Unofficial R-Type port for Mega Drive and Genesis looks absolutely superb!
IREM’s space shooter R-Type is surely the granddaddy of the genre, providing the player with multiple weapons and challenging enemies across a pantheon of levels and ports. Mixing Giger-esque graphics with Chris Hulsbeck (Turrican) audio, the game was a classic of both the arcades and the home computer/console platforms.
But incredibly, despite ports on the C64 and Sega Master System, the game never landed on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
This is an astonishing omission that is now set to be resolved. This is thanks to a team of devs including Andrea Baldiraghi and Richard Ashmore. They’re bringing R-Type to the Mega Drive and it looks as good as the original IREM version. (R-Type was IREM’s first title on the 16-bit M72 unit).
OK, here’s the important bit – it’s completely unofficial and does not contain code from any released version of R-Type.
This ROM is a fan creation not affiliated with IREM SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INC. It doesn’t contain any pre-existing or reverse-engineered code from any available version of the original game.
The Mega R-Type demo features:
- 3 Stages
- Arcade and Remixed Soundtracks
- 2 Difficulty levels
- Music Player
- Tons of Mega Options
To play Mega R-Type, you’ll need a Sega Control Pad or Control Stick.
Download your version of the demo from the Mega R-Type itch.io page. You’ll need a suitable Mega Drive/Genesis emulator to play.
A full game of this fan creation will be released at some point in the future with all missing levels.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.