R-Type
The Force is with you
Irem's 1987 shooter combined beautiful sprite art with the innovative Force pod, creating the definitive side-scrolling shooter.
Overview
R-Type arrived in arcades and redefined what side-scrolling shooters could be. Irem’s 1987 masterpiece combined grotesque organic enemies with precise gameplay and one brilliant innovation: the Force. This detachable pod could block bullets, attach to your ship’s front or back, and fire independently. Nothing before or since has quite matched its elegance.
Fast facts
- Developer: Irem.
- Release: July 1987 (arcade).
- Innovation: the Force pod—detachable, attachable, indestructible.
- Difficulty: notorious, demanding pattern memorisation.
- Art style: bio-mechanical horror, H.R. Giger influence.
- Sequels: R-Type II, R-Type III, R-Type Final, series continues.
- Home ports: varied quality, some exceptional.
The Force
The Force pod transformed shooter gameplay:
- Indestructible: block bullets by positioning it.
- Attachable: connect to ship front (forward fire) or back (rear defence).
- Detachable: send it forward as independent weapon.
- Upgradeable: collect power-ups to enhance its firepower.
Strategic positioning of the Force became the game’s core skill.
The beam
The R-9 ship featured a charge shot:
- Hold fire button to charge.
- Release for devastating beam.
- Required timing—vulnerable while charging.
- Essential for bosses.
The levels
Eight stages of escalating horror:
- Stage 1: introduction to mechanics.
- Stage 2: Dobkeratops, the iconic boss.
- Stage 3: giant warship battle.
- Stages 4-8: increasingly nightmarish bio-mechanical environments.
Each stage memorised through painful repetition.
The difficulty
R-Type was notoriously hard:
- Pattern memorisation required.
- Losing the Force after death was devastating.
- Some sections seemed impossible until learned.
- “One more try” mentality enforced.
Home conversions
The game appeared on home platforms:
- PC Engine/TurboGrafx: definitive home version, split across two cards.
- C64: Bob Stevenson’s conversion captured the essence despite limitations.
- Amiga: arcade-quality visuals.
- Spectrum: playable, monochrome, impressive effort.
- Master System: excellent 8-bit conversion.
The C64 version
Bob Stevenson and Mark Jones delivered:
- Smooth scrolling, detailed sprites.
- Force mechanics intact.
- Level design adapted for hardware.
- One of the best C64 arcade conversions.
Legacy
R-Type set the template for serious shooters. The Force mechanic has been imitated but never bettered. The difficulty established “bullet hell” expectations. The bio-mechanical aesthetic influenced games and art beyond gaming. When people discuss the greatest shooters ever made, R-Type is always mentioned.