R-Type Delta: HD Boosted Review

R-Type is a series of science-fiction-themed horizontal shooter games that has been around since 1987, with numerous releases on various consoles. R-Type Delta: HD Boosted is a remake of the fourth title in the series, originally launched for the PlayStation in 1999, and was the first in the franchise to use 3D graphics instead of 2D pixel sprites. This title was developed by CITY CONNECTION, the company that owns the JALECO IP and focuses on remakes and reprints of classic games. They also published it, along with Clear River Games. I have the first three R-Type games, but I never got a chance to check out Delta, which is the fourth, so I’m excited to see how the series continues from where I left off.

R-Type Delta: HD Boosted has an eerie, dark atmosphere with a minimalist story that is both disturbing and intriguing, all without the use of spoken dialogue. The game begins in the year 2163, after the R-9 Arrowhead fighter returns badly damaged from its mission fighting the Bydo Empire. Skip forward a year, and mysterious objects begin falling from the sky, causing humans to lose control of Moritz-G, the orbiting defence platform capable of destroying the entire planet. Instead, it has turned against humanity, beginning its attack by obliterating a city. So the humans deploy the prototype ship, the R-9 Delta, to try to stop this destructive assault on Earth.

The first thing you need to do is register your pilot by entering a name. After this, you must select which ship you want to use between two options: the R-9 or the RX. As you progress, new ships will be unlocked. They aren’t exactly the same; they each have different Force devices. The Force (not like in STAR WARS) is an indestructible satellite that flies in front of or behind your ship, attacking incoming enemies or blocking incoming fire. The R-9 uses the standard Force type, while the RX has a tentacle-style version, which I personally found more distracting than useful.

There are three difficulties available for your run: Kids, Human, and BYDO. If you’ve played an R-Type game before, you may remember that the Bydo were biological man-made weapons meant to help humanity dominate the universe. As usual, things went wrong, and the Bydo turned on their creators. Essentially, they are pure, ultimate evil, meaning this setting is incredibly difficult! I selected the Kids option, as it provides more lives and continues before reaching a game over and being forced to start again from the beginning.

R-Type Delta: HD Boosted features high-resolution graphics that make the polygons sharper than ever. The visuals aren’t the only aspect updated in this release; the music has been overhauled as well. You can listen to the updated Arranged version, though switching back to the Normal soundtrack is also an option. Either way, the music has a tense, foreboding tone that really enhances the atmosphere. The game also benefits from modern quality-of-life improvements compared to the original release from 27 years ago.

No matter which ship you choose, both have a normal shot (which can be charged by holding the button), a rapid shot, a Delta weapon that deals heavy damage, and the Force device. The weapon you use changes depending on the power-up you pick up. Instead of having to clear a row of the same type of enemy to obtain a new weapon, there is one designated enemy ship you must destroy. It will always appear at the same point in each stage. You’ll get to know the stages quite well, as you’ll be playing them multiple times (especially the earlier ones) since you are always sent back to the beginning when you need to start over. Muscle memory is a huge advantage; it’s always nice to know where enemies will appear from.

R-Type Delta: HD Boosted is a challenging game, even when you’re playing on the Kids difficulty. Fortunately, when your ship is destroyed, you respawn close to where you fell, so you don’t have to backtrack much. The vibrant look and sound of the game are great, and I love the science-fiction feel of many of the enemies you encounter. Every time I had to restart a stage, I noticed things I hadn’t spotted in previous runs, so it always felt fresh.

If you played the original R-Type Delta in the past, or if you’re a fan of the R-Type series, this is a title you’ll definitely want to check out. It looks and sounds fantastic and does an excellent job of drawing you into its creepy sci-fi world. Even though it’s tough, it delivers an arcade-like experience that would have eaten all your quarters if you were playing it on a cabinet!