R-Type Final

[E. Randy Dupre]

Late to the party; I got this on Thursday. I know it's not an opinion that's going to be shared here, but I think I prefer it to Gradius V. Yeah, dfferent types of shmup and all that, but still - RTF's so much more efective at creating atmosphere and a sense of history, and that stuff can add to your enjoyment.

There's more to bring you back if you get frustrated with your lack of progress through the game. Can't get past level x, no matter how hard you try? No problem - just put that aside for a bit while you concentrate on getting some more ships unlocked, or opening up a hidden level.

Everything appeals to me more, tbh. Shooting fleshy beasties > shooting faceless robot drones. It's no surprise that level 4's my favourite bit of GV so far. The amount of thought that's obviously gone into the music here's impressive, too - level 1's a bit dull in terms of how it plays (on Human difficulty, at least), but it's improved no end by the score. Oh, and I know that I'll eventually be able to one credit this game, whereas that just won't happen on GV.

Always loved the R-Type series (even though I've still not played Delta) and it's great to see the whole sexual body horror thing in full effect here. I love the dirty symbolism Irem shoves into your face at every turn. Even 'that' background makes sense in terms of the storyline. That said, I just opened the ship 'Sweet Memories' and can't figure out for the life of me why the pilot's nightmares, as realised by the fully-charged Illusion Wave Cannon, would be of the Parthenon. The meaning of that one's sailed right over my head.

I've got two minor complaints. First, it can be annoying to accidentally hit the switches on level 2's boss - the next time you come to do a run through, the move to the alternate level can throw your concentration out and leave you open to making mistakes. That's more a problem with my own clumsiness, though - just have to make sure that I don't hit the switches in future.

Second problem is that score attacking the stages is screwed up big time. If you want the high scores, you've *got* to die at some point so that you can increase the enemy count. Silly mistake on Irem's part, that. There should really have been either a one-life limit on stage attack or a points penalty for losing a life.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Wait, I think I understand the point of 'Sweet Memories' charged beam attack: it's supposed to be powered by the pilot's nightmares, yeah? As it hits one of the Bydo (who are pretty much a manifestation of human nightmares themselves), it reverses polarity, the explosion appearing as an image of beauty - a rose in full bloom, Greek pillars, a Shaolin temple, Rodin's The Thinker.

Christ, I ****ing love this game. The ship modelled on the POW pods has a laser that's shaped like a hearbeat on an electrocardiogram monitor! Genius!

Level 5, however, is an absolute sod. The sneaky little bastard ships just poking their noses around each side of the screen as I'm charging my beam up to take out Gains are difficult enough to see without the warping effect covering the stage. Keep on getting hit with one of their stray shots and the checkpoint is far enough back - and with the least useful weapon powerups just after it - to mean that each time I die there I might as well quit out. Boo.

Does anyone know if the online high score tables are still up and running? And, if so, where? The manual in the PAL version is missing the URL for them (page 26 says that it's on page 48, but then you turn to page 48 and there's no sign of it).

[Sega Ages]

Nice to see E. Randy Dupre's comments, that kind of series fan appreciation was exactly what Irem were aiming for with this final tribute. You seriously need to play Delta though... it's a brilliant chapter.

[E. Randy Dupre]

I intend to, but need to get myself a console capable of playing import PS games first - don't really want to end up having to experience it in PALovision.

If anyone's still interested, the answer to this:

But what is the deal with level 5 ?? is it supposed to look so incredibly blocky (like bad mode7 graphics) or is that a bug in the game ? because it's not all the time so bad ?

is that the warping effect in level 5 changes as you alter your ship speed - go faster and the screen warps more. It's the warping that creates the nasty jaggies on objects, which is why you don't see it all the time. At speed 1, you won't see any blockiness, but at speed 4 it'll be all over the place.

[Shibusawa jr.]

Yeah, it's good to see someone giving RT:F the love it deserves. One-credit or unlocked all the ships yet, Randy ?

I still play it every so often but have a hard time getting the last couple of ships. I love the alternate levels that keep the game a bit fresh and the way it lets you play out all the forces' special abilities. And the level 4 music is just mmmmm....
I personally have a hard time going back to delta as my pal copy really makes the eyes bleed.

Level 5 is a tough level, after I don't know how many launches on various diff. settings, the boss proves to be my final destination time and time again. (Never gives me the easy route first, harrr)


Give us Final part II Irem, please.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Stuck on the level 5 boss myself, as it goes. Keep losing it when he fires the rebounding lasers - and when he fires those *and* the forward-facing tractor beam together (as opposed to the two tractor beams that come from his wings) I die almost instantly, generally from being sucked into his core.

Leaving it on Normal difficulty, one credit. You learn stages far better when you're forced into replaying them, which is something that doesn't happen when you rely on credits to pull you through. Did have a quick run through the first levels on Kids difficulty, to see how much easier it was, and got to the level 5 boss with all lives intact before purposefully ramming into him so that I didn't unlock level 6 before getting there on Normal. Also did one stage attack on level 5 at Baby difficulty, just out of curiosity - if you're using a craft with the Tentacle Force, you can get it to home in on his core and finish him off in about five seconds.

Currently only at 47 ships unlocked as a result of this lack of progress - the only others that I can unlock right now, without getting to level 6, are those that require experience with the really dull, useless ones (like the R9-B series and that completely pointless craft which fires out a short-distance prong instead of a beam attack).

[Shibusawa jr.]

Some of the ships hardly pack a decent punch and it's a chore using them as you know they are useless on your quest to level 6. My ship unlocking faq says I have to reach an unknown stage with 'Misty Lady', a useless ship thats worse then the B-series (I may just suck at exploiting the ships special abilities). I'm afraid it means level F-C which makes matters somewhat complicated as it's the hardest level in the game.

I cheated and cleared the the game on Baby mode (still got killed by level 5 Boss though) to get access to the other ships. Just so curious about 3.5 that I had to get 'Cross the Rubicon'. If you didn't see it yet you're in for a treat because level 6 is very nice.

[MikeRox]

Randy, what the hell are you goin on about?

I didn't see none of that in R-Type, I jus saw, ship, enemies, and shooty shooty damn I need to try it again

[E. Randy Dupre]

Hmm...

*reads own posts*

You know, you have a point.

[Balou]

I got the game just recently and like it very much.
In the past I never really was into Shoot ?em Up games, but now I can see how much fun they are.

Anyway, I already read some FAQs on unlocking ships and I?m wondering about the password protected ones:
Do you actually get the codes at one point in the game (stuck at Lv.5 boss so far), or is it always necessary to look them up in a guide?
I know the codes are in those FAQs but I?m still reluctant to use them as long as I didn?t "earn" them in the game.

[E. Randy Dupre]

You need to use a guide, as the codes are never given in-game. I presume it was supposed to be a sort of time-release thing in Japan and the US.

That said, you can only use those passwords to unlock the ships when you've completed the relevant branches leading up to them, so you are still earning them, really.

[ucci]

Been playing this loads recently, and it is amazing - the resolution of the screen seems really crisp compared to most ps2 games.

The score means I dont have to get my biosphere or B12 cds out either as it fits in with the future setting amazingly well.

[Sony Fanboy]

Anyone have the US version of the game? Does it have a better instruction booklet than the UK version?

Thanks.

[Sane]

I have a US copy, it has a normal instruction booklet, color cover, black and white within, 24 pages.

Looking again, it's a canadian version I have, the booklet is english only though.

[Sony Fanboy]

Thanks - just wondering cause the UK one comes with a rather heafty 50 page booklet with tidbits and trivia, but looked edited and was wondering if the US version had more.