Bye bye, Bydo. R-Type Final.

There’s a gamer term I like to throw around: palette cleanser. It’s used to classify short, digestible games that help a gamer get ready for longer, more arduous games. For me, palette cleansers help when I need a break from saving the world in an RPG. R-Type Final on the PlayStation 2 is a perfect example of this. At the time of its release in 2004, developer Irem stated that it would be the last entry in the R-Type series, which I learned started in 1987. This eventually turned out to not be the case with the PSP release of R-Type Tactics. However, if Final was the last entry, then the series would have gone out with a literal and figurative bang. No matter how familiar and skilled you are with shooters, R-Type Final is a solid one that I recommend.

And when it comes to familiarity and skill, I’ll be the first to admit that I have neither with shooters. But, that didn’t stop me from jumping in. Since its advent, the R-Type series has told the story of man versus the Bydo. Bydo are living weapons built with the self-replicating properties of DNA. They have physical mass but the properties of an invisible wave. War after war against the Bydo has been fought and won, but the Bydo still reemerge. In R-Type Final, a weapon to end the Bydo for good was developed. A lone pilot will be fighting Bydo with Bydo with a unique Bydo-based weapon. Players take control of a pilot in Operation Last Dance in an epic, final battle. While lacking much of a narrative, there is something interesting about the small bits of story that get trickled in during each level. These range from past pilot logs, which I’m guessing are from past R-Types, to current communications. It adds a bit of personality to an otherwise story-less genre.

R-Type Final is a 2.5D horizontal shooter. Holding the square button unleashes a powerful Wave Cannon shot. Holding the circle or R1 buttons fires rapid-fire shots. That’s where the basics end. Power Ups will appear in one of three colors: red, blue and yellow. Red provides powerful, frontal lasers. Blue provides wide-range lasers that aren’t as damaging. Yellow provides unique lasers that will follow the path of the ship. The ships in R-Type Final utilize a living weapon called a Force. Forces will damage enemies that are hit by it, and they can absorb some enemy projectiles. Essentially, they serve as a shield. As the Force absorbs impacts, the Dose Gauge builds in power. You can unleash a screen clearing super attack once the Dose Gauge is at 100%. The Force can be detached with the X button. While detached, it will hover around the screen, firing away. Pressing X again will move the Force back to the ship. It can be docked in the front or the back. This adds an extra level of strategy. With the right placement the Dose Gauge will fill up quicker. Finally, your ship can pick up to two support units called Bits. These are attached above and below your ship, providing their own firing support.

The stuff written above should disseminate what sets R-Type apart from other shooters. But, there’s more. A lot more, actually. The more you play, the more you unlock. There are over 100 ships to discover, including altered versions of ships appearing from previous games. It was thanks to this feature that I was able to finish the game. Yes, I finished it on the lowest difficulty setting (aptly named “baby”) but a win is a win. When I first booted up R-Type Final, I chose a ship that was classified as “technical.” I was raring to go after I altered its colors and set off on standard difficulty. In what can only be described as pitiful, I saw the game over screen and lost all my continues within a few minutes. Every ship reacts differently with the red, yellow, and blue power ups. Also, as a shooter, R-Type Final is brutal on difficulty. So, needless to say, my first impression wasn’t good. After retrying with some unlocked ships that looked to be more new user friendly, I found more success. I was able to get further and further before finally delivering the last blow to the last boss. R-Type Final doesn’t mess around even on the lowest difficulty settings, but there are a ton of options that make some of said difficulty more bearable.

Another area where the game doesn’t mess around is the presentation. Most of the time. The music and sound effects are awesome and immersive. The music playing in the background will always have you bopping along as you blast enemies and/or get blown up. While visually stunning, especially given how old the game is, R-Type Final is prone to slowdowns when the screen gets too crowded. It’s unfortunate because otherwise the game is smooth sailing. Interestingly, the slowdowns happen in the same areas so gamers might be able to plan their strategy ahead of time. That aside, the level of detail and lighting effects are commendable.

As of this writing, I still have no idea why I picked R-Type Final as my palette cleanser. I had no familiarity with the series and I’m terrible at shooters. Maybe I’ll figure out why somewhere down the line. Either way, I’m glad I took a step outside of my comfort zone with it. One thing that I really appreciate about it is the longevity. Shooters are known for having high replay value, and R-Type Final is no exception. Despite being nearly 20 years old, there are tons of reasons to go back for more: secret ships, hidden levels, various weapon combinations, and a massive glossary of all that’s been uncovered. A regular file will last a couple of hours for skilled players. Unlocking everything will take far longer. To add some sweetness to the mix, R-Type Final is inexpensive. Players that like physical copies of their games like myself won’t break the bank securing a copy. Ultimately, I’m quite pleased with myself for taking a chance and trying something different. R-Type Final is a solid shooter, and this is coming from someone that usually stays far away from them.

Overall, 8/10: A bad first impression and some graphical slowdowns weren’t enough to keep me from coming back for more. R-Type Final is a great shooter that does its legacy proud.