R-Type III: The Third Lightning (Game Boy Advance)

Reviewed by

Frank Provo

on 04/02/2004

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Quick specs
ESRB: Everyone
Genre: Action
Elements: Scrolling Shooter
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See all Destination Software, Inc. products

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R-Type III for the GBA is a terrible port of a great SNES game.

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GameSpot editors' review

CNET editors' rating: 1.0 stars Terrible
Detailed editors' rating

Reviewed by:
Frank Provo
Reviewed on: 04/02/2004
Released on: 03/16/2004
Originally published on GameSpot: R-Type III: The Third Lightning (Game Boy Advance) Review

You'd think that since R-Type III was originally a Super NES game that a developer would have no trouble converting it to the Game Boy Advance. After all, companies like Nintendo and Capcom sure haven't had any problems bringing games like Super Mario World, Final Fight, or Breath of Fire to the GBA--and usually with more features than the games had in the first place. The GBA version of R-Type III looks like its Super NES counterpart and generally plays the same, but its audio has been butchered, and the only things that have been added are a password save feature and a bunch of bugs that shouldn't have made their way into a retail product.

R-Type III: The Third Lightningscreenshot

In addition to the machine guns and lasers provided by the force device, you can also acquire helper pods that fire missiles and homing shots.

What sets R-Type III apart from other side-scrolling shooters, such as Darius or Gradius, is that its levels are challenging even when there aren't any enemy ships around. Within each stage, there are various tunnels, mazes, and traps to get through. Some of these are simple--just follow the tunnel to the end and try not to crash into the ceiling or the floor. Others are a bit more complicated--either the entire background is rotating or you need to navigate through a maze laced with pulverizers and acid sprays. Enemy ships don't deluge the screen or swarm you with bullets. That doesn't mean they won't throw a few bullets your way; it just means that their firepower is reasonable and that they're mainly there to distract you so you'll forget about some other obstacle up ahead.

There are spots where you need to be able to squeeze the ship through a tight opening or maneuver around enemies with barely a pixel or two of space to spare. The collision detection in the Super NES version of R-Type III was precise enough that you could make these close calls without much worry. The same isn't true of the GBA version. Bullets and structures that look like they should skirt right past your ship cause it to explode, even when there is visible space between the ship and the other object. This really becomes apparent in the second half of stage four, where you need to navigate the entire level while flying backward. The rear end of the ship has what seems like 10 pixels of vulnerable space behind it, which means that trapdoors and gunfire that aren't even visible on the screen yet can destroy your ship. Above all else, this is the flaw that absolutely renders the GBA port of R-Type III unplayable.

Another interesting aspect of R-Type III is its force system. At the beginning of the game, you get to choose the type of support vessel that attaches to your ship whenever you pick up weapons. This support vessel is called a force device. Each force device has different uses for the three weapons available in the game. The force also functions as a shield, since it can absorb the majority of tiny bullets and debris that it runs into. The best thing about the force is that you have some control over how it's used. You can attach it to the front or rear of your ship or launch it up ahead or behind you to attack the enemy directly. Unfortunately, here too, the GBA version has problems. When you tap the L button to reattach the force to your ship, it crawls back at a snail's pace. In the original Super NES game, the force would return at the same speed at which it left--fast. Also, the force now seems to have the ability to pass right through solid walls. While this makes the game easier in a few areas, since you can take cover behind an object while the force does all the work, it usually makes the game more frustrating, since the force will often position itself in a corner of the screen where there aren't any enemies.