R-Type

R-Type
R-Type
	Japanese arcade flyer
Developer	Irem
Publishers	JP: Irem; NA: Nintendo; EU: Electrocoin;
Producer	Kinte
Designer	Abiko
Programmers	Sum; Misachin;
Artists	Akio Oyabu; Yoshige;
Composer	Masato Ishizaki
Series	R-Type
Platform	Arcade TurboGrafx-16, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Master System, PC-88, MSX2, X68000, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Game Boy, Super CD-ROM², Game Boy Color, mobile phone, iOS, Android;
Release	May 15, 1987 Arcade JP: May 15, 1987; EU: July 1987; NA: October 1987; TurboGrafx-16 JP: March 25, 1988 (part 1); JP: June 3, 1988 (part 2); NA: November 1989; Atari ST, C64, ZX Spectrum EU: September 1988; Master System JP: October 1, 1988; NA: December 1988; EU: 1989; PC-88 JP: October 1988; MSX2 JP: December 9, 1988; X68000 JP: June 9, 1989; Amiga, CPC EU: 1989; Game Boy JP: March 19, 1991; NA: May 1991; EU: 1991; Super CD-ROM² JP: December 20, 1991; Game Boy Color NA: June 28, 1999; EU: July 20, 1999; JP: November 12, 1999; Mobile EU: 2007; iOS WW: August 26, 2010; Android WW: September 12, 2011; ;
Genre	Scrolling shooter
Modes	Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system	Irem M72

R-Type is a 1987 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Irem for arcades. The player controls the R-9 "Arrowhead" starship in its efforts to destroy the Bydo, a powerful alien race bent on wiping out all of mankind. The R-9 can acquire a glowing orb called a "Force", giving limited protection from enemy fire and providing additional firepower.

R-Type was the first game to run on Irem's 16-bit M72 arcade system. The development team drew inspiration from Gradius, Aliens and works by H.R. Giger. The music was composed by Masato Ishizaki, while character designs were by Akio Oyabu. The arcade version was distributed in North America by Nintendo, and was the last arcade title to be released by the company.

R-Type was commercially successful and praised by critics for its graphics and addictive gameplay, but was criticized for its difficulty. It is commonly cited as one of the best shoot 'em up games, and one of the greatest video games of all time. Its success inspired several sequels and spin-off games, as well as home ports and releases for digital distribution services. A remake of the game was released as R-Type DX for the Game Boy Color in 2000. A 3D remake, R-Type Dimensions, was released for the Xbox 360 in 2009; for the PlayStation 3 in 2014; for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows in 2018; and for iOS in 2019.