R-Type Final should have been an arcade game. The classic side-scrolling action would have eaten quarters up in no time. The game is fun and addictive, but very fast. You'll find yourself dying many times, often within a couple of seconds of each other.
For those who haven't played any of the R-Type games of the past, let me refresh your memory on what kind of game this is. It's basically a relic of arcade games of the past, where you fly a ship from one side of the screen to the next, dodging bullets and shooting away at the enemy. R-Type takes it to the next step by cramming the screen full of enemies and gunfire and adding massive power-ups for you to slaughter your foes with, as well as making you dodge stationary obstacles on the screen.
There is some padding that makes it a good console game though. You can unlock new ships to use (you initially start with three), and you can use any of them on any level you want. The beauty of this is that they are all very different and you can customize what weapons they will carry and what their power-ups will be like in the game. This makes for a lot of replay value.
Though there is no mode for two-players (a serious drawback), there is an AI versus mode where you take your saved pilot and pit him against another pilot, say the computer or a friend's pilot. The AI takes it from there and lets them duel it out on screen. This mode is interesting, but it definitely does not make up for the fact that this game is only single-player.
