First, it's important to make this very clear. This is a SIDE SCROLLER SPACESHIP SHOOTER. This is very old school. If you're the type that hates arcade games, you probably should move on. It is not three D although some of the graphics do their best to give you that feeling. It is simply about moving left, right, up and down to avoid incoming bullets while you shoot the enemy. Some people adore this style of basic strategy, while others don't appreciate it.
So that being said, for people who like this type of game, the R-Type Final is a classic. There are TONS of spaceships for you to fly. There are a variety of weapons, from tri-way blasts to homing missiles and more. The enemies are varied and really well rendered given the PS2s capabilities.
You really want to play this on a wide screen. Often to take on an enemy you have to go to EXACTLY spot X to avoid the first barrage, then EXACTLY to spot Y to avoid the second barrage, and so on. Having the big TV really lets you see where to go and judge that precisely.
The sound is typical "blast blast blast" with an underlying music track. You don't really notice it. You are intensely focused on exactly your pattern of movement, of shots and of dodging.
There are multiple levels of difficult. The easy levels are great for young kids so they can have fun traversing the levels and blasting at things. The higher levels will challenge even the most dexterous gamer.
Highly recommended for avid fans of the old school arcade style gaming systems!
Rating: 10/10 for its target audience
Buy R-Type Final from Amazon.com
