R-Type is a series with remarkable consistency. You can ask a group of fans what their favourite title is and almost every entry will be represented. For me, it’s R-Type III: The Third Lightning, but that might be because I love the SNES. Also, I’ve only played the first three games.

Released in 1993 on SNES, R-Type III was the first game in the series to only be available on console. The SNES isn’t as well-remembered for its scrolling shoot-’em-ups quite like the PC-Engine or Genesis/Mega Drive, so it’s an interesting parking spot for such a venerated series. Especially after Super R-Type (an SNES port of R-Type II) kneecapped itself with its consistently awful framerate.

But R-Type III is superb. And now ININ has dusted off the “Dimensions” nomenclature to give it a fresh buffing.

PLUMP

It’s been, what, 17 years since R-Type Dimensions injected 3D graphics into R-Type I and II, but you wouldn’t guess it by comparing it with R-Type Dimensions III. The idea and execution is pretty much the same. The main draw is that R-Type Dimensions III remasters R-Type III with fancy 3D graphics. However, it’s all playing overtop the original 2D sprites, and you can switch back and forth between the new and old graphical style at any time with the push of a button. It even still does that slow fade, which looks so satisfying.

Plumping up 2D pixel graphics into 3D polygons is a tricky thing, and it often looks terrible. It’s maybe because R-Type is mostly sci-fi, but I think the new 3D looks rather appealing. I do find it loses some of the historical splendour of the SNES graphical trickery, but I didn’t immediately abandon it in favour of pixels. Instead, I often alternated. If I kept dying in one spot, I’d flip over so that the variation in visuals would help me retain my sanity.

Likewise, the soundtrack has been remade, and it can be set to change alongside the graphics, or you can just choose the original or remastered music. Once again, while I think the original MIDI instrumentation is fantastic, the new soundtrack is great as well. That might be owing to the strength of the original compositions, but I still enjoyed swapping between them.

FORCE YOUR WAY THROUGH

If you’re not familiar with R-Type series, the one thing that makes them stand out, if only on the surface, is the “Force.” Which, in this instance, is a ball that can attach to the front or back of your ship to improve your firepower or allow you to shoot backward. You can also launch or recall it at any time, damaging enemies who touch it. In the beginning of the game, you can just attach it to the hood of your vehicle and forget about it, but in later levels, learning to manipulate it is practically essential.

R-Type III adds two additional types of Force, which greatly expands the number of weapons in the game and adds a touch of replay value.

However, what makes R-Type III such a great game is its carefully crafted challenge. It’s brutal. I recently played through the entirety of Ghouls ‘N Ghosts on Genesis, and I think R-Type III is substantially harder. They’re surprisingly more similar than you might think. Each stage presents entirely unseen hazards, and you have to claw your way to each checkpoint.

And I won’t lie, it can be a dick about it. If you’re in the wrong place, it will outright kill you without warning. There’s a high degree of memorization necessary to succeed. You can’t just rely on the usual ‘shmup grand strategy of powering up to the max and then not dying. It doesn’t take much to hit max power in R-Type III and since you’re more likely to get killed suddenly by the environment, it doesn’t amount to much.

On the other hand, bosses are often quite easy. Sometimes, it only takes a couple of fully charged shots. That’s not a constant, but it is a bit bewildering when they go down before they’ve even completed their entire attack pattern.

AGAINST THE GRAIN

The other big feature in Dimensions III is the ability to play with “Unlimited” lives. That may sound weird, since R-Type III already had infinite continues and would always start you off at your last checkpoint, but what it actually means is that there are no checkpoints. In “Unlimited” mode, you respawn exactly where you blew up.

Now, this kind of sucks because it completely robs the game of its challenge. And I’m not begrudging anyone for finding R-Type III too hard – it’s an immensely difficult game – but if there is absolutely no challenge, I just don’t see the point. The carefully crafted obstacles are the best feature of the game, and if you take away any consequences, then you’ve effectively neutered the experience.

I feel like there could have been a better compromise. Like, maybe you’re given the usual three lives, but you can respawn anywhere. So, you still have to check and not wreck yourself, but you’re forgiven if you make a small error. Maybe you can even choose to increase your life stock to five or nine. But then maybe still allow infinite lives for anyone who’s really into that. I think it was just done the way it was because that’s how the first R-Type Dimensions did it 17 years ago.

MEMORIES

I enjoyed R-Type Dimensions III a lot more than I thought I would. I mean, I figured I’d like it, because it’s R-Type III, and R-Type III is great. I just wasn’t sure I’d really want all the modernities. But, truly, Kritzelkratz 3000, Virgin Lands, and ININ put together a quality remaster. If they can convince me to keep the 3D graphics on, then they’ve definitely done something right.

And if you haven’t played R-Type III before, you absolutely should. This is a solid way to do it, if only because it removes the slowdown endemic to the SNES version. R-Type Dimensions III is a loving renewal of an outstanding shoot-’em-up. I do wish that they found a balanced middle-ground for easing the difficulty beyond its all-or-nothing approach. As it is, you either feel pain or nothing at all.

7/10

This review was conducted on PC using a digital copy of the game. It was provided by the publisher’s PR.