Review: R-Type Delta: HD Boosted

Price: £20 eShop/PSN (copy provided for review), LE physicals available

Publisher: Clear River Games

Players: 1

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Irem's R-Type remains one of the most important shmups in history, following gamers across practically every platform as a legendary challenge, most recently in arcade form on my Evercade. 

But beyond the pixels of the original trilogy, it feels like a game that drifted into history, with even the PlayStation's polygonal Delta version proving more of a curio when it should have been a launchpad for a 32-bit series as famous as WipEout or Tomb Raider.  

Today, that Delta version gets another shot at life thanks to the Boosted edition from Clear River Games. The precise pixels are replaced by chunky polygons, fettled for the 21st century audience. But, despite the shiny intro renders, its the same 80s-turned-90s total-blasting action. 

As part of the no-story Bydo Empire upgrade the player gets three ships with different bolt-ons, liking the chain! And deadly Delta Attacks with masterful Force mechanics, with a practice mode to master rusty or untested skills. With all that polish, R-Type remains as challenging and atmospheric as ever.

Playing as-new, R-Type Delta HD Boosted can feel unfair. Enemy bullets meld into the bright backgrounds, ships pop-up from all sorts of locations, and there's often so much happening on-screen it can be hard to know where to look, something seems to jar with the original's ethos. 

Taking on the Challenge of R-Type Delta: HD Boosted

The mission is to destroy an out of control "orbital annihilation machine" with a mix of rapid and charged shots taking care of smaller enemies, plus the Force/Delta powers helping clear the screen when things get busy. 

And then, when the big boy bosses turn up, we can really see where the original developers went mad with the polygon power of the original PlayStation. Flinging slightly angular but very menacing machines across the whole screen (in whatever aspect you like to play in). 

With vibrant sheets of firepower sending our hero ship scuttling into the one brief pocket of safety before the axis tilts between more shooting at the weak spot and scurrying for survival. 

That's the game in a nutshell, a glorious romp through tough as old boots levels. It is brutal, it often feels unfair or more like luck gets us through. But the desire to see the next boss and its insane weapons is a good a reason to keep plugging away with continues as any. 

Could the package have had a little more history, the original games tucked away somewhere? Yes, but having this playable again outside of my PSP is a charm. 

Note: Post review, Clear River posted a note about differences between this and the original release, with an update planned, but that should only affect die-hard fans of the original. 

Score 4/5