Overview – developed by KRITZELKRATZ 3000 and published by Tozai Games and ININ, R-Type Dimensions III is a remake of the classic SNES/Super Famicom shooter from IREM. Take the fight to the Bydo Empire again, this time as the pilot of the R-90 and venturing into enemy territory. This title has been officially relaunched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Steam and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank PR Hound for providing the copy of R-Type Dimensions III that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please be aware, I have previously covered the launch version of the game, so the focus of this updated coverage will be on the updated content. You can find my previous coverage and other R-Type pieces (HERE).
Story – in a distant future, the BYDO Empire has been a threat to Humanity, engaging in war with Earth and beaten back each time. These bio-mechanical creatures have appeared once more, close to the Earth and threatening humanity with extinction. Earth deploys the R-90 Ragnarok, the latest R-Type craft, on a mission to destroy the remnants of the empire. As Captain of the R-90, warp between dimensions to battle the BYDO and eliminate them to save the Earth.
Gameplay – R-Type Dimensions III is a remake of the third named R-Type release, following the same side scrolling action as its predecessors. The player must make their way through six challenging stages, fighting the enemy forces of the Bydo Empire. Each of the stages follows the traditional shooter formula, where the screen will auto scroll as the player battles the alien foes. This is done with a standard blaster, but also dual charge attacks.
The first is the BEAM attack, which is charged up for a single blast of ultimate power, which is very useful at all points during the game. Then we have the HYPER charge system, where players can charge up their blaster and gain significantly enhanced power for a brief time. As the player blasts down the enemy, they will be able to get upgrades, which unlock FORCE power-ups, which can be used for as long as the player is alive.
During play, there are three different types of FORCE for players to use, with Blue, Red and Yellow FORCE. Each of these upgrades will provide the player with attacks like spread shots, lasers that bounce off surfaces and static turret blasts. The FORCE itself takes the form of a satellite, which can attach to the front, or the back, allowing the player to attack from different directions. The FORCE can be launched at enemies or used to block enemy attacks.
Before starting a run, players can select one of three styles of FORCE, which each have their own strengths and weaknesses. There is the Round FORCE, which is the most balanced option, being effective in attack and defense. The Shadow FORCE is damage focused, excelling at dealing damage to enemies and offering wide cover fire. Cyclone FORCE is the defensive option, focusing on protecting the player, offering a powerful shield when detached from the ship.
The attack power-ups can be upgraded three times, with the level increasing whenever any of the power-up colors is selected. While the type of attack will change, the level will carry between the enhancements, preventing any loss of power. Then there are supplementary upgrades, with Missiles, speed ups and the Pit Unit, which will add an additional satellite to help defend the ship. These will last for the duration of the players life, disappearing if shot down.
In the missions themselves, the player will not only need to avoid enemy fire, but also deadly traps and hazards. These include acid, fire and plasma which will change depending on the stage, keeping the challenge from getting stale. If the player is not careful, their ship will be destroyed and in Original Mode, the player will be sent back to a preset checkpoint. If the player is in Infinite Mode, they will immediately respawn with an unpowered FORCE Satellite.
At points during the stages, the player may encounter mid bosses, which are more powerful enemies that will put the player in a usually static area until destroyed. Then at the end of a stage, the player will encounter unique and powerful enemy bosses. Each boss has a unique Gimmick that will make them challenging, with the player needing to think on their feet to make it through. This can include enemies that are behind the player, or move around the edge of the screen.
Later in the game, there is the Phantom Cell Boss Rush, which is a unique boss that transforms into older bosses. These bosses are mostly from the first game, with the iconic Giger inspired Dobkeratops being the first form. These are an excellent inclusion as it helps to celebrate the previous game, while acting as a challenging penultimate clash with the Bydo before the final stretch. This was an uncommon occurance during the time of release.
When the player clears a stage they will transition immediately into the next via blackout, making it feel seamless during play. If starting the game in Normal Mode, there will be a second loop upon defeating the boss and seeing the ending. This second loop is the Advanced Mode, which is significantly tougher, having more powerful bosses and enemies. If the player decides to start on Advanced Mode, the player will get the true ending after only one loop.
