Anyone else not into R-Type series?
Anyone else not into R-Type series?
I mean, it's got the Force Pod and all, but that, IMO, is the best thing about it. It's kinda slow, doesn't seem to hold my attention for more than one stage, and I have less will to play when I die. Ironically, I keep continuing on Gradius games to make my way to the next area, even though it's a lot harder to recover in Gradius.
Plus the hit area of the R-9 is pretty big in most games, and is the size of the ship itself. (I'm not sure about this, I haven't played R-Type titles in a while) In Gradius, if you fire a bullet and it goes through a passage, you can squeeze in there even if the top and bottom of your ship are going to be touching structures.
Maybe I'm just not into shooters that rely much more on memorization and less on reflexes.
Plus the hit area of the R-9 is pretty big in most games, and is the size of the ship itself. (I'm not sure about this, I haven't played R-Type titles in a while) In Gradius, if you fire a bullet and it goes through a passage, you can squeeze in there even if the top and bottom of your ship are going to be touching structures.
Maybe I'm just not into shooters that rely much more on memorization and less on reflexes.
-
Blue Lander
- Posts: 267
- Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2005 2:58 am
- Location: DC
I used to be a die hard r-type fan (10-15 years ago). But now with the advent of more frantic and fast paced shmups, I've lost interest in it and don't enjoy playing them as much. I occasionally play Leo but that's about it.
Although, R-Type 3 is a bit different than the rest of the series in terms of action.
Although, R-Type 3 is a bit different than the rest of the series in terms of action.
-
Darkcomet72
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:07 am
- Location: Miami, FL
-
BulletMagnet
- Posts: 14189
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:05 am
- Location: Wherever.
- Contact:
It depends mainly on whether you like "memorizer" shmups or not, really...if you do, then R-Type executes that formula very well. If you don't, then the battle's already been fought, so to speak.
I personally prefer more manic stuff to "you'll need to play the same area a million times before you can pass it, and then never have trouble with it again" shmups, though I can appreciate the good qualities present in the R-Type games too...I own Super R-Type and R-Type III for the SNES, and I'm currently looking for Delta on the PS...at a decent price.
I personally prefer more manic stuff to "you'll need to play the same area a million times before you can pass it, and then never have trouble with it again" shmups, though I can appreciate the good qualities present in the R-Type games too...I own Super R-Type and R-Type III for the SNES, and I'm currently looking for Delta on the PS...at a decent price.
-
crithit5000
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:17 am
- Location: Youngstown OH, USA
- Contact:
I still feel indebted to R-Type [Final] for providing the stepping stone I needed to truly "get into" shmups. Before, the most I'd played was Centipede, and only for a while because I had limited access and money, but now I can break a million points in Gradius V [though not often].
And it still ownz me
It's a strange dichotomy, between strictly-designed levels and levels that involve a fair amount of randomization. Nonrandomized levels can get accused of requiring memorization [though usually to get the largest number of enemies, not to simply survive], and randomized levels can get accused of being unfair [sudden walls of bullets/enemies where it's impossible to not die].
My biggest problem is I don't have the patience to learn a shmup well enough to 'master' it, and I don't play enough to become skilled enough to at least play moderately well regardless of what shmup I may pick up. I personally don't think shmup type is as big of an issue.
And it still ownz me

