Customer Reviews

R-Type III

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Too much going on in this game for such a small screen. Some games just need to be kept for the tv screen and played with a real controller. save your money

The evil scum of the Bydo Empire are at it again. So it's up to you to climb into your R-9 Ragnarok vessel and blast off to defeat the mutant alien slime.

This second sequel (or third if you count the Japanese Arcade-only R-Type Leo) was originally just as solid as any other game in the series. This GBA version is tepid to the point of redundancy. The cut-scenes have been omitted so the game is just one level after another. While the graphics look good they have a tacky cheapness about them that is distracting. And don't get me started on the music. The R-Type series is famous for having some of the most coolest of the coolest tunes ever, sort of like a futuristic space-rave. Sadly, in this GBA version they have been cut down to the most horrible sounding and basic midi files. It almost feels like there is no music at all. The gameplay just sucks, plain and simple. Nothing is about skill, instead one must memorise their way around the levels. There is no fun to be had in risk-taking as you will always lose coz the odds are so heavily against you. And too often there are long gaps in which nothing happens, just the ship cruising through empty space. And when you inevitably die you get sent miles back and must do it all over again. Since finishing this near-impossible games requires doing levels over and over again it becomes very repetitive and tedious very quickly.

Anyone keen to check out R-Type III ought to get the SNES version and leave this disgrace be. Unless you like game that will make you tear the hair from your head in frustration and bore the pants off you with the dull levels.

Graphics B-
Sound D-
Gameplay D-
Lasting Appeal F

This is an excellently fun and scathingly challenging shooter that I, personally, cannot wait to see ported to the GBA. It would make a very solid addition to the Game Boy library of any experienncd gamer or fan of shooters. To put it lightly, you must be like me and enjoy excercises in frustration. You will die many, many times before you memorize the enemy patterns and develop the neccesary reflexes to move on to the next stage.

I must disagree with the assertion, however, that this is the best R-type game out there. While this and the original R-Type, certainly makes the top 3, I believe that R-Type Final, with over 10 stages and 100 ships, is a much more well rounded portrait of the series as a whole. It has much more replay value as well. If you can't stand polygonal slowdown, though, R-Type III is certainly a viable choice. A very fun game indeed, if you are a fan of classic shooters or you are just looking for a very challenging GBA game, look no further than R-Type III.