Before the player starts the game they can select their preferred mode, with Original being an authentic reproduction of the SNES release. If the player dies, they get sent to a checkpoint and if all lives are lost, players will get a game over before they continue. Then there is the accessible Infinite Mode, where players have unlimited lives, as well as instant respawn upon death. This makes the challenge more approachable to all players regardless of skill level.
Alongside the extra game mode, there have been fully remastered visuals and sounds. Dubbed the 3D mode, the player will be able to experience the pixel art in a brand new visual style. There is also the Crazy Camera, which allows for a new perspective to be viewed by the player, giving the game a whole new dimension to experience. But if the player prefers the classic style, they can switch between original 2D and 3D styles freely.
As the player clears the stages, they will be unlocked in the stage select which appears before starting a game proper. This allows players to just jump right back into the action, continuing where they left off between play sessions. Players can also select the co-op mode, where two players can work together to take down the Bydo menace. When in Original Mode co-op, players will respawn as long as they have lives left, with players endlessly respawning in infinite mode.
As this game has been updated as an official Re-Launch of the game, there have been changes made to the game that improve and rebalance the experience. With this third patch, there are have been updates to the Crazy Camera, fixes to hitbox issues that affected the gameplay, as well as general quality of life updates. There have also been adjustments to the boss battles, making them function more consistently in their intended way to match the game.
Also as a bonus for this re-launch, ININ Games have made the Digital Artbook that was originally for the Digital Deluxe release, free for all players. If players already own this, statements have been made that there will be something for those players in the future. These adjustments, changes and additional content for all players makes this game feel like a true revival, giving players a truly definitive way to experience R-Type III.
Now with the gameplay and updates covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the general feel of the controls do feel a little tighter and responsive with these updates. The game still uses the standard four button control for the standard inputs, as well as the camera shift button. These work well on a range of controllers, feeling comfortable during play and they feel almost identical to the original release. Overall this feels natural and works very well, it is just unfortunate that inputs cannot be remapped natively.
Difficulty – while the game has been adjusted, the difficulty level is still brutally challenging. This is not a negative as the challenge of the game is a lot of fun, which really pushes the player to the limit of their skills in Original Mode. I still cannot make it to the end of the Original Mode, as it is extremely difficult but luckily the Infinite Mode does allow for players to experience the game. It can also be very useful for practicing tricky parts of the game.
Presentation – in my previous coverage, I felt like the 3D graphical update was a little unpolished. However, with these patches, there has been a pretty decent overhaul of the visuals, feeling more polished and refined over the previous release. This makes it feel more atmospheric at points as the color is enhanced and the lighting improved. The sound has also been enhanced, bringing the energetic arranged soundtrack up to the quality it deserves.
Final Thoughts – I had a rather good experience with this the first time around, while feeling it was lacking a little bit of refinement and just needed a little more polish. With the patches that have been released since launch, all of the little niggling flaws have been ironed out. This re-launch with Patch 3 makes it the game that it deserved to be at launch, fixing the different issues that had been reported. But that brutal difficulty and punishing challenge remains.
The biggest issues with this release were the performance issues, where the framerate and game in general would slow down, causing it to drastically chug in 3D. These have been remedied with the patches and the game runs very well if not flawlessly, giving players the best possible experience when playing. With all of these changes and updates, I stand by my recommendation of this game, as I feel it is deserving of attention now it has been thoroughly polished.
In the end, I give R-Type Dimensions III (the Re-Launch) a final score of 5/5. Coming around 4 and a half months after initial launch, this release has been patched, polished and refined to be the best possible experience for all players, making it the definitive way to experience R-Type III on modern systems. If you want to check this release out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch Version (HERE)/Switch 2 (HERE)
Link to PlayStation 5 version (HERE)
Link to Xbox series version (HERE)
Link to Steam version (HERE)
