

Advertising Blurbs

Print advertisement - Power Play 12/1988:

    Oft kopiert — nie erreicht!

    Diesmal wird es von der OriginaI-Arcadenversion von R-Type nur eine Original-Computerversion gebeft Und zwar von ELECTRC DREAMS.
    Die haben in überzeugender Weise den IREM-Klassiker inklusive aller Besonderheiten umgesetzt. Vergeßt also alle Imitationen - es gibt nur ein R-Type. Rin Actionspiel, von dem die ganze Galaxie spricht. Erhältlich für C 64, Armstrad und Atari ST.

    Contributed by Patrick Bregger (237113) on Aug 16, 2011. - Wii:
    R-Type was a huge success when it was released in North American arcades in the late 1980s. The irony of the situation was that while Nintendo's arcade division actually brought the game to America, it never brought a port to its 8-bit NES platform. In Japan, R-Type was largely responsible for selling an enormous amount of PC Engine consoles; it was *that* big of a gaming phenomenom. When the Turbo Grafx was released in the North America, gamers were finally able to play a port true to its arcade roots. Sure, there was a Sega Master System version of the game, but it literally paled in comparison to the Turbo Grafx's brilliant color palette and superior sound quality.

    In Japan, limitations of the Hucard's memory required that R-Type be released as 2 separate games with 4 levels each; by the time the game made its way to the US, it was able to fit on just one Hucard. Now, while those poor people in Japan have to download 2 separate Virtual Console™ games, you can play all 8 levels of the US version in just one download!

    Pitted against the Bydo Empire, the "R-Type" class ship is humanity's last hope of thwarting the impending invasion. Equipped with a sphere like object, called the "Force," this weapon contains the only form of energy strong enough to destroy the Bydo. Unfortunately, you've been chosen as the delivery system for this weapon - so it rests upon you to complete the mission. Imagine a weaponized organic form, much like a virus, but millions of times larger and you have the Bydo. They are completely manevolent, and like a virus, seek only to infect and destroy all in their path. Mankind has fought these creatures for hundreds of years and it's come down to this moment.

    While R-Type contains all the standard trappings of a horizontal shooter, the four stages you'll fly through are be best described as some of the most grueling and intense shooting stages you'll ever face. If you thought Super Star Solider was tough, then R-Type is relentless. Enemies come in waves, filling the screen with both their intimidating sizes and their projectiles. The environments are narrow, creating a clostrophobic feel and each boss fights with a mercilous ferocity that nearly all shooters that proceeded R-type mimiced to no end. What's more, R-Type was one of the first shooters to feature a full-on battle with a capital warship whose daunting size took up nearly six screens!

    One of the innovations that R-Type brought to the shooting genre was its "Charge Meter". Depressing the firing button charges the laser on your craft. If let go at maximum strength, a powerful blast is unleashed that can take out any conventional enemy. A successful campaign will be indebted to more than just your shooting skills and handling of the charged blasts; creative use of the "Force" is where it lays. Because it's invunverable, the sphere itself can be used as a weapon to destroy enemies. For defensive posture it can be used as a shield, absorbing stray projectiles! The Force can also be detached from your ship if you don't prefer close encounters, and it can also be placed on the aft or bow of your vessel. An array of power-ups such as a Counter-Air Laser which acts as a large wave beam, the powerful Rebound Laser which fires three beams in different directions, and the Counter-Ground Laser that spews flames in vertical directions play crucual roles in the effectiveness of the Force; these weapons can be powered up to three times for maximum collateral damage. Support weaponry include Homing Missiles and Bits - a pod that hovers adjacent to your ship providing limited shielding from bombardment while also serving as a secondary deployment system for weapons.

    R-Type is not for the weak of heart. We're warning you now, noobs need not apply; this game will force you to play at your best. If you die, you won't pick up where you left off, instead you'll be thrust back to an earlier point in the level. While this may be frustrating, the reason for this positioning is the game actually gives you a chance to rebound and collect the power-ups sorely needed for the impending boss battle. R-Type is one of the most popular, and critically acclaimed shooting franchises ever created. If you want to revisit a time where reflexes and twitch skills were paramount to beating a game, R-Type will give you hours of enjoyment.

    Contributed by DreinIX (10672) on May 25, 2008.

Nintendo Press Release - Wii (US):
    R-TYPE® (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): This is a completely faithful port - right down to the character details - of the famous shooting-game masterpiece.

    Contributed by Joshua J. Slone (4671) on Jul 10, 2007.

Back of Box - Gameboy (UK):

    Take a bite out of BYDO!

    BYDO and his band of menacing mutants are doing dastardly deeds. They are wreaking havoc in the Cosmos and threatening Earth. Only you, piloting the R-TYPE Spaceship, can counter this threat and save the Blue Planet from catastrophic calamity.

    Contributed by Silverfish (1346) on Aug 13, 2005.