R-Type arcade in something other than MAME?

[RetroGameShowcase]

Note: I am not asking for Roms or anything like that, only asking for genuine releases that I will search on my own.

I'm working on a video about the first R-Type game. For capturing footage on the arcade version I was hoping to use an equivalent of a modern Arcade Archives release on PS4/Switch (There is even a gamefaqs page about it which I think it has false info https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/switch/22 ... ves-r-type ) and upon further investigation it came to my attention that the original arcade was never re-released on home consoles, it was always remixed with the Dimensions title and according to some players which I trust they say that the og arcade is better (specially because of the speed, since the arcade version ran at 57fps and the dimensions versions at 60).

So the only way to play R-Type arcade is on MAME?

[Steven]

You can always go buy the arcade PCB and record from that, but it's also on MiSTer.

[SuperDeadite]

Imo there still is no replacement for the PCB. Hence it's in my "do not sell ever" pile.

[pablumatic]

There's legal versions of the arcade version of R-Type you can buy right now.

Its available physically on the Evercade console/handheld line on the Irem Arcade collection 1.

There's also a digital version on iOS (ipads/iphones) and Android devices. Not sure if you can sync a real controller to play these versions.

I would imagine all these versions run at 60hz. So you'll have to play on something else as mentioned above to try to get a 55hz version.

[Lander]

As alternate emulators go, there's FinalBurn Neo. It derives from a lot of the same code, with the main benefit over MAME being compatibility with the anti-lag stuff in libretro.
Any port is going to be ~60 on account of consumer display standards, so it's PCB or emulation if you want the authentic 57Hz experience.

Frame timing is an issue for emulation; you can run 57Hz on a 60Hz display, but will get microstutter unless it supports variable refresh rate. A properly configured emulator (i.e. no emu-side artificial speedup, proper VRR support) is also important for smooth results.

I'm not sure where things stand on that front with MAME (educated guess: doable by reaching into the INI config), but the I/O in RetroArch is second to none, and works a treat on my setup.

That said, if you're capturing footage for a video targeted at 60Hz displays, the aforementioned microstutter is going to be a problem regardless.

[SavagePencil]

I’m guessing R-Types on PS1/PSN was also 60Hz’d?

[MJR]

I’m guessing R-Types on PS1/PSN was also 60Hz’d?

PAL version of R-types is 50hz.

[Sumez]

R-Type Dimensions is not a completely accurate port. If you don't care about arcade accuracy, it's still great and IMO not worse/better than the original arcade game, it just has some small differences (but I'm no R-Type expert either, so that's just my uneducated take). The 60hz difference isn't the relevant factor.

As a matter of fact I don't believe you should ever care about whether R-Type runs at 60hz or 57hz, it's not the difference you should care about when looking for an accurate representation of the arcade game, outside of the completely perfectionist "this obsoletes the arcade PCB entirely" perspective.
The difference is big enough that it can be detected, but I think it's also still too small to really affect how the game plays or appears. The problem with running a game at 57hz on a system designed to output 60, or a display designed to render at 60, is that you'd get an awfully choppy experience, which I think is a lot more distracting, and arguably further from the original arcade experience.

Fortunately variable refresh rate monitors are becoming increasingly common.

[Bassa-Bassa]

R-Type is around 55hz, not 57, as it uses a resolution of 256 lines and these wouldn't be possible at a higher vertical rate on standard arcade monitors (and even then, many struggled to get it displayed properly). Running it on a 60hz environment makes it around 10% faster. I for sure had a hard time adapting myself to the PS1 versions and somehow they always felt off to me. There's also the issue of how to sync audio. R-Type on Mame (particularly, Groovymame) on an arcade monitor or PAL CRT TV is basically arcade perfect, and on Mister it shouldn't be different, though I'm not sure how good M72 emulation is on it.

[RetroGameShowcase]

Thanks a lot to all of you for your replies! I guess I'm gonna have to give the Mame version a go. I'm sure that with the upcoming Irem collections there will be a new version of the og arcade, but we'll see. Also, I don't know where the gamefaqs page for the Arcade Archives version came from, but it says TBA, so who knows.
Since the objective is to capture footage... 57fps output will be impossible with what I have to work with, so the Dimensions version for Switch might be the best choice for now and just battle through the 10% speed increase.

[SeafoamGaming]

Thanks a lot to all of you for your replies! I guess I'm gonna have to give the Mame version a go. I'm sure that with the upcoming Irem collections there will be a new version of the og arcade, but we'll see. Also, I don't know where the gamefaqs page for the Arcade Archives version came from, but it says TBA, so who knows.

Iirc i do recall like with WB Monster Land it was planned for aca at one point before being silently dropped. I remember the announcement.

I think Dimensions EX made it redundant so they just put that out instead. But Evercade has the arcade original and a toggle for a different (under 60) refresh rate.

[Lemnear]

I'm sure that with the upcoming Irem collections there will be a new version of the og arcade, but we'll see.

Sadly is not in the first 9 games (out of 15)...but SLG hints are:

Volume 2
First hint: Arcade SHMUP action!
Revelation: Air Duel, GunForce, GunForce II

Volume 3:
First hint: Get ready to fight!
Revelation: Mr Heli, Dragon Breed, Mystic Riders

Volume 4
First hint: Further Arcade SHMUP adventures!

Volume 5
First hint: Platform fun!

