R-Type Final Q&A

R-Type Final is the last entry in developer Irem's popular shooting franchise. The game was released last year in Japan and brings the classic series to an apparent end. US fans of the franchise won't miss out on its swan song, thanks to Eidos, who is bringing the game stateside under its Fresh Games label. We had the chance to question Kazume Kujo, a member of the game's development team at Irem, about the upcoming game and the franchise's appeal.

GameSpot: The R-Type series has had a long and colorful history that has spanned a variety of consoles. What do you see as the main appeal of the series to fans?

Kazume Kujo: I think the main appeal of the series is its unique game features that fans are familiar with and have come to love. The wave cannon and force weapons, enemies, and levels are designed to optimize the gameplay experience. I think these elements have built up the core of R-Type.

Another appealing feature is R-Type's original graphic world. Not only are we showing bizarre creatures in the game, we are also always creating something new so everybody will be surprised. In other words, we are always trying to create R-Type, but something new at the same time. I think those are the reasons why R-Type has so many fans.

GS: What do you think the best console version of the game was and why?

KK: Of course, it is R-Type Final! We developed this game to make it the best in the series. The number of ships and stages are more than any previous R-Type game. And not only are there more ships, we also put all of our effort and energy into the level design, weapons, enemies, everything.

GS: How did you approach development of this latest version of the game? Was there anything you felt you had to change or leave the same?

KK: We changed some things and left some things the same. In order to improve the graphic quality, we employed a new stage structure and enemies that enable us to utilize more polygons. Also, the more you play the game, the more ships you can unlock. And each time you play the game, even the same stage, the landform and enemies will be different. On the other hand, what we left in the game are the basic game rules and functions. We consistently stuck to the basic concept of R-Type.

GS: How do you feel about the reception R-Type Final has received in Japan? Is it what you expected?

KK: When we announced this was the final game in the R-Type series and we would never develop it again, most fans' reactions were, "This is sad" and "Why?" But I think users appreciate the large number of selectable ships and other new features in the game.

GS: Could you explain the gameplay system in R-Type Final?

KK: As I said before, the new features in the game are the amount of ships you can choose from, over 100, and each time you play, the levels and enemies will change and gameplay routes will also vary.

Not only do you have over 100 ships to choose from, you can also customize the ships' colors and weapons, such as missiles and bits. Use this feature and create your favorite ships! We have also created a new vs. AI mode that is not online, but you will preprogram your ship's strategies on a memory card and transport it to a friend's house to battle their ships. You cannot control your ship directly, but I am confident that gamers will enjoy this new type of gameplay experience.

GS: Was it difficult balancing all the different ships in the game?

KK: Yes, it was difficult. The designs of all the ships are different, but some of the ships have the same weapons. Depending on each ship, some are easy to handle and some are hard, and the difference between the two is large. We wanted to create each ship to have its own unique character because there are over 100 ships. They have to be different from each other. It took us a long time to balance the ships in the game. There is still a big difference between the strongest one and the weakest one. I think this is one of the best features in R-Type Final, and I want you to find out what your favorite ship is in the game.

GS: How did you feel about developing on the PlayStation 2 hardware?

KK: We had already developed other games on the PlayStation 2 before we started R-Type Final. My feeling about PlayStation 2 is that this hardware has a lot of potential, and I think we can do more if we approached it from a different way. In terms of graphics, the reproduction of water in stage two is totally better than previous titles. Also, we made maps with full polygons in stages one and four. In terms of the development cycle, as we had expected, we were working against time, and with support from other staff, we finished up this game in time.

GS: Will there be any changes between the Japanese version and the US version?

KK: For the US version, we reduced the difficulty level a little bit in the easy mode. Everything else is the same except for the language.

GS: Thanks for your time.