Review – R-Type Dimensions III
Following the premise set by R-Type Dimensions EX, a compilation featuring remakes of the first two R-Type games with modern graphics and accessibility options, R-Type Dimensions III arrives in storeshelves with two main objectives: remind people of the existence of R-Type III (a somewhat rare Super Nintendo title usually mistaken with the vastly more notable and accessible Super R-Type), and ensure that it’s worth the heftier pricetag, despite it being a remake/remaster of just a single classic R-Type game this time around.
Playing R-Type Dimensions III with SNES visuals (a.k.a., just playing a stretched R-Type III)…
R-Type Dimensions III, or the SNES / GBA game it’s based on, is a straightforward shooter that follows the franchise’s formula to a tee: have a power up attached to your ship at any time, and press a button to detach it in order for it to either become a floating turrent surrounding you, a back cannon, or a frontal cannon. Decide which powerup you will use at the beginning of a new game, and then just endure an utterly brutal onslaught of enemies, projectiles and obstacles which will blow your ship up with the lightest of scratches. That is no surprise to R-Type enthusiasts; fans of the series all know that, at the very least, the first few games were infamous for their absolutely brutal level of difficulty.
The same scene, after pressing the X button.
Just like in R-Type Dimensions EX, R-Type Dimensions III tries to mitigate accessibility issues not by easing up the game design and level of difficulty, but by giving you infinite lives if you so choose. That allows you to, at the very least, reach the end of the game with enough patience and willpower. As for the rest, there isn’t a lot that differentiates it from its predecessor. The graphical setting change button still exists, but I honestly think that playing this game with modern graphics makes it harder, as the backgrounds become busy, hiding incoming projectiles and obstacles from you, especially when you’re playing it in portable mode. Unlockables are here as well, and there are rearranged versions of the 16-bit tunes if you decide to play it with modern graphics.
Busy backgrounds result in projectiles and obstacles being hard to notice in portable mode. Then again, you do have access to infinite lives, if you so choose…
This is a pretty straightforward conversion. R-Type Dimensions III is not as exciting as its predecessor, as it’s only covering one game, instead of two, and said game just isn’t as iconic as the first few classic R-Types. It gives you all the (optional) presentation overhauls and accessibility options that you would expect and want. Definitely not a bad game by any means (looks fine, sounds amazing, runs at the smoothest of framerates), but I don’t think it landed as impactfully as its predecessor, or other bullet hell shooters available on a bloated library like the Switch 2’s – if you consider backwards compatibility, that is.
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Graphics: 6.5 The reworked visuals look neat on a smaller screen, but the sheer amount of background detail ends up hiding projectiles and obstacles, a sin in a “one hit kills” shooter like this one. |
Gameplay: 8.0 Mindless, but responsive bullet hell shooting. It’s unbelievably difficult, but a new infinite lives mode makes it more accessible. |
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Sound: 8.0 Whether it’s the SNES soundtrack, or the modern one, the compositions are the same; the arrangements differ one from the other. Thankfully, both are pretty good. |
Fun Factor: 7.0 A neat recreation of a lesser known game from the SNES era. It’s frustratingly difficult, but more accessible than ever, due to a new infinite lives mode. |
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Final Verdict: 7.0
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R-Type Dimensions III is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC, Switch and Switch 2.
Reviewed on Switch 2.
A copy of R-Type Dimensions III was provided by the publisher.
