arcade

This is an excellently fun and scathingly challenging shooter that I, personally, cannot wait to see ported to the GBA. It would make a very solid addition to the Game Boy library of any experienncd gamer or fan of shooters. To put it lightly, you must be like me and enjoy excercises in frustration. You will die many, many times before you memorize the enemy patterns and develop the neccesary reflexes to move on to the next stage.

I must disagree with the assertion, however, that this is the best R-type game out there. While this and the original R-Type, certainly makes the top 3, I believe that R-Type Final, with over 10 stages and 100 ships, is a much more well rounded portrait of the series as a whole. It has much more replay value as well. If you can't stand polygonal slowdown, though, R-Type III is certainly a viable choice. A very fun game indeed, if you are a fan of classic shooters or you are just looking for a very challenging GBA game, look no further than R-Type III.

Irem's R-Type series is, without question, the finest space shooter series out there. The game took a basic concept, and completely rewrote the way it was done - and all for the better, too. They say the third time is the charm, but are they right? Read on for my review of R-Type III.

PROS:
-Unlike previous R-Type games, in which the Force Ball that attached to your ship was always the same, this game gives you a choice of three different force units! No two are exactly alike.
-The game will give you a good challenge. If you're looking for a challenge, you've come to the right place.
-There is considerably more variety here than in previous R-Type games.
-The game is much easier to find than its long out of print Super Nintendo counterpart.

CONS:
-The only thing really wrong with this game is the extreme difficulty. The Game Boy's small screen is a contributor to this. Though I actually LIKE being challenged, many gamers don't like hard games, and this may turn them off from even wanting to try the game.

OVERALL:
-If you only buy one R-Type game, the third installment in the classic series is your best bet. Do not pass this game by if you're a fan of side-scrolling space shooters - you'll only be hurting yourself if you do.