Though some slowdown hurts it a little, R-Type Final is a fitting swan song.
If you've played previous R-Type games, you'll know the story. The Bydo, a biological man-made weapon, has returned for the fifth time and it's up to the R-9 armadas to purge it completely from the universe once and for all. The Bydo have the disturbing capability of altering everything from machines, spaceships, even human thought. So it goes without saying that it's do or die--whatever the outcome, either humanity seals their victory, or the Bydo have their final say.
R-Type differed from other shooters in its day because of the unique use of a module known as "Force", which behaves very much like a second ship. It attaches to the front and back of your fighter like a magnet, protecting you from enemy fire, and also detaches to float around and act as your reconnaissance. In R-Type Final, the Force is capable of absorbing inherent energies by attaching to thickened enemies and, whence the absorption reaches its 100% peak, it releases a devastating special attack that will effectively grind any and all surrounding Bydo into interplanetary peanut butter as well as severely damage boss ships.
Over one hundred different ships can be used in the game. You heard me right--one hundred ships. You start off with only a handful but, as you continue playing the game throughout, you'll unlock more of them for your R-museum to be used later. Many of them are variations of the R-9 fighters we've seen throughout the R-Type series, while others are ships used in other Irem games; like Image Fight and Mr.Heli. That's a lot of ships, but they're far from simply being fillers and cookie-cutters. Each ship has their own unique setup, and you can configure them in any manner that you desire--different Force arrangements, Bits, missiles and weapon variations. It's always fun to use different ships to play the game and, with one hundred different kinds to choose from, you'll be quite busy for a while indeed. Depending on which ship you use, the level paths in which you engage the Bydo will change. Needless to say, it is possible to encounter more than one ending to the game.
I've always admired the soundtrack of the R-Type games--they were usually very upbeat, jazzy and futuristic in its tone. The music of R-Type Final, however, takes a much more darker and haunting tone--not something you'd expect from an R-Type game. But this is by no means bad--if anything, the somewhat droll mood of the game is fitting. You'll also come across some enemies new and familiar, and the huge multi-tiered warship that's been the boon of the R-Type mythos returns in full effect--this time, launching a devastating attack on a helpless city.
If that isn't enough, there's also a versus mode. Your eyes don't deceive you--I said right. The versus mode allows you and a friend to pit ships against one another in a one-on-one duel, if you can call it that. But you do not control the ships directly--they're handled by an artificial intelligence and you guys get to watch them go at it. Though unnecessary, it's an interesting way to play the game with a friend, but it might have been better if you could play the main game cooperatively as well.
My only complaint with R-Type Final is, although very ambitious in scale and scope, the game suffers sporadically from slowdown when large or multiple enemies flood the screen. It isn't so much a problem that it renders the game unsuitable for play, but it is noticeable enough that the frenetic action that we've grown to love from the classic R-Type games is adversely affected in a sense.
Overall, R-Type Final is a fitting swan song and a great end to a legendary series. For R-Type fans, this is a must-own for your collection. For everybody else, it's a fun history lesson for those who wish to be schooled in the fine art of R-Type. Do buy this game--if you find it in the bargain bin, it will not be a regrettable choice.