R-Types on PS1?

[KimagureMachibuse]

R-Types is a game that i have wanted on PS1 for quite a awhile for now but i have heard that the games seem to run slightly faster clockspeed compared to the arcade orignals i would like to hear on what you think of this port.

[BIL]

Excellent conversions by IREM themselves. It's true they run noticeably faster (55hz M72 refresh VS 60hz PS1), but while it can be a bit hair-raising at first if you're heavily practiced on the PCB speed, it's nothing an enthusiast will have trouble adapting to. The other small issue is the PS1's resolution necessitating either a transparent stat bar, or a pause-to-view one (player's choice), again, a minor knock on otherwise exemplary work.

[Steven]

Even with the faster speed and complete removal of slowdown, R-Types remains the single best home version of both of those games as far as I am aware, even over Dimensions, which I have heard has collision oddities and uses the easier international version of R-Type II. Unlike R-Type Incomplete CD, though, the arranged music in Dimensions is not only not complete shit but is actually really awesome, so it's too bad you can only hear it if you play with the ugly bootleg-Dreamcast-game-looking graphics. Nothing against the Dreamcast; hell, actual Dreamcast games look WAY better than Dimensions does!

Anyway, yeah, definitely get R-Types if you don't have PCBs for both games.

[Sengoku Strider]

it's too bad you can only hear it if you play with the ugly bootleg-Dreamcast-game-looking graphics

On the Switch's screen I think they look just about flawless tbh. I'm really impressed with how well they did on the upgrade, because as you say so many 3D games in this day & age come out looking flat or cheap-looking. I go for the 3D over the arcade visuals 100% of the time. I didn't know anything about collision issues, I actually clicked on this thread to recommend Dimensions, lol. But I've never played R-Types on PS1 to compare.

[Steven]

The new music is so good that it might be worth using the 3D graphics anyway just for the music. I don't know much about the collision in Dimensions, but I have heard online that it supposedly is kind of off in a few ways. I wish I knew the details, or where I found that. Dimensions does unfortunately have a fairly large problem in 2D on Switch in handheld mode, however: improper scaling, and therefore shimmering when scrolling. It's been a while since I played it, though, so I don't remember if it happens docked, but it does in handheld. Easy way for me to dislike a rerelease of an old game is to make it not look the way it's supposed to look, especially when interpolation exists and can be used to fix that shit.

Dimensions is probably the second best home versions of those games, however. Too bad you can't use the Japanese R-Type II in Dimensions, though. Widescreen is also really cool, but I don't remember if you can actually move to or shoot things in the areas that you wouldn't be able to see on the non-widescreen versions. Multiplayer is also kind of interesting, but the games clearly are not balanced for it.

I'm really impressed with how well they did on the upgrade, because as you say so many 3D games in this day & age come out looking flat or cheap-looking.

That's you, Cotton Rock 'n' Roll...

[Sengoku Strider]

Widescreen is also really cool, but I don't remember if you can actually move to or shoot things in the areas that you wouldn't be able to see on the non-widescreen versions.

You totally can. The first example you'll see are those walker enemies who come up behind you right before you enter the base on the 1st stage, which usually require you to move the force pod to your ship's rear or something to take out. But now you can just come down behind them.

I welcome this change TBH. I get that purists might hate it, but don't think it adversely affects the game in any meaningful way really.

[Steven]

Fully functioning true widescreen for games that were originally not widescreen is always really cool. The Retro Engine Sonic remakes are pretty much the definitive example of how much of a change widescreen makes; those games look absolutely beautiful in widescreen, but being able to see farther is always an improvement in any platformer.

It's going to change the game's balance in the case of R-Type, but I don't think it should hurt the game too much.

[pablumatic]

I'm fine with the changes on R-TYPES, but I was never a purist.

I imported the game from Japan though because I didn't like that big ugly yellow explosion printed on the cover/manual on the western version with that Edge magazine quote.

