R-Type Longplay (Spectrum 48k) [50 FPS]
51Developed by Software Studios and published by Electric Dreams in 1988
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For today's video, I decided to play through R-Type for the ZX Spectrum, a conversion that features regularly on peoples list of top Spectrum games. It's easy to see why, and I will confess that I spent much of my time playing the Spectrum version of R-Type in quiet amazement, nodding in approval at just how much the developers managed to get right in this conversion. This is an absolutely brilliant effort that deserves serious praise - this is a real achievement for any 8-bit platform, let alone the Spectrum.
The game's plot is set some time during the 22nd century, where mankind is locked in a deadly war with a deadly alien menace known as the Bydo Empire. Piloting the R9-A "Arrowhead", you are the crack pilot in charge of destroying the Bydo threat and restoring peace in the galaxy.
Just about everything from the arcade game has been crammed into the Spectrum version for you to enjoy. You get 9 levels of side-scrolling mayhem, multiple weapon upgrades, protection satellites and the detachable front module that can be used as a shield/offensive projectile. Everything you could possible want from the arcade is here!
One of the game's greatest strengths is just how responsive the control system is, allowing you to navigate your ship around the screen with precision. This is just as well, considering the number of enemies that you'll be up against.
The R-Type series of arcade games are notorious for their difficulty and the Spectrum version is faithful in this regard as well. The screen is often awash with enemies, many of which can also shoot back at you for good measure - you'll need some seriously caffeine-fuelled reflexes if you want a chance of ever beating this game. Should you die, you get sent back to an earlier checkpoint and are stripped of all weapons; this makes the game brutally unfair, but this is just how the arcade game works, so you can't really complain.
The graphics in this game are mightily impressive. Not only do they look very similar to their arcade counterparts (usual Spectrum colour palette aside), the animations when charging up your front cannon and general explosions are down-right brilliant. The attribute clash that can sometimes plague other Spectrum games is almost completely absent here and it's usually pretty easy to make out what is happening at all times - you shouldn't find too many instances where you die thanks to a stray bullet getting camouflaged due to some colour clash. You couldn't really ask for a better-looking conversion for the Speccy, especially for the bog-standard 48k machine.
What's more surprising is just how well the game runs, especially when factoring in the chaos unfolding on the screen. Manfred Trenz is often praised for what he managed to squeeze out of the C64 for R-Type and similar games on that platform, but I feel that the Spectrum version and programming team behind it (Bob Pape, Mark A. Jones, Robert L. Hylands) really deserve similar plaudits for their efforts.
If there's one element of the game that could have been improved then it's undoubtedly the sound. Being a 48k title, there's simply not enough available memory for any music or more advanced sound effects - you get some squeaky beeps and warbles, but this is really all the 48k was capable of. If only they had developed a full-fat version for the Spectrum 128k with proper music, this really would have been the complete package.
Regardless, I think that the Spectrum version of R-Type is a great achievement and is great fun to play (provided you like your shooters really difficult) and comes highly recommended!
#retrogaming