R-Type

Sometimes, when we are honored to review a classic game, a little fear always comes to mind: what if that game was exalted by our childish perception? Can a game worth 5$ at the time be replayed 25 years later?

R-Type is considered the one of the best games ever. Its also common knowledge that its at the same time one of the most fun and one of the most challenging games. Although we might talk about Gradius or any other mid-80s game legacy, nearly every shootem up released since then has to pay homage to R-Type in a way or another.

Dot-Emu has brought it back nearly as we left it. The same scroll, the same enemies, the same power-ups, the same chargeable bar to blast everything in front of you and the same force, that shield you can throw or use to protect your nose or your back. If you played R-Type then and you play it now, dont be surprised that you are still able to remember which enemies appear and when. Those memories were well saved somewhere in your mind, waiting for the moment they are needed back. The same tricks that worked at the time, work now: throw your shield to the first boss navel and leave it there to defeat it in a few seconds; dig yourself at the center of the screen with your shield in contact with the aliens eye to defeat the second boss; and dont forget to put your shield on your back when you turn over the prow of the huge starship youll find at the end of the third stage...

The effort needed to not alter the surgical gameplay and bring back the game means that just several innovations have been added. OpenFeint integration, adaptation of controls to suit on-screen playing, autofire and two difficulty settings. Graphics are from the 16bit version, music and effects are the same. It may not seem a big deal to youngsters used to play flashy 3D games, but dont worry. In this humble old school reviewer opinion R-Type was the best and, thanks to Dot Emu, we can play it again. It was the best then and its the most fun now.

If you want to be pitted against an alien horde, kill thousands of aliens piloting your spaceship in a battle against all odds, if you feel daring enough as to save humanity once more as if twenty-five years were nothing, if you still trust yourself as to engage the most challenging game ever, heres your chance thanks to Dot-Emu. Because, answering the question from the first paragraph, yes indeed, theres a selected elite of games from our childhood that not only can be replayed now, but also deserve it. Five star rating, compulsory purchase.