Solid entry into the seires, the variable level of difficulty is appreciated.
Game-play/Play-Mechanics: R-Type Final plays like the other games in the series; you have a primary force weapon which has three different types of fire-power that can be acquired, a concentrated blast, a forward-diagonal weapon, and finally a weapon that usually will give coverage vertically. You can shoot the force away from the ship and hold it there (It will provide more basic fire-power doing this) and you also have the option of latching it to the rear of the ship to concentrate fire-power in that direction. In addition you can, before the game begins, choose one of two or three missile type sub-weapons, and one of two or three bit/option types. On top of all of that, the trademark charge weapon is still available, and has two to three separate levels of charge power, and there is also a super-bomb type attack that build up slowly during the course of the game. R-Type Final adds much more variety than most other shooters as you can unlock up to 99 different ships, which are a different mix and match of force, missile, and bit types, as well as being distinctive ship models. While there are plenty of crossovers between ships and their available weaponry, there are still plenty of different weapon styles to discover and play around with, and this does provide some extra replay incentive, as does the games’ fun-factor in general. To further increase the replay value, R-Type Final features multiple variations of some levels when certain conditions are met, as well as a hidden extra level. Part of the reason for R-Type being more fun than usual is that there are selectable difficulties, and the easier difficulties are now accessible for most gamers, which lies in stark contrast to most of the previous R-Type games, as they are known for being some of the toughest and most unforgiving shooters around. Those gamers who want to push the limits of challenge like before can always play on the higher difficulty settings, so there is something for everyone, but even on the easiest setting, the game still provides some moderate challenge. The levels themselves are pretty good for the most part, shifting between city, space, and organic level themes, and there is plenty of action to contend with at all times, as well as some occasional mini-bosses. The end of level bosses are passable, but could have been a little cooler I guess, I’ve seen better in many of the classic shooters of the 16-bit era. Some slowdown tarnishes the game-play at times, particularly during the third level where it is present for the entire duration, but no matter the technology it seems as if shooters often push the special-effects past the point where the console is able to compensate without some slow-down, it is really not that big of a deal if you are accustomed to 2D shooters.
Visuals/Artwork: R-Type is a slick and attractive looking game, with most of the weaponry and backgrounds having a polished and dynamic look about them. The bosses are not massive but take usually take most of one screen and look pretty cool. The third level is neat with the classic scenario of the player working his way around a giant battle ship and blowing it to pieces bit by bit, except here the perspective and backgrounds shift around which is a nice visual touch. The distorted space scene of level 5 is also very cool to look at, as if you are flying through some highly unstable and volatile portion of space. Most gamers should be more than satisfied with the visual presentation.
Music/Sound: Like most R-Type games, the music has its’ very good moments but on the whole the soundtrack is not outstanding from beginning to end, and the first two levels are more atmospheric with no real formed arrangements to speak of. Level 4 has some nice tension-building composition though, and I really like the level 5 music, which is highly reminiscent of a grandiose opera piece. R-Type Final does not feature among the best music that the genre has to offer, yet it remains quite satisfactory. The sound-effects are good blue-collar shooter sound-bytes, pretty much what a purist would come to expect. I wouldn’t say that R-Type Final is the very best of the series, but it is a fine installment and a nice way to complete the series on a good finishing note.