| Introduction:
Ever since its release years ago in the arcade R-Type has
been the shooter by which all other shooters are compared.
It is to shooters what Street Fighter II was to fighting
games. The first Super NES release was called Super R-Type
and was an excellent shooter that was jam packed with long
and challeging levels. But if you thought Super R-Type was
good you ain't seen nothin' yet! R-Type 3 is basically Super
R-Type on speed! Not to mention the really cool use of the
SNES's special effects that were somewhat lacking in the
first Super NES release. And as with most shooters this is
basically your save the galaxy type game. You have to save
the galaxy from the evil BYDO empire. And for those of you
who have played previous R-Type games you know that they are
well noted for their high level of difficulty and R-Type 3
is no exception.
Graphics [8.5/10]:
The first thing I noticed about R-Type 3 was just how much
better the graphics and special effects were than the ones
found in Super R-Type. I honestly thought the graphics in
the first R-Type were about as good as you could get but boy
was I wrong. I mean these graphics are a serious step up.
And wait until you see the bosses in this game. They are
downright creepy not to mention extremely challenging.
Music and Sound [6.5/10]:
The music in R-Type 3 is also standard R-Type material. I
wish I could say that Irem had upgraded the soundtrack as
much as they did the graphics but I am sad to say they
didn't. Not much new here. But the basic R-Type soundtrack
wasn't that bad to begin with. I was just hoping for
something a little more upbeat. Maybe I have been spoiled
but the hard rockin' Lords of Thunder soundtrack. Basically
the music is not annoying but not very catchy either. And
that's a shame considering what an outstanding game this is.
Game Play [9/10]:
As any shooter fan knows, control and game play are a VERY
important part of a shooter. And R-Type 3 is about as good
as it gets. Very tight and responsive and just loose enough
to make it a little forgiving. And with all of the rotation
in certain levels, not to mention the constant bombardment
by enemy ships, you'll be thanking Irem for taking the time
to get the control right.
Challenge and Replay [9/10]:
R-Type 3 is a very challenging game. Rookies need not apply
here. And with the absence of a difficulty setting, you are
forced to play the game at the difficulty level set by the
developers and it's pretty difficult. I was able to beat the
game but it took a lot of practice and even more patience. I
would not reccomend this game to gamers who are not skilled
at shooters. For them this game will quickly become
frustrating. And by that I mean many profanity-laden
tantrums not to mention throwing the controller on the
ground and stomping it to peices kinda frustrating. But for
those looking for the ultimate in shooter challenge...you've
come to the right place.
Overall/Conclusion [9/10]:
Overall I have to give this game a 9 simply because it is
one of the best shooters I have ever played and by far the
best so far in the R-Type series of games. And yes I mean
even better than R-Type Delta for the Playstation. Maybe not
as flashy but just a downright better game in my opinion. I
could only come up with two flaws in this game and they were
the music and difficulty. It's easy to get past the music as
you can just turn down the volume but there is no way around
the difficulty so be warned. But I found the difficulty just
challenging enough to keep me coming back for more. And
after all isn't that what a great game is all about!
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