R-Type

R-Type is set in the 22nd century, and the player flies a futuristic fighter craft called the R-9a "Arrowhead", named for its shape, and because it is the ninth model in the 'R' series of fighter craft (but it is the first of the series to actually be used in combat; the previous models were all prototypes). The mission is to 'blast off and strike the evil Bydo Empire'. The R- in the series title originally stood for "ray", as in a ray of light. It was a reference to the many different types of ray-like weapons in the first R-Type. his was later retconned in R-Type Final to refer specifically to the production code as well as a term of endearment for the player fighter craft, the "Round Canopy". The original R-Type was well received by most gaming critics. However, it was also infamous for its relentless difficulty. It earned 7th place in IGN's Top 10 most difficult games to beat. The gameplay of R-Type is noticeably distinct among shoot 'em ups. Invariably the player will lose, not because of an inequality in firepower, but because of the design of the levels themselves. There is usually a 'correct' way to get through a level, but players must learn these by experience - i.e. by losing and restarting from earlier in the level. The game innovated with its weapon system compared to contemporary shooters, featuring a chargeable shot (beam-meter), and detachable 'force' pod; levels were designed to require different tactics and ideal weapons (air-air, diagonal, or air-ground laser).

R-Type Final 3 Evolved serves simultaneously as a sequel to R-Type Final 2, offering a whole new 7-stage campaign made in the engine of Final 2, whilst also serving as a compilation of most of content released for R-Type Final 2. Additional features such as R-Park, an online area where one can interact with other players.

R-Type has returned! The legendary side-scroller is back and better than ever with beautifully rendered 3D graphics, exhilarating shoot-'em-up gameplay, and a multitude of stages, ships, and weapons that will allow you to conduct a symphony of destruction upon your foes.

This compilation once again includes the first two games, R-Type and R-Type II, both of which feature the original 2D graphics as well as a new 3D recreation, with the player being able to switch back and forth between the two modes at the press of a button. EX also featured new music remixes, whereas the original release used the arcade soundtrack.

Outsmart and outgun your opponent in R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos, the ultimate turn-based sci-fi strategy collection! This two-game combination of the classic R-Type Tactics titles arrives on modern consoles for the first time, equipped with an armada of unique units to deploy across dozens of levels. Multiple campaigns allow you to take on the Bydo Empire or even play as them yourself, while competitive online play lets you square off against others.

R-Type II now available on iPhone, iPad & Android devices! Two years after R-Type, the Bydo Empire is back! Man your spaceship and take on the Bydo with new weapons (Search Laser & Shotgun Laser) and a new bomb type. Collect a plethora of items and powers-up across various improved sets and make your way to the top of the leaderboard!

Revisit the 80's (mesh half-shirts and Keds optional) with this classic, old-school shoot 'em up! One of the decade’s most popular arcade games will awaken fond memories of jangling quarters, Jolt Cola and week-old popcorn. The game is the challenging R-Type you used to play before. Fly through 8 levels with 3 different control options. Play in two difficulty levels. Upgrade with new weapons, power-ups, and attachments. Defeat 8 unique bosses and waves of various enemies.

R-Type Final 3 Evolved serves simultaneously as a sequel to R-Type Final 2, offering a whole new 7-stage campaign made in the engine of Final 2, whilst also serving as a compilation of most of content released for R-Type Final 2. Additional features such as R-Park, an online area where one can interact with other players.

The game of Astro Fighter consists of 4 waves and a refueling stage, which are then repeated with increasingly higher difficulty. The player's task is to eliminate the four successive waves of different types of attacking craft, while avoiding being hit by missiles and bombs, and then refuel by shooting the 'GS' ship before repeating the process. The player starts with 3 lives and receives a bonus life on reaching a score of 5000. 300 bonus points are received for shooting each 6 falling bombs and for 950 for hitting the GS ship accurately on the first shot. A very large bonus of 10,000 is given for getting through 4 waves and refueling by using exactly 2 shots more than the minimum needed. As the higher levels of Astro Fighter are difficult to survive consistently, even for the best players, the highest scores have been achieved by the achieving the 10,000 bonus deliberately.

Truxton is a 1988 vertically scrolling, shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Toaplan, later ported to the Mega Drive (worldwide) and the PC Engine (Japan-only). Like many other scrolling shooters, the game is set in outer space, where the player takes control of a small spaceship across several planets. The game is played with an eight-way joystick and two buttons (a shot and a bomb button) through five large levels and their bosses (which then loop forever, at higher difficulties).

