by Filippo DinolfoAfter finishing the R-Type Delta HD Boosted review, I was asked if I had any interest in checking out R-Type Dimensions III. This is most certainly something I was interested in looking at, since it is a remake of what is another high point in the series. R-Type Dimensions III is a modern remake of R-Type III: The Third Lightning, originally released for the SNES in 1993.
The original game brought with it some notable improvements, three different Force modules, each with its own unique behaviors, and overall audio and visual upgrades courtesy of the SNES’ very capable hardware put to good use by very talented developers.
It also brought absolutely merciless difficulty. There are only six levels in the game, but they are quite substantial. Despite not being designed to separate you from your quarters in as little time as possible, R-Type III never made any effort to be anything other than a honed, refined, but utterly brutal shoot-em-up. If you want to see the ending in this one, you need to complete the game twice. If you thought the first run-through was punishing, the second one is even worse. It’s a game for people who don’t mind learning patterns and spending a lot of time becoming intimately familiar with every stage’s layout and mechanical nuances. Knowing when to detach your pod and when to attach it to the rear is vital to actually getting through this game.
So bringing this game forward to a new modern audience requires some careful work. The developers have done a very good job of this, though some decisions may not have had the desired effect.
Bringing it forward
If you just want to play a faithful recreation of R-Type III, you are covered here. The game keeps the stage layouts, Force pods, and mechanics all intact. The difficulty is also retained. It offers two difficulty options from the start: Normal and Advanced. Normal is the original game’s first loop difficulty, and Advanced is the original’s second loop. If you want the ending, you have to complete the Advanced difficulty.
Being able to select which run you want from the start is a nice quality of life improvement. There is now also a level select at the start of the game, that unlocks levels as you progress, letting you start from, and practice on any level you like, once you have cleared it.
R-Type Dimensions III has two play styles. Classic is the traditional one hit death, restart back at the last checkpoint style. Infinite is exactly that. You have infinite lives, and you immediately respawn where you died, coming back with a Force pod in tow. If you just want to see the game, this is the mode to use. You could play Infinite mode on Normal and unlock the stages, and then play Classic and start on Stage 6 if you like. The game gives you that flexibility, which is nice.
Unlike the original, where two-player mode was hot-seat alternating, R-Type Dimensions III adds a brand new, two-player co-op option. This is strictly an offline affair at the moment, but having two players and being able to pick Force pods that complement each other is a really cool change. When one player dies, they respawn right away, so there’s no downtime. Communication and teamwork are going to be critical to getting through the game, though, since positioning to avoid stage hazards is one of the things both players will need to do. I have no doubt that this game will test the strength of many friendships, especially when trying to get through the lava maze.
A fresh new presentation
Much like the other Dimensions games before this one, R-Type Dimensions III takes the original game and adds a fresh new 3D retooling of all of the art. Visually, this looks quite nice, but in some places, the new visuals make things harder to see. This is pretty much my one complaint about the new presentation: sometimes the stage path itself is hard to discern, and bullets can blend into the background, causing deaths that might’ve otherwise been avoidable.
Granted, once you memorize everything, this is less of an issue, but the game is tough enough as it is. It doesn’t really have to try to kill you more by making things harder to spot.
If the new 3D visuals don’t do it for you, you can use 2D mode, which is a faithful recreation of the original SNES look. Whether you are using 2D or 3D mode, there are a number of screen modes, camera options, and filter settings to tailor the game’s look to your tastes.
Audio has also seen a significant overhaul. The game sports two soundtracks. The SNES original, and a new, re-arranged soundtrack. Both are excellent, since R-Type III always had great music, but I actually quite like the new arrangement. It stays true to the original, not going too far outside the lines, but the higher quality instruments just make it sound like what I’d imagine Ikuko Mimori might’ve done if the SNES had the capability to handle it.
One cool feature that the Dimensions games have is the ability to switch between 3D and 2D modes at the touch of a button. If you have the soundtrack set to Dynamic in the options, swapping between pixel and 3D art also seamlessly changes the soundtrack. This is the kind of nerdy thing I like to see in remasters of old games, and I am really glad to see it here. When playing some levels, you may actually wish to swap to the pixel graphics for easier readability.
About accessibility
Accessibility features are things I actively look for in games now. I like to go over what the game offers and make suggestions on how the developers could improve things. R-Type Dimensions III falls behind here, but given the game’s heritage, this isn’t that surprising or unexpected.
Infinite mode, where you can go through the game with infinite lives and instant respawns is all you get. It is a strong option, but you won’t get any achievements using this mode. Being able to swap visual styles does have an accessibility benefit, but that’s more of a side-effect than something that was intentional.
Here are some suggestions on things that could be improved, if they want to bring in people with low vision:
Color filters would be the first place to start. I would also consider something like a contrast enhancer, which might dim background layers to allow foregrounds to stand out. This would be a bit tricky on the Mode 7 effects, since those are background layers, but it is doable.
Normally, I would also suggest audible proximity warnings when you’re near a barrier, but in a game like R-Type III, these would be going off all the time, which would make them unhelpful. Working on the contrast between background and foreground is probably the best bet for this game.
Docking Sequence Initiated
R-Type Dimensions III is an excellent remake of an absolute classic shmup. It presents the original in its best form, while also improving upon it in several ways. While I would have liked more attention paid to accessibility, the modes here do a decent enough job of letting me enjoy the game. That said, the improvements to the presentation and the two-player co-op mode are really compelling reasons to give this game a try. I wholeheartedly support giving this sort of treatment to other games in the series. Super R-Type, for instance, is desperately in need of it. They have already shown they can do these games right, so hopefully Super R-Type Dimensions will see the light of day. For now, R-Type Dimensions III and the earlier Dimensions EX do an excellent job of preserving these classics.
