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The R-Type franchise will be familiar to the vast
majority of regulars here at
Electronic Theatre. Whether you’ve invested a good twenty
years in the videogames industry or
picked-up a Control Pad for the first time on a PlayStation2, there
will no doubt have been an R-Type - or one of it’s many
partisans - lingering somewhere nearby. The series has seen that
many outings that it’s highly possible that a gamer could own
several titles under the same header, yet with each playing
intrinsically different within their Side-Scrolling universe.
From the masterful Super Nintendo Entertainment System
release of Super R-Type to that of the Game Boy Advance’s
dismal attempt at recreating R-Type III in the
palm-of-your-hand, numerous arcade releases, and that supposed last
attempt at revival for the genre, R-Type Final on
PlayStation2, R-Type has repeatedly changed the face of the
Side-Scrolling Shoot-‘Em-Up. However, R-Type Tactics isn’t
the traditional Side-Scrolling Shoot-‘Em-Up many may be expecting,
and to Hardcore Gamers, the “Tactics” affix should reveal all
the player needs to know. Typically associated with Turn-Based
Strategy
adaptations of familiar videogaming properties, R-Type Tactics
is no exception to the formula. Irem’s latest R-Type
outing (courtesy of Rising Star Games here in the UK), is a
Turn-Based Strategy title set within the R-Type universe and,
just as the series has done with Side-Scrolling Shoot-‘Em-Up genre,
R-Type Tactics brings with it a handful of refreshing ideas.
From-the-off, comparisons with the NintendoDS’s
strategy-bastions
Advance Wars titles are to be expected. However, unusually
for a title in such direct competition with the series that has
more-or-less claimed the genre as it’s own on handheld, R-Type
Tactics doesn’t suffer at the hand of such comparisons.
Following the traditional rules of controlling each unit
one-at-a-time; moving, then shooting (or using an alternative
action), before moving onto the next and eventually ending your
turn, allowing your opponent to then utilise their units.
Missions often revolve around simply destroying an enemy
Flagship (which is the victory condition of your opponent, too)
although variations do appear from time-to-time. One of the best
additions to the formula is that of Boss Battles. While the
Turn-Based Strategy genre isn’t known for it’s memorable Boss
Battles, the Side-Scrolling Shoot-‘Em-Up genre most definitely is,
and R-Type itself holds more impressive antagonists than
most. These fantastical, screen-filling beasts return in startling
form, providing some fantastic visuals and requiring balanced attack
skills.
There’s an incredible amount of units available for the player to
command, however, their construction is somewhat different to the
traditional methods of the genre. While some
 units
may be unlocked by completing Missions – as is typical with
off-shoots from the Role-Playing Game genre, such as Final
Fantasy Tactics Advance – most are added to a player’s Roster
through use of the R&D option on the War Room Menu before battle.
Unlocking Spoils through finding them during Missions or simply
progressing through the Campaign will allow new units to be
developed, and their construction demands Resources which are
limited (mostly harvested during Missions).
R-Type Tactics retains a firm grip on its host series
conventions, with the ability to tailor units with new weaponry and
modules through Force Orbs and other additions. Enhancing existing
properties of units, the addition allows the game to flow more akin
to the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or Fire
Emblem than Advance Wars.
As well as the units, under a player’s command, Pilots are available
for commanding. When developing a new unit, a pilot must be assigned
before it can be entered into you Roster. New Pilots unlock as
progression is made, and fighting well in completed Missions will
increase the Pilots abilities. However, falling at the opponents
hands will decrease a Pilot’s ability. Pilots are available in three
Classes; Captain, Squads and Forces, identifying which unit types
they may command.
A feature included in R-Type Tactics that may not have been
missed before its inclusion here, certainly will be should the genre
continue without adding to its basic formula. The most basic of
additions: an indicator of your opponent’s progress during their
turn. Denoted as a bar and a percentage, such a simple, yet very
much overlooked addition to the formula is very much welcomed here.
R-Type Tactics fits within it’s universe perfectly, with
brilliantly rendered and recognisable representations of the
Side-Scrolling
 Shoot-‘Em-Up’s
aggressors and champions. The mid-battle Cut-Scenes are at first a
pleasant display of your (or your enemy’s) prowess, but their
disjointed lengthy Loading sequence soon becomes an irritation. It’s
rather lucky then, that these sequences can be turned-off. The sound
too is perfectly complimentary, without ever becoming an annoyance.
R-Type Tactics fills a hole on the PlayStation Portable.
While many may think of UBi Soft’s Field Commander and all
the work it did for the genre on PlayStation Portable, despite its
playability, the lack of refinement and original ideas place the
title squarely behind R-Type Tactics. Easily the best release
on the system in the latter-half of 2008, and perhaps one of the
most inventive yet to grace that high-quality screen, R-Type
Tactics is quite simply the PlayStation Portable’s answer to
Advance Wars, and does incredibly well to give that reputable
series a run-for-it’s-money. |
