R-Type Dimensions III review for PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC

R-Type has always been a name that horizontal shooter fans will recognize. With Tons of ports and sequels across multiple platforms and even in the Arcade, the name is synonymous with some of the best shooters out there. Way back in 2009, ININ released R-Type Dimensions, which was essentially remasters of the first two games in the series and it did so well, another remaster was released called R-Type Dimensions EX that fixed a few things from the first release while also adding gameplay improvements.

Now, have R-Type Dimensions III which is a one to one remaster of R-Type III: The Third Lightning that was released on the Super Nintendo back in 1993. While this is a faithful recreation of the original, the Quality of Life “improvements” may not be enough for new gamers to give it a spin.

If you’ve never played The Third Lightning, it was a show piece for the Super Nintendo library. Featuring dazzling MODE 7 sprite scaling and smooth parallax scrolling, it really demonstrated what the SNES could do. Since this game was not in the Arcade or on any other platform, it’s an absolute gem for the console’s library and is still revered today. The game is also known for its insane difficulty and challenge. Some players have never beaten the game’s final boss or even seen every level in the game, but this only adds to the charm and uniqueness that is The Third Lightning.  This remaster does offer the same challenge that the original does, while offering some options such as the cool 2D to 3D transitions found in previous releases, scanlines for the 2D visuals and some nice remastered music tracks. No art galleries or history sections that have become standard with retro remakes like this, but there is a new 2 player mode and also an “infinity” mode which we’ll get into later.

The 2D/3D transitions are done very well, but can lead to some slowdown and odd artifacting when activated in certain areas, and while it’s rare, can lead to an unfair death. Because the game is very difficult, most players will probably leave it in 2D or 3D while playing depending on which you find more appealing. Both visual settings look great so you can’t go wrong with either choice. The enhanced audio sounds great with arranged tunes that can get you pumped as you play. As with the original, it really doesn’t matter what difficulty you set the game to, as you will die again and again throughout each stage. The enemies and especially the bosses are all relentless and will challenge the most seasoned player.

A huge issue I’ve noticed with this remaster is the overall accuracy of weapons and hitboxes. It seems that all the weapons have been made intentionally weaker, making fighting bosses more difficult. Your ship also seems to have a larger hitbox making for some nasty deaths. Not really sure if these issues will bother new and casual players, but they did make for some frustrating runs for me.

A new addition that was added to this release is the co-op mode that completely changes the original 2 player option. The original game had 2 players alternating, where when one player died, it would swap to the other players last point of play. This is changed to simultaneous co-op which is a nice feature, but can get very confusing quickly. R-Type III offers very little screen space with the hoards of enemies filling the screen, so having 2 players together with no extra space given can lead to madness.

Now, lets talk about this Infinity Mode. This is a mode where when you die, you are instantly put back into the action with no interruption, plus you have an infinite amount of lives so it won’t matter how many times you are hit, you always come back. Sure, you do lose your weapons, but you’ll regain them back almost immediately after respawning. I feel that this mode is only good if you just want to see all of the levels and bosses and really removes every bit of challenge from the game. No skill is required for this mode and really should have been included as an unlockable after beating the main game instead of being available from the start. In this mode, the bosses will eventually destroy themselves if you are taking too long damaging them. It’s like they get bored and give up. You can literally just select this mode and let the game play and eventually you’ll make it to the end with no effort or even a button press. Well, I might be exaggerating just a bit here, but I would personally only use this mode after you beat the main game yourself. Again, it should have been an unlockable feature.

In conclusion, R-Type Dimensions III is a good remaster of a classic game that comes with a few issues and strange changes that might put off some players. I do see new players and casual shooter fans having fun with this port, but some seasoned veterans might be turned off a little. Not a terrible release by any means, but the addition of a classic 2 player mode, patches for the hitbox/weapons issues and perhaps some more unlockables might have made it better. If you are a horizontal shooter fan of any skill level, you should give this one a try but don’t expect a perfect experience. It’s good, but not as great as it could have been.

Note: ININ provided us with a R-Type Dimensions III code for review purposes.

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