R-Type

From Sega Retro

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R-Type title.png

R-Type
System(s): Sega Master System, Virtual Console
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Licensor: Irem
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Developer(s) of original games: Irem
Peripherals supported: FM Sound Unit
Genre: Shooting[2], Arcade[3]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Master System
JP
¥5,8005,800 G-1364
Sega Master System
US
9002
Sega Master System
EU
MK-9002-50
Sega Master System
UK
£29.9529.95[5] MK-9002-50
Sega Master System
SE
Sega Master System
SE
(Rental)
Sega Master System
AU
Sega Master System
BR
Sega Master System
KR
GB-4364
Wii Virtual Console
JP
500pts500[9]
CERO: A
Wii Virtual Console
US
500pts500[6]
Wii Virtual Console
EU
500pts500[6]
Wii Virtual Console
AU
500pts500[10]
OFLC: General (G)
Non-Sega versions

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R-Type is a Sega Master System horizontal shoot-'em-up game developed by Compile and published by Sega. A port of the highly-influential 1987 Irem arcade game R-Type, it was first released in Japan in October 1988, and is considered a relatively faithful conversion for the era.

Gameplay

Stages

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Stage 1

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Stage 2

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Stage 3

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Stage 4

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Stage 5

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Stage 6

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Stage 7

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Stage 8

History

Legacy

The Master System version of R-Type was brought to the Wii's Virtual Console service in 2009. It is seen as an odd move, as a superior port to the TurboGrafx-16 had been available since 2006. This did not last long; it was removed from Virtual Console on 30 September 2011 in the US[11] and 18 October 2011 in Japan[12] presumably because Irem had been losing a lot of money at the time[13].

Versions

At the time of release, the Master System version of R-Type was one of the most accurate (and complete) home ports of the game and the easiest to get ahold of. It is technically superseded by the PC Engine version released earlier in the year in Japan, however in this instance, the game was split into two parts due to the cost needed to manufacture higher capacity HuCards, and would not come together as one product until 1989.

Sprites in the Master System version are smaller than their arcade counterparts (and are smaller too relative to the scenery), and when too many on-screen can lead to flickering and slowdown which is less apparent in its original form. Nevertheless virtually all the enemy patterns are retained, although the numbers are decreased in high volume areas for performance reasons. The level layouts are sometimes artifically lengthened or shortened to try and manage this workload further while balancing the differing sizes of the graphics.

Incidentally the PC Engine version's approach to the smaller screen resolution is to introduce vertical scrolling, ensuring part of the playfield is obscured at all times.

Bosses are fought against a solid colour background (echoed in other Master System shoot-'em-ups such as Fantasy Zone). Some graphical effects have also been removed; for example, when player shots hit scenery there is no longer an explosion or flash as is seen in the arcade original.

Hints

Magazine articles

Main article: R-Type/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #90: "April 1989" (1989-03-16)
also published in:
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Print advert in Pixel (GR) #66: "Máios 1990" (1990-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Pixel (GR) #74: "Fevrouários 1991" (1991-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Cumhuriyet (TR) #1991-12-29 (1991-12-29)
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
ACE (UK)
81
[5]
ACE (UK) PAL
92
[20]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
84
[21]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
84
[22]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) PAL
91
[23]
Computer Action (DK)
75
[24]
Console XS (UK) PAL
94
[25]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
87
[26]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
92
[27]
Games Preview (DK)
85
[28]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
85
[29]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
70
[30]
Mean Machines (UK)
92
[31]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
91
[32]
New Computer Express (UK)
75
[33]
S: The Sega Magazine (UK) PAL
91
[34]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
90
[35]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
100
[36]
Sega Pro (UK)
96
[37]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
92
[38]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
94
[39]
Soft Today (DK)
100
[40]
Software Gids (NL)
80
[41]
User (GR) PAL
93
[42]
Zzap! (IT)
94
[43]
Sega Master System
88
Based on
25 reviews

R-Type

Master System, JP
RType SMS JP Box Back.jpgNospine.pngRType SMS JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
RType SMS JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Master System, US
RType SMS US Box.jpg
Cover
Rtype sms us cart.jpg
Cart
Rtype sms us manual.pdf
Manual
AfterBurner SMS US Poster Back.jpgAfterBurner SMS US Poster Front.jpg
Poster
Master System, EU
RType SMS EU Box NoR.jpg
Cover
R-Type SMS EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Master System, EU (Sega®)
RType SMS EU Box.jpg
Cover
Master System, SE

