In the year of 1987, a new space shooting arcade game hit the market. That game is known as R-Type. Numerous ports and sequels of this classic were made because of it's success. Today, I'll be reviewing the Sega Master System version, which is in my opinion the best port of the arcade classic. Why do I feel this way? I'll tell you why by making this review.

Graphics: 8/10 For an arcade game ported to a system like the Sega Master System, R-Type looks great. The enemies look very menacing, the ship you use looks great, the levels themselves also look great for it's time. My only issue with the graphics is the fact that when you get into super intense combat against lots of enemies at once, the screen starts to flicker. Then again, the Master System has other games that have flickering issues, such as Space Herrier. Overall, despite the flickering, I say the graphics are good enough for me to give this category a 8.

Sound: 9/10 R-Type's soundtrack is among the best you'll hear in a Master System game. Everything from the music in the 1st level to the epic boss music will make you want to keep playing. If you're looking for a space shooter with a brilliant soundtrack, R-Type is the game for you. I would say though that there are a few SMS games with better soundtracks, such as Sonic 1 and 2. Still, I'm giving the sound a 9 because of how great it is compared to most of the Master System's library.

Addictiveness: 10/10 This is the category where R-Type truly shines. R-Type has the best gameplay I've ever seen in a space shooting game. There's this really interesting feature that separates itself from older space shooters like Galaga. That feature is called The Force. I know what you're probably thinking right now "This isn't a Star Wars game Gamer". I know it's not,this force is different, it's a orange orb that's used in several different ways. It can be attached to your ship, you can detach it and let it fly around on it's own. You can also use it as extra firepower, or as a shield. The possibilities are endless with the Force and it makes R-Type one of the most addicting space shooters I've ever played. For these reasons, I'm giving the addictiveness a 10.

Story: 2/10 The story in R Type involves you controlling a 22nd century spaceship. Your mission is to destroy the Bydo Empire, which is an army of aliens. There isn't much story involved with this game, so I'm giving this category a 2.

Depth: 7/10 R Type offers a good amount of substance for a game as difficult as this game is. There are 8 levels to complete, and since this game's so tough, those 8 levels will keep you occupied for awhile. There are longer games out there, even on the SMS, though such as Phantasy Star and Ys. Overall though, there's enough content for me to give the depth a 7.

Difficulty: 10/10 R-Type has to be the toughest space shooter I've ever played. There's a large swarm of enemies in each level that require you to be a master at dodging and using the force at it's maximum potential. In later levels, you have to be exactly precise with your movements and your shooting or you'll die. It doesn't help when you also have to deal with the flickering when you're battling tons of enemies at once. If you're looking for an insanely challenging space shooter, then R-Type's the game for you. For these reasons, I'm giving the difficulty a 10.

Overall Score: 8.7/10 R-Type for the Sega Master System is a great example of how good an arcade port can be. The visuals were great for the time and it has a wonderful soundtrack. R-Type's got the best gameplay of any space shooter I've played, and it's a super challenging masterpiece. If it weren't for the flickering graphics, this game would've received a higher score. I'm giving R-Type for the Sega Master System an 8.7 out of 10.

Good review. Can you believe I've never played this? I even had a Master System. There were so many of these games around they all seemed the same at the time. No beating an original though.

Ferdinand : I'm glad you liked my review. So, what Master System games are or were in your collection?

gamerforlifeforever2 : It was definitely my least favorite console at the time I got it. Cheap. From the grocery store when they stopped renting them. I already had an NES and SNES so it was kind of an afterthought. I did play the heck out of some games for it though. The version I had had Hang On installed, but I never had too many games. There was a kind of weird version of football called Great Football I was really good at. I had a game called Global Defense I remember. That's really all I can think of. I used to take REALLY crappy care of my games and systems so it's long gone. I think I remember finding a controller in a box a while back and just pitching it because it had electrical tape on it. lol.

This is a great review! I enjoyed reading it! Although it's hard for me to choose this as the best port of the game. Really all ports of this game don't really do the Arcade version justice, but if I had to choose one I would chose the port for the Turbo Grafx.

Keep up the good work on the reviews!

Jordanv78 : Thanks, glad you enjoyed my review. I had a feeling someone would eventually say that the TG version's better. Either way, there's no denying the arcade beats them both out.