Play R-Type (Japan) Online

R-Type for the Game Boy came out in 1991, a portable version of Irem's arcade shooter. It was one of the more ambitious attempts to bring a complex, visually dense game to the small screen during the system's early years. You got a full, side-scrolling space battle in your pocket, which felt like a serious technical feat at the time.

You pilot the R-9 spacecraft, moving left to right through levels filled with alien forces. Your main goal is survival; you must destroy everything in your path to reach the end of each stage. The game's signature mechanics are the Force, a detachable orb that acts as both a shield and a secondary weapon, and the Charge Shot, a powerful beam you build up by holding the fire button. The pacing is deliberate, almost methodical, as you memorize enemy patterns and environmental hazards. It feels tense and demanding, a game that rewards patience and precision over reckless speed.