Master System, SE (Rental)
RType SMS SE rental cover.jpg
Cover
Master System, AU
R-Type SMS AU Cover.jpg
Cover
R-Type SMS AU Cart Top.jpg
R-Type SMS AU Cart Back.jpgR-Type SMS AU Cart Front.jpg
Cart
R-Type SMS AU Manual.pdf
Manual
Master System, BR
RType SMS BR Box.jpg
Cover
RType SMS BR Cart.jpg
Cart
RTypeSMSBrManual.pdf
Manual
Master System, KR

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Master System
 ?
CRC32 bb54b6b0
MD5 9e5507d51ac6f24c702a52a7abce0d3c
SHA-1 08ec70a2cd98fcb2645f59857f845d41b0045115
512kB Cartridge

External links

  • Sega of Japan Virtual Console pages: Master System
  • Nintendo catalogue pages: AU

References

Necretro-round.svg
NEC Retro has more information related to R-Type
  1. https://www.mtwo.co.jp/development/retrogame-2/#tab-2
  2. 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/segamark3/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-11-14 21:32)
  3. File:RType SMS EU Box NoR.jpg
  4. Computer Entertainer, "January 1989" (US; 1989-01-21), page 12
  5. 5.0 5.1 ACE, "April 1989" (UK; 1989-03-02), page 60
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 http://www.nintendolife.com/games/mastersystem/r_type (Wayback Machine: 2017-07-07 06:38)
  7. https://www.nintendo.fr/Jeux/Console-virtuelle-Wii-/R-TYPE--278678.html (archive.today)
  8. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/software/10.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-03-05 23:33)
  9. http://vc.sega.jp:80/vc_ms_rtype/ (Wayback Machine: 2009-05-24 02:37)
  10. http://www.nintendo.com.au/index.php?action=catalogue&prodcat_id=42&prod_id=19900&pageID=4 (Wayback Machine: 2012-03-28 01:32)
  11. http://i.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/r-type-being-removed-from-virtual-console-on-sept-30 (Wayback Machine: 2011-10-01 20:03)
  12. http://vc.sega.jp/vc_ms_rtype/ (Wayback Machine: 2009-05-24 02:37)
  13. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/36029/Troubled_Irem_Pulling_Titles_Home_Lounges_From_Japanese_PSN.php (Wayback Machine: 2011-09-22 06:41)
  14. New Computer Express, "April 1, 1989" (UK; 1989-03-30), page 9
  15. Computer & Video Games, "May 1989" (UK; 1989-04-11), page 84
  16. New Computer Express, "April 15, 1989" (UK; 1989-04-13), page 7
  17. ACE, "May 1989" (UK; 1989-04-06), page 68
  18. Computer & Video Games, "June 1989" (UK; 1989-05-16), page 89
  19. ACE, "June 1989" (UK; 1989-05-04), page 76
  20. ACE, "November 1989" (UK; 1989-10-xx), page 144
  21. Complete Guide to Consoles, "" (UK; 1989-10-16), page 69
  22. Complete Guide to Consoles, "Volume IV" (UK; 1990-11-xx), page 105
  23. The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 60
  24. Computer Action, "Juli/August 89" (DK; 1989-0x-xx), page 34
  25. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 144
  26. Computer & Video Games, "March 1989" (UK; 1989-02-xx), page 95
  27. Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 151
  28. Games Preview, "7 1989" (DK; 1989-xx-xx), page 41
  29. Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1991" (ES; 1991-xx-xx), page 81
  30. Micromanía (segunda época), "Febrero 1990" (ES; 1990-0x-xx), page 34
  31. Mean Machines, "April 1991" (UK; 1991-04-01), page 88
  32. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 135
  33. New Computer Express, "March 11, 1989" (UK; 1989-03-09), page 47
  34. S: The Sega Magazine, "March 1990" (UK; 1990-02-01), page 31
  35. Sega Power, "February 1991" (UK; 1991-01-03), page 49
  36. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 59
  37. Sega Pro, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-20), page 63
  38. Sega Pro, "July 1992" (UK; 1992-06-18), page 31
  39. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 72
  40. Soft Today, "April 1989" (DK; 1989-03-23), page 14
  41. Software Gids, "Mei/Juni 1990" (NL; 1990-05-xx), page 35
  42. User, "Dekémvrios 1992" (GR; 1992-1x-xx), page 52
  43. Zzap!, "Settembre 1991" (IT; 1991-xx-xx), page 69
R-Type

R-Type title.png

Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception | Bootlegs


Books: Sega Game Attack Manual Book R-Type & Kujakuou (1988)

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