When they said "Get ready to fight!" i hadn't thought of those 3 games...so the "Further Arcade SHMUP adventures!" could be anything

[RetroGameShowcase]

Volume 3:
First hint: Get ready to fight!
Revelation: Mr Heli, Dragon Breed, Mystic Riders

When they said "Get ready to fight!" i hadn't thought of those 3 games...so the "Further Arcade SHMUP adventures!" could be anything

I dunno... Mr Heli is one hell of a fighter

[Lemnear]

Volume 3:
First hint: Get ready to fight!
Revelation: Mr Heli, Dragon Breed, Mystic Riders

When they said "Get ready to fight!" i hadn't thought of those 3 games...so the "Further Arcade SHMUP adventures!" could be anything

I dunno... Mr Heli is one hell of a fighter

oh no...sorry they inverted it after the reveal of Volume 3:
https://www.strictlylimitedgames.com/pr ... ndo-switch

Volume 4
First hint: Get ready to fight!

Volume 5
First hint: Platform fun!

So, for some mystery, the original Arcade version of R-Type is missing from these collections, from Arcade Archives...

[RetroGameShowcase]

Well, I'm giving in. I am making the video with the Dimensions EX version for switch (in the classic 2d mode without widescreen), the turbografx version and the master system. I think those are the most popular ones and the most representatives. I am aware of ps1 R-types and the C64 OST being awesome, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

[Steven]

The PC Engine version is better than the TurboGrafx version due to its higher resolution, although I think it might possibly have more sprite flicker, but I don't remember. Just don't play the ultra-shitty R-Type Incomplete CD.

They all suck miserably compared to the arcade version and R-Types, though.

[SuperDeadite]

I actually quite like Complete CD's absurdly 90's soundtrack. It's wonderful.

A few other ports worth considering:

MSX: Considering the hardware, this is a decent port. The FM tunes are solid, and it actually is a hybrid rom that will detect MSX1 or 2 and add more colors on MSX2s.

X68000: Surprisingly awful. This was an inhouse Irem project, and they screwed up bad. No excuse either as the X68000 runs at 55htz and has the same sound chip. Most embarrassing port on the system imo.

PC-88VA: The VA is a different machine from normal 88's. This port is quite interesting just for it's music that really tries to take full advantage of the YM2608's drum samples.

[Lander]

That's the one with the Ar-Ar-Ar-Arr-Arrrrr-Type voice synth, isn't it? I guess it has some charm if you're prepared, but I wasn't spat the proverbial dummy immediately and went back to the arcade tunes.

R-Type Dimensions is not a completely accurate port. If you don't care about arcade accuracy, it's still great and IMO not worse/better than the original arcade game, it just has some small differences (but I'm no R-Type expert either, so that's just my uneducated take).

I got a similar impression from Dimensions; some hitboxes here and there that don't quite behave like the originals, but a competent version of the game with nice quality of life additions.

[SavagePencil]

Just don't play the ultra-shitty R-Type Incomplete CD.

Now hold on a sec there, pardner, them's fightin' words that need some justifyin'. Aside from the amazing soundtrack and the execrable cutscenes, is there anything functionally wrong with the CD version? I love it.

[BIL]

Just don't play the ultra-shitty R-Type Incomplete CD.

Now hold on a sec there, pardner, them's fightin' words that need some justifyin'. Aside from the amazing soundtrack and the execrable cutscenes, is there anything functionally wrong with the CD version? I love it.

No second loop 3;

[Steven]

Therefore essentially missing half of the game and therefore incomplete. I believe it also runs at the lower TurboGrafx resolution instead of the higher PC Engine version, but it really should be skipped in favour of the arcade version, R-Types, or Dimensions.

[SavagePencil]

Therefore essentially missing half of the game and therefore incomplete. I believe it also runs at the lower TurboGrafx resolution instead of the higher PC Engine version, but it really should be skipped in favour of the arcade version, R-Types, or Dimensions.

All I have to say is Ar-Ar-Ar-Arr-Arrrrr-Type

[RetroGameShowcase]

I actually quite like Complete CD's absurdly 90's soundtrack. It's wonderful.

A few other ports worth considering:

MSX: Considering the hardware, this is a decent port. The FM tunes are solid, and it actually is a hybrid rom that will detect MSX1 or 2 and add more colors on MSX2s.

X68000: Surprisingly awful. This was an inhouse Irem project, and they screwed up bad. No excuse either as the X68000 runs at 55htz and has the same sound chip. Most embarrassing port on the system imo.

PC-88VA: The VA is a different machine from normal 88's. This port is quite interesting just for it's music that really tries to take full advantage of the YM2608's drum samples.

Yeah, I try to keep the amount of ports to 2 or 3, since I like to do levels side by side. The MSX is amazing and fun even with the chopped scrolling. I made videos about Twinbee and Gradius and their MSX port is great.

[BrianC]

Someone did an impressive hack of the NES bootleg Magic Dragon into R-Type, but it still has only 4 stages and much of the jank.

[Sumez]

Just don't play the ultra-shitty R-Type Incomplete CD.

Now hold on a sec there, pardner, them's fightin' words that need some justifyin'. Aside from the amazing soundtrack and the execrable cutscenes, is there anything functionally wrong with the CD version? I love it.

Insane load times all the god damn time!

[SavagePencil]

Now I've been playing off an ODE for some years now, but I only seem to remember load times in between levels for the cinematics.

[gray117]

You already have the emulation options which are fine, dandy and probably 'best'...

But my 2 cents on the important ones:

PS1 r-types is the port that stopped comparisons of everything else.

Dimensions is the boring, but sensible and accessible answer.

Master system is the plucky underdog that did something really interesting.

At the time you were a winner if you had it on pc engine.

...

[Lander]

To be fair, Dimensions makes a good sandwich

[jd213]

Some of the R-Type Complete music is definitely shit compared to the originals, but I freaking love the arranged stage 6 music.

The cutscenes also have some pretty famous voices if you're into older anime.

[Steven]

Then Dimensions EX comes along and has a fucking incredible arranged soundtrack that is so good that it is worth buying Dimensions EX just to hear that soundtrack, which takes a giant dump on Incomplete CD's "music".