, each stage is downright gorgeous! The Bydo and the Ships are meticulously detailed both in game and the kick ass opening movie. However, the slowdown hurts the score, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the game.

STORY: 10/10

The Bydo returns again! But this time Mankind goes into the offensive. Operation Last Dance has commenced! Call me crazy but this is the only shmup game that I encounter bizarre, compelling, yet unfinished storyline. You may think that this is a simple story but there is a much deeper depth that's worth discussing to a fellow R-Typer....

SOUND: 9/10

The Sound Effects really stands out, this is a big Plus for me. The sounds of explosions, the agonizing screams of an unfortunate Bydo, and other superb sounds doesn't get annoying. However, I was a bit disappointed of the BGM. But overall most of the songs are appropriate to the theme and the atmosphere of the stage. But the past R-Type installments have better music since it has more variety.

GAMEPLAY: 10/10

All of the basic controls are still intact. Thanks to Irem, none of the gameplay has changed except a few things.

1. There are alternating routes on some stages.

2. Customizing the color of the cockpit and the entire ship. But not just the looks, but the bits, missiles, and other goodies can be customized as well.

3. There are many, MANY ships to unlock. The replay value is very high compared to other Shmups out there.

4. With so much ships, there are plenty of variety! But unlocking them takes a lot of hard work and a lot of your free time!

5. The difficulty is adjustable from Baby to R-Typer.

6. Vs. AI mode.

Compared to the previous R-Type series, the level designs are a bit dull compared to the evil designs of the other R-Type games. But Final did a great job.

Rent or buy?

Rent this game if you're new to the R-Type series or looking a good game to kill time. But for all hardcore shmups out there, this game is a must buy. Not only this costs around $30 it will be super rare in the future. Give yourself a pat on the back and thank God that you've bought this game. Trust me, this game is definitely a shooter's paradise.

Controls: 10/10
Graphics: 9/10
Story: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Sound: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/19/04