There are many scrolling shooters but none of them is like "Sky Force". This stunning shoot ‘em up game combines the classic arcade elements with the new possibilities offered by current technology. The new installment in the series just came out in a spectacular style. "Sky Force 2014" was a huge success, acclaimed by gamers and critics. "Reloaded" gives players more of what they loved in the previous "Sky Force". Get ready for your device getting hot and your finger getting sore. Prepare yourself for exciting new missions, more powerful enemies and breathtaking boss battles! "Sky Force Reloaded" offers gorgeous 3D graphics, intense gameplay and a lot of new features. The options to boost up your planes are incredible. Yes, that’s right, PLANES! There’s a satisfying number of planes to choose from. Each with different strengths and weaknesses. Cater to your inner collector by hunting in-game buff cards and unlocking a number of achievements.

R-Type Leo is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade game. It is a spin-off of the R-Type series and the last entry to be released in Arcades. R-Type Leo was initially an original shoot 'em up game in development by Nanao before Irem retooled it into an R-Type project instead. It is also the first R-Type game to feature simultaneous two player gameplay.

The game is the sequel to R-Type, which was first released as an arcade game in 1987 and profoundly influenced later shooting games with its charge shots, unique weaponry, and grotesque enemies. Hudson Soft ported the later 4 levels of the original R-Type to the PC Engine with the title R-Type II, but the Hudson release is unrelated to the game described in this article. The player controls a ship called the R-9C (or R-9 Custom), which is an improved version of its predecessor game's ship; the R-9. The ship's design was changed slightly, and the wave cannon was given homing capabilities. Two new types of weapons (the Search Laser and Shotgun Laser) were added, bringing the total number of weapon types up to five. A new anti-ground unit bomb was also added to the missile inventory. Though the number of levels was decreased from the prequel, the number of enemies, their durability, and the number of bullets they shoot were greatly increased. Enemy movements and terrain were also made trickier, bringing the game's difficulty up considerably. The same revival system is used as in the prequel, where the player is brought back to a checkpoint whenever their ship is destroyed. The controls are mostly unchanged from R-Type, where the 8-way joystick controls the ship's movement, and the shot button fires the ship's main beam. The other button is used to equip or unequip Force; the series' most unusual innovation. Pressing down the shot button causes the blue beam gauge to fill up, and releasing the button causes a wave beam to travel a certain distance depending on the length of time the button was pressed down. If the button is pressed down until the blue gauge is fully charged, a red gauge appears and fills up quickly. Filling up the red gauge causes it to flash blue and red, releasing the shot button at this point shoots an even more powerful beam. Unlike the normal beam that only travels in a straight line, the newly added Shotgun Laser beam explodes in multiple directions after traveling a short distance. This shot causes heavy damage if the player can target a single enemy with it. However, holding the button down after the gauge is flashing causes the beam to return to the normal transverse beam (the gauge alternates between flashing and returning to the normal state while the button is held down), so the player must release the button at the right timing in order to successfully target enemies. The other newly added beam, the Search Laser, is semi-homing, and can bend at angles up to 45°.

Xexex is a 1991 side-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game by Konami released in Japan. It draws on Irem's R-Type and Konami's other shoot 'em up Gradius, while adding the tentacle mechanics of Irem's other shoot 'em up XMultiply. In the game, players pilot a ship called the Flintlock in order to save a blue haired princess named Irene of the planet E-Square from an evil lord named Klaus. Each stage is punctuated with a cutscene of the princess crying for help as she is tortured. In the ending, the Flintlock sends the orb back through the atmosphere of the planet, where it morphs into a naked fairy. There are different gameplay mechanics between the original Japanese release and the overseas releases.

Star Fox is a video game for the Atari 2600 console, developed and published by Mythicon in 1983. Although the front cover of the game states "Game 1 in Star Fox Series," no sequels were ever made, which is most likely because it received negative reception

Section-Z is a side-view shoot-'em-up by Capcom originally released as a coin-operated video game in 1985. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. The original coin-op game is included in Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Take to the skies once again as the last defender of humanity against overwhelming odds! Lovingly built to be enjoyed by newcomers and genre veterans alike, Danmaku Unlimited 3 is a perfect medley of the best aspects of classic bullet hell shooters wrapped up in a modern and approachable package.