TURBOGRAPHIX MEMORIES- CHAPTER SEVEN- R-TYPE… THE GAME THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PACK IN.

Hey Arcaders!

The next Turbographix 16 game is going to be a prickly discussion for some. As I have stated- I believe the reason that the Turbographix didn’t do sustainable numbers out of the gate- the wrong game was packed in with the system. Don’t get me wrong- Keith Courage was a good game. But not a pack in title. One of the best arcade ports of the game we are talking about was on the Turbographix, and was out in Japan before the US release- which is just a conundrum that it wasn’t made the pack in game. In the arcade- the game was extremely popular. I’m talking about the tough as nails shooter- R-TYPE.

The galaxy is in deep peril: foul creatures from the evil Bydo Empire have warped across space to invade and conquer our planet! There is only one hope for victory. The Earth Defense League has chosen you to pilot R-9, a nuclear-powered space fighter that can cut through invading aliens faster than a light saber through butter.

Fly R-9 through many exciting levels of high-powered action. Use your plasma gun to rip through armies of nasty creatures and their deadly machines. And when the going gets really tough, pick up Droid Units to make your ship even harder hitting!

And- with only THREE CONTINUES… this game was one that helped define the shmup genre.

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Via The Pixel Empire-

Some gamers may get frustrated quickly with the high difficulty of R-Type, but if you persevere through the repeated deaths and restarts, adhering to the age-old proverb “practice makes perfect”, it’s a rewarding game to conquer. This toughness is reconstructed faithfully on the TG16, and it would be deleterious to the game if this was not so; R-Type is a game that gives you so much, and asks a great deal in return. It wants you to commit to the cause. Top visuals, sound and playability, the only drawback is the challenge it gives you, because some may find it’s just too hard, too austere and not worth going that extra mile to master and thus dismiss it too early. Regardless, R-Type remains a significant and important title in the shoot ‘em up genre, whilst the Turbographix port distinguishes itself with class, justifying its place in gaming history.

The music was ported over perfectly. Give it a listen!

You can purchase the soundtrack for all the R-Type games on vinyl here!

What do you think of R-Type? did you ever play this amazing game or any of the sequels? Let me know in the comments!

Keep Playin’ Like It’s 1981!