R-Type isn't my cup of tea but I always got huge respect for the first one, most shmups wouldn't be here today without it. It's the intricacy of the levels that really brings it all together, you weren't playing shmups before this where the areas feel sequentially connected and have unique biome-driven mechanics. Every level sticks out here - The cinematic intro where you raid the enemy ship from the outside, the slimy biodens in level 2 and 5 with insect-like creatures flying about, the awesome giant battleship of level 3, and the machine pass with the seemingly-indestructible cargo devices in level 6.

The Master System version is super impressive with how faithfully it recreates every element of the original - no cuts, and just as much firepower. The only hit is in performance and visibility - the high spritecounts with all the multi-jointed enemies and bullets bring a bunch of flicker, and the bullets have some Phalanx energy going on. I can't see these dark red shots. Difficulty felt a lot more approachable than the other versions too. It's not more recommendable than the others, but it's the most fun I've had with the game yet.