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Growing up, I never played shooters in the arcades. The gameplay time is much too short because I’d die over and over. When they came home to consoles though, I’d snap them up. Deathsmiles, RayStorm, Mars Matrix, Ikaruga, Radiant Silversword, Einhander…even Cannon Spike. Over the years, I’ve played a ton of them… but weirdly, I’ve never played R-Type III.
I’ve played R-Type, and I’ve even played R-Type Final… but never R-Type III (of which R-Type Dimensions III is a remake of.
Is it a remake worth playing though?
What is R-Type Dimensions III?
R-Type Dimensions III is a remake of 2D shoot-em up R-Type III. It was developed by KRITZELKRATZ 3000 and published by ININ.
Our review code was kindly provided by ININ. Thanks so much!
To be honest, I don’t know why R-Type Dimensions III is labeled as a remake instead of a remaster. It’s basically R-Type III, but there’s a new 3D graphics layer that you can toggle on and off at any time. Since the game content is pretty much the same, wouldn’t a visual overhaul only qualify as a remaster?
Whatever the case, this is R-Type III from the SNES with a new coat of paint. Whether that works for you, is of course, down to your preference. For me, it’s all new and exciting because I’ve never played the game before.
I particularly love the addition of the Infinite Mode. It gives you infinite lives and lets you continue where you died. Yes, it does make the game pretty easy, but since I know I suck at the game, at least this gives me a chance to play it instead of spending hours remembering patterns through trial and error.
Nothing against that for those who do (you do you, bro), but I don’t have time for that nonsense. There’s also a stage selection feature, but it only unlocks stages you’ve reached. To unlock them all, you have to reach the last stage. It’s not really that hard if you’re playing on Infinite Mode.
Weirdly, other additions you’d expect from a remaster are missing. There’s no slowdown feature, or any sort of bonus material. It’s just the game here, which is a disappointment. Unfortunately, the lack of extras is only one part of the package that feels undercooked.
In fact, the entire presentation for the title needs some rework.
For one, you can’t rebind buttons. Personally, I don’t really care. The control scheme works well enough for me that I can play it with no issues. That doesn’t mean everybody else will feel the same way. Not being able to rebind controls is one of the most basic options a game should have.
Unfortunately, that’s not the only basic PC feature missing here.
For some bizarre reason, the game also doesn’t let you choose your resolution. I’ve never encountered a PC game like this. I don’t even know what resolution the game is running on.
It is fullscreen, but not really.
The sprites don’t fit the screen in retro mode (with the top, bottom and sides cut off) so you’re missing out on details such as shots and enemies. Hell, the second-level boss’s weak point (the giant eye) is half off-screen. I spent waaaaaay too much time shooting and dying before I noticed that the eye (which is the weak spot) was only half-visible.
There definitely needs to be a patch for this to recenter and resize the screen properly, because as it stands now, it’s a mess.
Still, not every part of the remake effort falls flat.
The transition between original and the new visuals looks super cool. They can be toggled in real time and you can literally watch the screen morph as the visual modes change. Unfortunately, the new 3D models do not share the same hitboxes as the 2D sprites.
That means shots that should’ve hit, will whiff. It can also be reversed, because shots that you think you’ve dodged, might connect…which will, of course, kill you. In a precision-heavy shooter like R-Type, that kind of inconsistency is a serious problem.
The solution is to play the game in its original visual state, but that’s not really something to be recommended. I mean, what’s the point when the 3D visuals are part of what’s new in this remake? If playing with the original visuals is the best way to play, you’re literally missing out on what makes R-Type Dimensions III special. That criticism shouldn’t take away from the brilliance of the game underneath, though.
Make no mistake, R-Type Dimensions III (or rather R-Type III) is special.
I can see that even in the crippled form presented in R-Type Dimensions III.
I love that you’re basically given three different options at the outset of your game. Depending on which Force option you pick, gameplay can radically change. You can shoot behind, shoot a penetrating laser or even fill the screen with firepower depending on what Force you choose and the power-ups you manage to nab in-game.
