Bydo was an experimental defense system comprising engineered biomechanical creatures. The creatures escaped the control of their creators and quickly spread, destroying all living things they encountered. They were eventually conquered and trapped in another dimension. There, they multiplied and developed until they eventually found their way back. Much further evolved and immensely powerful, they again began to seize worlds and eradicate all forms of life. Terrified denizens of the universe began to refer to the vast force as the Bydo Empire.

After a costly war, the last remaining Type R-9 Nectarian battle cruiser was sent in desperation to penetrate their core defenses and halt their conquest. Even against a seemingly inexhaustible horde of killing machines, there remained some hope in the tremendous power of the R-9. More wars would follow over the centuries, each finding the Bydo more powerful than before, with humanity's hope always resting on the R-9 and its variants.

The fascinating combination of life and machines in the R-Type games has long had an influence on my thoughts and artwork. I've always admired the games' creativity and relentless attention to detail.

R-type would not be complete without its music--some of the most memorable of all the video games I have played. From strong melodies to strong atmosphere, the music always suits the various environments.

My only complaint with the R-Type series might be its difficulty. But "easy" modes in some games and cheat codes in others allow me to see the one or two stages in almost every game that would otherwise be inaccessible to me.

R-Type   [ 1987 ]

R-Type has been converted from its arcade format to a wide variety of platforms, including Commodore 64, Amiga, Sega Master System (perhaps my favorite), Turbo Grafx 16, Nintendo Gameboy, and Sony Playstation.

R-Type II   [ 1989 ]

This sequel to R-type looks a lot like the original but is much more difficult, if you can believe that. Some stages seem to have influenced Super R-Type. R-Type 2 was ported to the Turbo Grafx 16, and is included on the Playstation compilation R-Types.

Super R-Type   [ 1991 ]

Super R-Type was released for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo system. It follows the theme of the previous two, but has many new enemies and environments and even more detailed graphics. While still difficult, I find Super R-Type the easiest of the series.

R-Type Leo   [ 1992 ]

R-Type Leo was arcade-only and never made it to the US. A nice sequel with new weapons and nice colorful graphics, this is the only game in the series with a 2-player simultaneous mode.

R-Type III   [ 1993 ]

This was another SFC/SNES sequel. It broke away from the familiar setup with more variety in weapons and quite a different feel, though it contained some familiar elements. This one seems to be well-respected, but I prefer Super R-Type.

R-Type Delta   [ 1999 ]

Although I was initially wary of the thought of polygon graphics infesting R-Type, when I finally got a copy of R-Type Delta (Sony Playstation) I was overwhelmingly impressed. This game includes everything good about the series and adds much more. I can't recommend it highly enough.

R-Type Final   [ 2003 ]

If this really is the last of the R-Type series, it's an impressive finale. The new variety and replayability that R-Type Delta introduced to the series are expanded upon, and the move to PS2 allowed for some truly impressive graphics. And, as always, the polish and attention to detail are exemplary.

You can download the US R-Type Final credits theme ("Piano Smasher" by Blue Man Group) at the bottom of this page.

R-Type Official Page (English)
R-Type Official Web Site (Japanese)
R-Type's Museum
R-Type at ClassicGaming
The R-Type Hangar
R-Type at Blazing Lazers


R-Type was created by Irem.

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