R-Type Delta (PS1, 1998)
Graphics-8 Sound-7.5 Control-7.5 Challenge-8.5/8* Story-4?
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8.5/8* Fun-7.5 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-7.5
*R-13 Ship
+
Three ships to choose from by default+one unlockable ship (different pod/force module sub weapon sets and some other differences, R-13/Anchor ship is better than the default ship overall (besides the missile sub weapon?; homing default weapon, charges delta/smart bombs faster and takes out bosses more easily thanks to the anchor pod), R-10 uses a tentacle pod similar to the ones in X-Multiply; Unlockable TP-2 Pow Armor ship (the small walker-like ship that carries power ups; different pod shot when it's launched, missile sub weapon crawls along the walls and can destroy more enemies before exploding, overall stronger pod sub weapons, wider charge shot))
Good variety
Manual ship speed adjustment (4 levels)
Nice variation on the huge battleship level from the first game on level 3 (huge walker)
Good bosses overall (most (?) have 2 phases, most of them go down too fast if fully powered up on Normal though)
New smart bomb system (let the pod get hit enough by small bullets and debris or shoot it into certain larger enemies' (subjecting it to their melee attacks) to charge it up, sadly it takes too long to charge (with the default ship) and you can't queue up another smart bomb charge if you don't use it while it's fully charged so it's not that flexible but it is satisfying to finally get to use it after charging it up, the charge does also carry over to the next level if you keep it)
Smooth music transition when going over- and underwater in level 3 (see Banjo-Kazooie)
Some 2.5D elements (z-plane action)
Difficulty options (easy-hard)
Some nice scene transitions and other visual effects
3 levels to each pod sub weapon (first power up you pick up only gives you a pod - no actual sub weapon)
Control config and audio level options (can't change the latter while in-game though)
Classic pod mechanic returns, Charge attack for the main weapon returns (separate button), Twin homing missile sub weapon returns, Gun drones which also work as small shields return
+/-
Checkpoint system (a few per level)
Can touch the moving blocks in level 4 without taking damage
One hit deaths
Pretty forgiving hit detection overall
Can't use the smart bomb/delta attack before it's fully charged which takes a while
Features a remixed version of the level 2 and level 1 bosses from R-Type 1 as well as various references to other previous games
Power ups leave the screen pretty quickly (they don't bounce back)
Cool but not that hard final boss and it ends with an escape sequence cutscene (would've been cooler if interactive)
Some achievements
-
Occasionally distracting visual effects (cool looking final level but the light beam passing through it is a bit distracting)
Some control/interface issues (the pod can get stuck completely stuck for several seconds in a few spots, the speed setting resets to 2 if you die, unskippable score countdowns, no weapon inventory - leads to more trial & error and sometimes picking up a weapon you didn't want, kinda twitchy horizontal camera in level 4)
Most bosses go down too quickly on Normal
Heavy trial & error (hidden timer on boss fights - you win if you survive but it's not satisfying, quick attacks from the back or sides, most boss patterns, some projectiles seem blockable but aren't (level 4, level 5 boss), knowing when to equip a certain sub weapon, level 5)
Sometimes uneven difficulty (hard to recover later on due to losing the pod and its sub weapon+the missile sub weapon), level 2 is harder than level 4, sometimes need to have a smart bomb charged or the game gets a lot harder)
Some slowdown
Some weak/muffled explosions
Kinda bland and generic CGI intro (just shows off the ships and nothing else)
1-player only
Limited continues (5) - Have to unlock infinite continues
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8.5/8* Fun-7.5 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-7.5
*R-13 Ship
+
Three ships to choose from by default+one unlockable ship (different pod/force module sub weapon sets and some other differences, R-13/Anchor ship is better than the default ship overall (besides the missile sub weapon?; homing default weapon, charges delta/smart bombs faster and takes out bosses more easily thanks to the anchor pod), R-10 uses a tentacle pod similar to the ones in X-Multiply; Unlockable TP-2 Pow Armor ship (the small walker-like ship that carries power ups; different pod shot when it's launched, missile sub weapon crawls along the walls and can destroy more enemies before exploding, overall stronger pod sub weapons, wider charge shot))
Good variety
Manual ship speed adjustment (4 levels)
Nice variation on the huge battleship level from the first game on level 3 (huge walker)
Good bosses overall (most (?) have 2 phases, most of them go down too fast if fully powered up on Normal though)
New smart bomb system (let the pod get hit enough by small bullets and debris or shoot it into certain larger enemies' (subjecting it to their melee attacks) to charge it up, sadly it takes too long to charge (with the default ship) and you can't queue up another smart bomb charge if you don't use it while it's fully charged so it's not that flexible but it is satisfying to finally get to use it after charging it up, the charge does also carry over to the next level if you keep it)
Smooth music transition when going over- and underwater in level 3 (see Banjo-Kazooie)
Some 2.5D elements (z-plane action)
Difficulty options (easy-hard)
Some nice scene transitions and other visual effects
3 levels to each pod sub weapon (first power up you pick up only gives you a pod - no actual sub weapon)
Control config and audio level options (can't change the latter while in-game though)
Classic pod mechanic returns, Charge attack for the main weapon returns (separate button), Twin homing missile sub weapon returns, Gun drones which also work as small shields return
+/-
Checkpoint system (a few per level)
Can touch the moving blocks in level 4 without taking damage
One hit deaths
Pretty forgiving hit detection overall
Can't use the smart bomb/delta attack before it's fully charged which takes a while
Features a remixed version of the level 2 and level 1 bosses from R-Type 1 as well as various references to other previous games
Power ups leave the screen pretty quickly (they don't bounce back)
Cool but not that hard final boss and it ends with an escape sequence cutscene (would've been cooler if interactive)
Some achievements
-
Occasionally distracting visual effects (cool looking final level but the light beam passing through it is a bit distracting)
Some control/interface issues (the pod can get stuck completely stuck for several seconds in a few spots, the speed setting resets to 2 if you die, unskippable score countdowns, no weapon inventory - leads to more trial & error and sometimes picking up a weapon you didn't want, kinda twitchy horizontal camera in level 4)
Most bosses go down too quickly on Normal
Heavy trial & error (hidden timer on boss fights - you win if you survive but it's not satisfying, quick attacks from the back or sides, most boss patterns, some projectiles seem blockable but aren't (level 4, level 5 boss), knowing when to equip a certain sub weapon, level 5)
Sometimes uneven difficulty (hard to recover later on due to losing the pod and its sub weapon+the missile sub weapon), level 2 is harder than level 4, sometimes need to have a smart bomb charged or the game gets a lot harder)
Some slowdown
Some weak/muffled explosions
Kinda bland and generic CGI intro (just shows off the ships and nothing else)
1-player only
Limited continues (5) - Have to unlock infinite continues