R-Type Final adapts a 3D world to a 2D gameplay style, and it does it rather well. It allows the camera to move freely to different angles while maintaining that 'flat' feeling of flying from the left side of the screen to the right. The visuals are pretty stunning, with enemies, lasers and explosions flying around the screen nonstop. This can cause some slowdown on your system, however, and also will obscure your vision at times, making you rely on pure luck to get by some points.

The sound effects are spot on with the visual effects. Explosions rock your speakers, and enemy gunfire has that satisfying loud report. The music isn't quite a masterpiece, and you will definitely not be noticing too much of it throughout the game, but it is good filler for those cutscenes.

R-Type Final should have been an arcade game. The classic side-scrolling action would have eaten quarters up in no time. The game is fun and addictive, but very fast. You'll find yourself dying many times, often within a couple of seconds of each other.

For those who haven't played any of the R-Type games of the past, let me refresh your memory on what kind of game this is. It's basically a relic of arcade games of the past, where you fly a ship from one side of the screen to the next, dodging bullets and shooting away at the enemy. R-Type takes it to the next step by cramming the screen full of enemies and gunfire and adding massive power-ups for you to slaughter your foes with, as well as making you dodge stationary obstacles on the screen.

There is some padding that makes it a good console game though. You can unlock new ships to use (you initially start with three), and you can use any of them on any level you want. The beauty of this is that they are all very different and you can customize what weapons they will carry and what their power-ups will be like in the game. This makes for a lot of replay value.

Though there is no mode for two-players (a serious drawback), there is an AI versus mode where you take your saved pilot and pit him against another pilot, say the computer or a friend's pilot. The AI takes it from there and lets them duel it out on screen. This mode is interesting, but it definitely does not make up for the fact that this game is only single-player.

R-Type Final is difficult in the sense that you have to force your way through hard parts of the game, learning by dying. There will be moments when you have no idea what's going on and then suddenly boom, you're dead. Eventually you will see what's going on, correct the mistake, and then proceed through the level until you come to the next tough part. Another reason why this would have made a better arcade game.

The core of R-Type Final is relatively simple; you fly around and shoot your enemies while dodging things. This process is facilitated by the addition of power-ups and the weapons you can use. Each ship has a standard laser cannon and a powerful charge-up shot. These charge-up shots are what really matter when things get tough, as they cause a devastatingly large amount of destruction. Your laser cannon can be upgraded by snagging power-ups floating around the level, and if you get enough of them the cannon will become almost as powerful as the charge-up shot.

Another big helper is the Force. I'm not talking about what Darth Vader uses to strangle people with, but a floating orb that follows you and acts as either its own entity or latches onto your ship and enhances your laser cannons. This orb can go on the front or the back of your ship, which means you'll constantly be switching it around as you are forced to one side of the screen or another.

Despite the drawbacks of the slowdown, no 2 Player mode, and the fact that you have to shell out fifty bucks for a game that should only cost you a quarter to play in the arcade, R-Type comes out a winner. The power-ups are a cool feature, and there is plenty of fun to be had, as well as some good replay value. If you?re a fan of these types of games you definitely will not go wrong with this one, and if you liked any of the past R-Types then you have no excuse to not own R-Type Final.