[To Far Away Times]

The new music is so good that it might be worth using the 3D graphics anyway just for the music. I don't know much about the collision in Dimensions, but I have heard online that it supposedly is kind of off in a few ways. I wish I knew the details, or where I found that. Dimensions does unfortunately have a fairly large problem in 2D on Switch in handheld mode, however: improper scaling, and therefore shimmering when scrolling. It's been a while since I played it, though, so I don't remember if it happens docked, but it does in handheld. Easy way for me to dislike a rerelease of an old game is to make it not look the way it's supposed to look, especially when interpolation exists and can be used to fix that shit.

Dimensions is probably the second best home versions of those games, however. Too bad you can't use the Japanese R-Type II in Dimensions, though. Widescreen is also really cool, but I don't remember if you can actually move to or shoot things in the areas that you wouldn't be able to see on the non-widescreen versions. Multiplayer is also kind of interesting, but the games clearly are not balanced for it.

I'm really impressed with how well they did on the upgrade, because as you say so many 3D games in this day & age come out looking flat or cheap-looking.

That's you, Cotton Rock 'n' Roll...

The collision is definitely off. Some of the pixel perfect safespots don't work in Dimensions. They didn't have access to the source code, so they did a recreation by playing and trying to guess. So old routes may not work. That was a deal breaker for me, but for someone who's never played these games before, it shouldn't be an issue.

[neorichieb1971]

From what I can gather Rtypes couldn't be done 100% accurate. The arcade ran at a slower speed and the resolution more akin to a PAL resolution from what I remember reading.

Rtype goes up and down on the scrolling from memory to fit the graphics in. This may have been mentioned above with different jargon.

[BIL]

Rtype goes up and down on the scrolling from memory to fit the graphics in.

Nope. You have a choice of a translucent stat bar, or a toggleable one. There's no added wobble scrolling, thank fucking God.

[o.pwuaioc]

Rtype goes up and down on the scrolling from memory to fit the graphics in.

Nope. You have a choice of a translucent stat bar, or a toggleable one. There's no added wobble scrolling, thank fucking God.

Agreed, that would be intolerable.

One thing I never got is why R-Type Complete on the PCE-CD never got as much love? Is it the re-arranged soundtrack? Otherwise it always seemed spot on to me.

[BIL]

One thing I never got is why R-Type Complete on the PCE-CD never got as much love? Is it the re-arranged soundtrack? Otherwise it always seemed spot on to me.

It's usually its exceedingly unfortunate omission of the second loop that gets people's goats, mine included. Especially galling since, if you're a JP-only sort, the otherwise lovely PCE R-Type is split across two HuCards, the misleadingly-titled "R-Type I" and "R-Type II." A complete 2ALL run entails multiple poweroff/ons, passwords, etc.

So there's a small - but very real - possibility of this happening, wrecking your otherwise 1337 runs

The TurboGrafx equivalent, meanwhile? All on one card, REAL ARCADE FEEL baybee! TURBODOES what PCE-CDON'T

(I like to treat the two HuCards as their own little things... they still play great, and it's good fun hopping straight into the second loops of both via PW. no harm no foul, imo)

So yeah, the CD doing away with the loop entirely despite being branded as a fix for the HuCard split is a bit of a howler.

[Steven]

TurboGrafx R-Type runs in a lower resolution than PC Engine R-Type does, though. I have no idea why. I don't remember what Incomplete CD's resolution is, but I want to say it's the same as the Turbo version for some reason. Might be wrong.

[BIL]

Interesting... Sounds like there might be a cool dev story in that. Strictly offhand, and as a layman, I wonder if it was some ROM-saving concern, on the TG16.

...which I guess would make the CD (UNLIMITED POWWA - I mean STORAGE) even more rueful

[MintyTheCat]

And my second purchase after R-Type Delta was Rtypes and what a good collection it is.
I had only really played R-Type on the Amiga at that stage and the port of the arcade version pretty much blew that away. I still have nightmares over the second stage boss with its difficulty and fanny/clit combo 'look'.

Definitely get your hands on it and make sure that you play raiden Project too on the PS1.