While there’s no screen clearing bomb mechanic, the Force can absorb direct projectile hits. In gameplay, that means constantly maneuvering your Force to act as both an offensive part of your arsenal, and also as a shield to protect yourself from enemy fire.
There’s also a Charge mode that fires a big projectile (or laser). I prefer the Hyper mode though. It functions like the Charge mode (where you have to fill a meter by holding down the fire button) but once it’s filled, Hyper mode changes your ship to fire more powerful blasts with an insane rate of fire.
The downside is that this mode overheats your ship. You won’t be able to go Hyper (or even use Charge mode) while you’re cooling down. It’s a risk/reward system that adds a dimension of tactics that you have to take into account on the fly.
You’ll need every tactical advantage you can get, too.
Enemies swarm the screen constantly and the whole experience feels brutally unfair. Death comes fast, it comes relentlessly. You can die in a number of ways and all of them can be a surprise.
Move too much? Dead. Too slow? Dead. Linger too long in the wrong place? Dead. Didn’t shoot the right enemy in the right order? Dead.
Persevere though and you’ll see there’s a pattern to how you’re attacked. Dodging fire, utilizing the different Force types and countering with a charged laser blast feels so damn right. The gameplay is smooth and fluid, so control is never an issue. Whenever I died, it’s because I was the weak link.
There’s a siren song here that calls out to me, teasing and daring me to learn its intricacies so I can git gud.
Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I’m too old to care about bragging rights… at least in this case.
That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the thought that goes into enemy planning and the bosses. Stepping away from the competitive mindset makes it easier to appreciate just how thoughtfully designed the game really is.
I would’ve loved to see some of the art design for R-Type III because the stages, enemies and ships are pretty damn good looking. They’re not weird like the mecha fishies in the Darius series, and some of them are clearly inspired by famous sci-fi vehicles and creatures.
The new 3D art does lose a bit of the 2D style though. The 3D models look nice, but I think they’re much too shiny and clean-looking. I do like some of the background models though. They do enhance the stages nicely and fit well into the design. The remake’s audiovisual presentation does have some genuinely clever touches.
One of the coolest additions is how changing visual modes also changes the soundtrack in real time.
Play in the old school mode and the old R-Type III tracks blare out. Switch to the modern look and the revamped music hits the speakers instead. However, even here the game manages to stumble. The sound balance is off.
The older music is much louder for some reason. It’s super jarring when you decide to change visual modes and the thumping soundtrack you’re grooving to suddenly drops to a mere whisper. Why is this an issue?
Why is there also no option to just force one style of music? I would’ve preferred to keep the old tracks even with the new visuals, because they’re honestly much, much better.
The Bottom Line.
R-Type Dimensions III is still an excellent shooter at its core because R-Type III itself remains phenomenal. The strategic Force system, oppressive enemy design, and rewarding gameplay loop are as compelling today as they were on the SNES. Unfortunately, the remake layer surrounding that classic foundation feels undercooked.
Missing PC basics like resolution options and button rebinding are disappointing enough, but the inaccurate 3D hitboxes and problematic screen framing actively hurt gameplay in a genre where precision matters most.
Still, if you’ve never experienced R-Type III before, there’s absolutely something special here. Beneath the rough edges lies one of the genre’s most demanding and rewarding shooters — even if this remake doesn’t quite give it the definitive treatment it deserves.
TLDR:
R-Type Dimensions III revives one of the SNES’ best shooters with slick visual upgrades and excellent gameplay, but baffling technical issues and missing PC features stop this remake from becoming the definitive version.
The Technoverdict: Wait for a sale
The Good:
- R-Type III is amazing!
- Old school music rocks.
- The transition between new and old visuals is very cool
The Bad:
- No resolution options or custom control binding.
- Wonky hitboxes.
- No extras.
Salehuddin Husin, EIC
Sal's been in the industry since the early 2000s. He's written for a ton of gaming and tech publications including Playworks, Hardwarezone, HWM and GameAxis. Recently, Sal served as a juror for the Indie Game Awards at Taipei Game Show 2020. A geek and hardcore gamer, Sal will play everything, on any platform.
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