R*Type III - The 3rd Lightning [Model SHVC-ER]

R*Type III - The 3rd Lightning © 1994 Nintendo.

R*Type, originally released in the arcades in 1987, is a milestone in video game history and is most certainly known by any shooter fan out there. Here is the third, and (nearly) Super Famicom exclusive episode of the series. R*Type is a side-scrolling shooter featuring a powerful space-ship, the R-9. The evil Bydo empire is back and once again the ship and his pilot are humanity's last bastion of hope. The Force, a floating orb made out of alien technology that follows the ship everywhere and protects it, is probably the most popular feature of all. However, R*Type 3 was the first game in the series to introduce new Force variations. Three types are available: the original Round Force, the Shadow Force and the Cyclone Force. Each one of them obviously offer a different sets of weapons and they also behave differently when detached from the ship. Another great originality of any R*Type title is the charging-shot. Here again, if the player holds the fire button long enough, the ship will charge-up a powerful blast of energy strong enough to pass through anything. This weapon is at the core of the gameplay and some bosses can only be damaged by its blast. R*Type 3 is a huge game and each area is extremely long and varied.