With the last year's remaster of R-Type Delta, the surprising “enhanced demake” of R-Type DX: Music Encore, and now R-Type Dimensions III, it seems like Irem have been making an effort to prepare for a return to the series. Unfortunately, the actual results of those efforts have been mixed. Dimensions III, like last year's R-Type Delta: HD Boosted, provides a convenient way to return to a milestone entry in the series, but far from an ideal one.
R-Type Dimensions III immediately makes a rough first impression. The headline feature, as with the original Dimensions game, is the ability to switch between 3D and 2D graphics on the fly, alongside remixed music and sound effects. It was a showstopper feature in 2009 when the first Dimensions game was released, but since then has become less novel.
The updated look and sound don’t impress either. The new graphics are straight recreations of the original pixel art, with a plastic sheen that calls to mind dollar store action figures. Animation is inconsistent, sometimes interpolating motion for smoother animations, and at other times seeming to be stuck with the original timing, making them look abrupt and jerky.
The new art doesn’t make efforts to reinterpret the original artwork and add new details, and fails to preserve the original atmosphere. Worse, in some cases it makes the game harder to read, with ambiguous hitboxes or effects that obscure projectiles.
The crunchy, rumbling sound of the Third Lightning is replaced with indistinct metal arrangements, and the new sound effects are often either mixed poorly, or sound worse than the originals, with certain weapon sounds grating over long periods. The whole aesthetic feels hastily constructed, far from the cutting edge visuals the marketing promises.
It's even rougher when you compare it to the R-Type III homage stage seen a few years ago in R-Type Final 2. Even as someone who wasn't enamored with Granzella's approach, you can see the effort they made in creating a distinct atmosphere, and reinterpreting the stage in a modern aesthetic. By contrast, Dimensions III's aesthetic often feels like an artist tracing over the work of another. It might share the same shapes and outlines, but it lacks the character of the original.
Thankfully, the original game is intact here. For the most part. Being able to switch back to the original graphics and music at any time means that there’s finally a modern release of R-Type III, a game that definitely earns its spot as a mainline entry in the series. The game also keeps its widescreen presentation and stable framerate, which provides relief from the SNES version’s frequent slowdowns.
Even with a stabilized framerate this is not a game for the impatient. R-Type as a series demands memorization, and The Third Lightning is no exception. Stages are full of narrow passages, sneak attacks and outright unfair moments that are designed to keep the tension high. A single shot or brush with the environment means death, and death sends you back to the last checkpoint, without any extra weapons or speed boosts. Tough sections can easily keep you in an endless death loop, and clearing the game on the regular difficulty will prove to be a steep task.
The stage design forces a strategic approach, carefully carving out a route through the stage by observing enemy placements and planning your weapon choices and the positioning of your Force, the detachable weapon pod that can be used as a remote weapon or attached to defend a side from attacks. The slower pace allows you to take in more of the bio-mechanical stages and bosses--and really revel in the art as you get the patterns down. The Third Lightning continues the series trend of Griger inspired structures, complete with new sexually suggestive entries into the menagerie. Of note here is that R-Type Dimensions III is based on the Japanese version of the game, which retains the sperm-like designs for the boss enemies in stage two, which were replaced by similar eyeball creatures internationally.
Don't let that confuse you into thinking R-Type Dimensions III is a perfect translation of the original. Even when playing exclusively with the 2D graphics and sound, there's something subtly off about it. The difference is small enough that I had to play the two games back to back to confirm it, but it was notable enough that I could feel it while playing.
There's a softness to the pixel art, as if it's been improperly scaled, alongside a subtle shift in the color palette--though the SNES wasn't exactly consistent about that on original hardware either. The music isn't synthesized in real time, but played back from a recording, which is noticeable especially during boss fights, where I frequently heard it fade out and loop. It gives the classic mode the feeling of a SNES to PS1 port. You're generally getting most of the original experience, but there's some slight shift that makes it feel less crisp or responsive than the original.
I'll leave it to more seasoned Third Lightning players to zone in on the particular details, but I imagine that if I felt something was off, then players who regularly practice the game might be more sensitive to the differences.
The interface issues are more blatant. There's a long transition to the title screen that makes it harder to navigate and quickly retry in, the controller mappings are less customizable than the original, not giving you the ability to remap the shoulder buttons or triggers, and for anyone playing on ultrawide or other non-standard resolutions, artwork will render outside of the playable field, but in 2D mode 3D graphics will still render outside the 16:9 frame. Technical issues like this are a frequent distraction, and it all contributes to the feeling of a product barely holding together.
If you're able to ignore all of that, the game underneath is still R-Type III, and still an excellent entry in the series. As I played through both the original and Dimensions III, I frequently found myself settling into a groove and slipping into a regular session of the game.
The Third Lightning occasionally treads ground that's too familiar, but its pacing and level design make it a short but intense experience that's fun to learn the rhythms of. It's a steady piano piece that you practice section by section, often frustrating, but immensely satisfying when you can finally perform it flawlessly.
That brings us to the problem with R-Type Dimensions III: it's neither an archival quality release that will satisfy serious players looking to practice a one credit clear, nor is it a slick modern remake with the presentation and features to bring in new fans. It is, however, priced as if it's both, rather than the budget pricing of the original R-Type Dimensions. As a value proposition, it's not delivering.
If you're only looking for a way to play R-Type III on modern platforms, R-Type Dimensions III does deliver that. At its best it's good enough to communicate what makes the original a standout entry. But for anyone particular about the details, it's a hard sell.
