Mostly more of the same from the original R-Type.
Better production values and marginally better hitboxes than the first game, but the level design is less interesting, and is memorable only for its frustration rather than compelling design.
One death still spells certain doom. Other weapons are even more useless than the original. Powerups are still deliberately placed inopportunely to fuck you over. Routing requires even more extreme memorization and pixel precision.
One death still spells certain doom. Other weapons are even more useless than the original. Powerups are still deliberately placed inopportunely to fuck you over. Routing requires even more extreme memorization and pixel precision.
Okay look, I can spin all sorts of shit into something being actually good, but I just can't do it here. R-Type II as far as it's original arcade incarnation is concerned is borderline unplayable. Absolutely reprehensible morally unsound difficulty that I would expect from loop 2 gameplay. Gradius III at least gave me some hospitality before it caved my skull in. R-Type II is exceptionally rude in comparison.
You can talk as much smack as you want about Super R-Type's slowdown and lack of checkpoints, but they remixed and added stages for the better in that port/not-port of this. I also couldn't help but think the stronger charged shot was harder to use here than in Super, so all around I'm just yearning for my childhood back instead of this hellhole I found myself in when I dared to play the second half of R-Types today. I regret everything, you owe me for this R-Type!
Give me my slowdown back, give me what I want! Give me the good music too! Give me what I want!
You can talk as much smack as you want about Super R-Type's slowdown and lack of checkpoints, but they remixed and added stages for the better in that port/not-port of this. I also couldn't help but think the stronger charged shot was harder to use here than in Super, so all around I'm just yearning for my childhood back instead of this hellhole I found myself in when I dared to play the second half of R-Types today. I regret everything, you owe me for this R-Type!
Give me my slowdown back, give me what I want! Give me the good music too! Give me what I want!
Ran through this on Dimensions EX Infinite Mode
It has more appealing and fun level maps, and I like the new weapons and stronger charge shot. But the cheap difficulty is twice as bad here. I genuinely don't understand how anyone could have the patience to clear this without enormous amounts of save state scumming or cheats.
Had it not been for Dimensions EX, I'd have no hesitation rating this at 1 star.
It has more appealing and fun level maps, and I like the new weapons and stronger charge shot. But the cheap difficulty is twice as bad here. I genuinely don't understand how anyone could have the patience to clear this without enormous amounts of save state scumming or cheats.
Had it not been for Dimensions EX, I'd have no hesitation rating this at 1 star.
Really incredibly needlessly brutal. R-Type II is born out of that timeframe where arcade operators were getting greedy in regards to the average playtime on shmups, resulting in insane difficulty boosts on Same Same Same and Gradius III and such. I think this game manages to survive in spite of that, though, and while I'd never play it over III or Delta I personally find it a good deal more alluring than its precursor. There's lots of seeds planted here that would blossom beautifully in the next few installments.
I'm not particularly sure if Super R-Type, the kinda-sorta port over to SNES, is an improvement or not. I remember kind of hating it, but I'll have to take another look since I played it a year and a half ago.
I'm not particularly sure if Super R-Type, the kinda-sorta port over to SNES, is an improvement or not. I remember kind of hating it, but I'll have to take another look since I played it a year and a half ago.
so you made the hardest arcade game of its era, what now?
a sequel whos difficulty is referred to as 'morally reprehensible' :)
I think this game somehow violates the geneva conventions
a sequel whos difficulty is referred to as 'morally reprehensible' :)
I think this game somehow violates the geneva conventions
More R-Type. I found this one a smidge easier than the first game. Excellent art and art direction, and brings a few more ideas to the genre, like the waterfalls that push your ship down, or the final boss where you have to fire through gates that flip and block you off. Cool bosses in general, and has some really nice looking mecha enemies.
Better than the OG R-Type, although not by much.