R-Type review - Sega Master System
The evil Bydo Empire is attacking the Federation and the only thing standing between them and victory is you and your R-9 fighter. This highly manenverable attack craft is the apex in modern space fighter technology, and is well equipped to take on anything anybody throws at it. And the Bydo Empire are certainly throwing plenty!
The mission of mercy takes places over eight horizontally scrolling levels, each packed with vicious and highly aggressive alien beings and craft, and each with a horrible guardian waiting at the end. The Bydos are certainly not renown for their good looks, and these guardians are revolting, ranging from a giant heart-type organism complete with a slimy robo-snake living at its core to a giant multi-eyed sponge monster.
The R-9 is a multi-role craft, and accepts bolt-on weaponry, available by shooting one of the many supply drones flown in by friendly forces. There are a variety of different weapons and some are better suited to certain battle situations than others - it's up to you to find out which.
At the end of the eighth level is Bydo himself, and he must be confronted in a one-one-one battle. There can only be one survivor...
What the Mean Machines staff thought
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Despite some minor flaws, R-Type is one of the finest horizontally scrolling shoot 'em ups available on the Sega. Virtually all the features of the coin-op have been crammed into this conversion, with all eight levels (AND a secret one) and identical game-mechanics! The graphics are stunning, and are about as close to the coin-op you could possibly get on the Master System. The sound's a bit wobbly, but nevertheless manages to add atmosphere to the action! The price you pay for this amazing accuracy is that the game plays a little slower than it does in the arcades, and there's also a bit of flicker when things get very busy. However, the challenging and highly addictive gameplay coupled with the superb visuals more than makes up for those deficiencies, and the end result is an exciting and rewarding blaster with plenty of long-lasting appeal. If you're a shoot 'em up fan and missed this when it was released, make sure you add it to your cartridge collection at the first available opportunity.
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Retrospective comments
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This was a game I played many times to completion on the master system. A really great coin-op conversion that pushed the master system to it's limits. It even had a extra bonus level that the arcade never had! |
Have your say about this review
Tris Wicks - 05 Nov 2008, 03:36 GMT
This game changed everything I thought a shooter could be. This is the version I had and this is the version I love.
Richy Girth - 04 Dec 2008, 13:32 GMT
It certainly whipped the competition.
I even preferred this over the C64 version. (Even possibly the Amiga version too, to tell you the truth....)
And I never had the PC Engine, so that option was nonexistant for me.
Yeah the glitching was a 'mare to deal with at times, but aside from that I cant really fault it. A real game to be proud of back in the day.
When you look at it now, it seems a bit 'quaint' compared to the other versions (gotta love the little MS chip versions of the themes) like the MAME-emulated original, The PC Engine version and the coin-op version released in the 'R-Types' for the playstation for example.. but it still has character and is a good laugh to play...its R-type ferchristsakes..!!! Nothin' but love.
Dan - 24 Feb 2009, 16:11 GMT
This was an awesome game, a bit unforgiving and tough as old boots on later levels, plus the constant flickering and slow down got annoying, but thats how good it was, despite these minor faults it didn't matter.
Another game who's inventive + original level design, weapons and bosses placed it head and shoulder above other titles, defo in the master system top 5.
