R-Type Dimensions EX Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

R-Type Dimensions EX Switch NSP Free Download Romslab the two games in this collection, R-Type and R-Type II, are ridiculously hard. Proudly showing their arcade roots, these are games that were designed to keep you mindlessly pumping coins into the cabinet after each failed attempt. And there will be many, many failed attempts when tackling these remakes, at least when playing in Classic mode. Dodging enemy fire while blasting through the onslaught is pure, white knuckle fun of course, but it’s difficult to the point where if you told me that you’d completed R-Type or its sequel, then I would call you a big fat liar. ROMSLAB.COM Best Switch Games

R-Type Dimensions EX Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Which allows good, honest humans to see the game through to completion by bestowing you with the gift of eternal life. After each death you’re plonked right back into the action to continue your progress – no starting the level from scratch or any of that old school nonsense – with the only punitive measure being the loss of any weapon upgrades you’d picked up during your previous incarnation. Another helpful inclusion in Infinite mode is the ability to slow down the onscreen action by holding ZL, providing yourself with an extra few nanoseconds of reaction time.

The classic gameplay remains untouched, while the new endless game mode allows continuous progression from the start of the game to the final boss.

This collection reminded me of another great retro revival title I played on the Switch a while back, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap. You can alternate between old-school and remastered looks with the press of a button, as the core gameplay remains largely unchanged. You shoot everything in sight until the game tells you to stop, all while avoiding dying by getting shot or by touching pretty much anything that isn’t a powerup. When it comes to how the game got remastered, the soundtrack is easily the highlight. The original R-Type soundtracks were good, but they weren’t very upbeat. Through the Nightmares Switch NSP

R-Type Dimensions EX Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Maybe that was due to the limitations of soundchips from 30 years ago, but those tunes lacked percussion and an “oomph” factor. The remastered tunes feel a lot more energetic, motivating, and above anything else, epic. Same can’t be said about the graphics. Don’t get me wrong, they are decent and the framerate is always rock-solid, but this is where R-Type Dimensions EX shows its age. It looks like an Xbox Live Arcade title from the late 2000’s… because it was originally an Xbox Live Arcade title from the late 2000’s. It’s not going to age nowhere near as gracefully as Wonder Boy‘s remastered visuals.

Choose between 2D graphics with classic retro music or beautiful 3D graphics with beautiful, remastered music and sound effects.

It’s all down to the Infinite mode, which gives you an endless supply of lives as you play through the game. Can’t fly ten feet without exploding in a ball of flame? Not a problem: you’ll never run out of ships. As long as you have the patience, you can make your way to the end via sheer brute force, and finally fulfil that seemingly impossible dream of completing a shoot ‘em up game. Where’s the challenge, you may ask (and if you didn’t, we just asked it on your behalf)? Well, the game does actually keep track of how many lives you lost as well as your total score, and once you beat the game you do get to upload both stats to an online high score table. Throne of Egypt Switch NSP 

R-Type Dimensions EX Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

This means there’s an incentive to go through it again, trying to die fewer times and rack up a higher score this time around. It takes the excitement of attempting a high score challenge and fighting your way up the leaderboard, and gives it to a set of gamers who may otherwise feel daunted by it by taking out the “Can I do this?” element and focusing on “Can I do this better?” instead. I absolutely love the R-Type series and have been playing it for almost as long as it’s existed. R-Type Dimensions contains the first 2 games in the franchise and it’s been entertaining shmup fans since 2009 when it debuted on Xbox 360.

Pull yourself together, save the Earth, and smash the evil Bydo empire!

So, in a way, this collection is sort of retro on its own. Anyway, what makes the compilation special is that you can switch between 2D and 3D visuals on the fly with the tap of a button. This allows you to play through the games in their classic iterations as well as a modern interpretation. Even as a retro fanatic, I must say that you really can’t go wrong with either style. Some other cool features include achievements, online leaderboards, and the ability to play with a friend in local co-op multiplayer. It really is a solid compilation and a must-have for any shmup fan.

R-Type Dimensions EX Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

R-Type originally released just a couple of years after Konami’s genre-defining Gradius. Whereas Gradius had an innovative power-up meter, R-Type introduced genre fans to a whole new layer of strategy with its Force unit mechanic. Basically, you can collect, detach, and attach an invincible orb to your ship that grants you more firepower when attached and allows you to attack difficult to reach enemies when detached. This element made R-Type stand out in the oversaturated genre and its awesome music, stage designs, boss fights, and power-ups remain incredibly enjoyable even today. Thronefall Switch NSP

Add-ons (DLC): R-Type Dimensions EX Switch NSP