It's a strange dichotomy, between strictly-designed levels and levels that involve a fair amount of randomization. Nonrandomized levels can get accused of requiring memorization [though usually to get the largest number of enemies, not to simply survive], and randomized levels can get accused of being unfair [sudden walls of bullets/enemies where it's impossible to not die].
My biggest problem is I don't have the patience to learn a shmup well enough to 'master' it, and I don't play enough to become skilled enough to at least play moderately well regardless of what shmup I may pick up. I personally don't think shmup type is as big of an issue.
"This is not an alien life form! He is an experimental government aircraft!"
-
OptimusPrimeX
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:23 pm
- Location: New Jersey
BulletMagnet wrote:It depends mainly on whether you like "memorizer" shmups or not, really...if you do, then R-Type executes that formula very well. If you don't, then the battle's already been fought, so to speak.
I personally prefer more manic stuff to "you'll need to play the same area a million times before you can pass it, and then never have trouble with it again" shmups, though I can appreciate the good qualities present in the R-Type games too...I own Super R-Type and R-Type III for the SNES, and I'm currently looking for Delta on the PS...at a decent price.
'
very true... it takes allot to beat an R-Type game.. and depending on how you look at it, its mainly about beating the game, because it takes allot to do so. I haven't tried rectnly , but R-Type for the Sega Master system was my first reall exposure as far as home consoles to shmups, and i'm definitely proud of it. its not manic, but i still love it. It takes allot of memorization and also quick reflexes to pass most of the stages, and feel rewarding when you do, even w/out a reward. I guess R-type holds a special place in this shmuppers heart, because it is one of the first shmups i really started to enjoy.. Arcade and on the Master system ^_^
I don´t understand the meaning of this comparison, because I don´t know any shmup that is truly randomized. Even Bullet Philharmonic Orchestra creates attack patterns from the melody, although that could be called random in terms of lacking level design. "Sudden walls of bullets/enemies" can appear in manic shmups after playing uncautiously, but even then it´s usually not impossible to survive. Impossible survival would be being squashed between two background elements, without any space in between to dodge through. Even then, this would result from moving to the wrong space before.It's a strange dichotomy, between strictly-designed levels and levels that involve a fair amount of randomization. Nonrandomized levels can get accused of requiring memorization [though usually to get the largest number of enemies, not to simply survive], and randomized levels can get accused of being unfair [sudden walls of bullets/enemies where it's impossible to not die].
So, even manic shmups require memorization to some extent, the difference is just that they don´t stop there. Even after memorizing, you still have to remain alert and dodge a whole lot, while in games like R-Type the challenge drops to a level of almost falling asleep after you learned what you need to do.
If I want to play a game similar to R-Type, yet with challenge involved even after learning it, I´ll resort to Blazing Star.
-
stoneroses
- Posts: 125
- Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:04 am
- Location: Pittsburgh PA
I too have been favoring more manic style, tons of bullets coming at you, pixel overdose games lately. But I really dig R-Type Final. It is slow and moody but sometimes it is a nice change of pace.
To me, the R-Type series is just one part of a larger community of games. When I need my a$$ handed to me, I like to play it and the others in the series, especially Delta.
To me, the R-Type series is just one part of a larger community of games. When I need my a$$ handed to me, I like to play it and the others in the series, especially Delta.
Indeed. Generally I'm not into horizontal shooters, but I can live with Border Down (and of course, the "exceptions", such as Progear, Sengoku Blade and so on which are more less vertical shooters in horizontal clothing). R-Type is just the "worst" kind of horizontal shooter. I can understand why you'd like it if you're into the sub-genre, but the R-Types series is just not my cup of tea. At all.Nemo wrote:There are a lot of people that don't dig R-type, self included. The games are anti-manic as you can get and because of this fact alone it creates a line of separation between people that will automatically love and hate it.
I liked the first one when i was a kid, but i always preferred the Darius games. Since i'm not stuck in the past, i don't get crazy about it anymore.
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I love R-type. The original is by far the best IMO, though I just bought a PStwo and am looking forward to R-type Final.
I enjoy manic shmups of course, and this is of course not one. What I like about the original is the learning and understanding of the levels. Getting to know the environment so to speak. It's a precursor to Ikaruga and the pattern recognition and learning there.
Bill
I enjoy manic shmups of course, and this is of course not one. What I like about the original is the learning and understanding of the levels. Getting to know the environment so to speak. It's a precursor to Ikaruga and the pattern recognition and learning there.
Bill
Thunder Force 3 requires quite a bit of memorization too. I love TF3, but it annoys me how R-Type gets picked on for being a game that gets much easier with memorization without any mention of how much memorization is required in TF3.jp wrote:I like the first 2 alright. After that it just got somewhat repetitive...
Well, OK, I DID have SOME fun with R-Type 3... but still... I'm too much of a Thunder Force fan I guess.
Hmmm... I didn't say anything about memorization. I just said the series got tedious to me.
But I do see where you're coming from, and agree. But to me Thunder Force 3 was just so much faster and had so much more of an adrenaline rush than the R-Type stuff. I mean yeah, memorization was a big part but you had to have some skizzills to survive the fire planet and all that.
But like I said, I liked the first 2 R-Types... especially 2. Just after that they started getting "bleh" to me.

But I do see where you're coming from, and agree. But to me Thunder Force 3 was just so much faster and had so much more of an adrenaline rush than the R-Type stuff. I mean yeah, memorization was a big part but you had to have some skizzills to survive the fire planet and all that.

But like I said, I liked the first 2 R-Types... especially 2. Just after that they started getting "bleh" to me.
RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!!!!!!
-
gameoverDude
- Posts: 2269
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:28 am
- Contact:
I was somewhat more into R-Type when I got the first game on SMS and found a cabinet of R-Type II at Aladdin's Castle, but now the Darius series and Border Down trump it for me.
Furthermore, checkpoints can be an aggravation. There's a certain one in the original R-Type's stage 7 where you're shit out of luck should you end up there.
At least later entries in the series added a speed control system rather than using those Speed Up items.
Furthermore, checkpoints can be an aggravation. There's a certain one in the original R-Type's stage 7 where you're shit out of luck should you end up there.
At least later entries in the series added a speed control system rather than using those Speed Up items.
Kinect? KIN NOT.
I've played a couple, but they may be considered bad. Neopets has some [Pterattack is the most obvious one], and like most of their games, they are ABSOLUTELY random. Mostly I'm speaking from previous experience and what I've heard discussed before.raiden wrote:I don´t understand the meaning of this comparison, because I don´t know any shmup that is truly randomized.
"This is not an alien life form! He is an experimental government aircraft!"
R-Type is one of those games (probably the main game) like Bubble Bobble that magazines always do rubbish lame retro features about (it changed the face of videogames etc blah blah). Even though people hardly play them. I've never heard anyone ever mastering and completing either of them.
Why do people laud the PCE version still when the PSone version is so much better.
Why do people laud the PCE version still when the PSone version is so much better.
"When we were talking to one of the executives at the BBC. And he said, 'Now hold on, this man is so incompetent why wouldn't he be fired?' and I said 'Go and take a look around this building. Just go and knock on a few doors.'" - Ricky Gervais