One could be forgiven for thinking they missed an entry in this storied R-Type series of re-releases, but in fact the preceding R-Type Dimensions released in 2009 (and again as R-Type Dimensions EX in 2018) contained both the first two games in one package.

R-Type III: The Third Lightning was first released for Super Nintendo in 1993. Notable for being the first game in the mainline series not released in arcades, it showboated with Mode 7 sprite scaling and fast scrolling parallax. It was also significant for introducing a variety of new Force Pods — three in total — that dynamically altered the way you could approach the game. Being developed by Tamtex rather than Irem, it felt unique, its terrain less Ridley Scott’s Alien and more space station sci-fi, and serving up some broadly interesting bosses and set-pieces.

R-Type Dimensions III is a to-the-point remaster from developer KRITZELKRATZ 3000 (Rainbow Cotton, X-Out Resurfaced), and in terms of aesthetics, gimmickry, and presentation, it comes out guns blazing. There aren’t any galleries or such, as this isn’t technically a retro compilation, but hardcore gamer gratuities are present in the form of myriad configurable options. You can pretty much tailor the game to suit you, adjust the level of 3D angling, apply scanlines to the 2D, enjoy original or remastered audio, and attempt a variety of modes.

Its most alluring gimmick — switching in real-time between its 3D makeover and the original 2D — is retained from R-Type Dimensions. While it’s ultimately pointless (as committed players are going to stick with one preferred visual), it’s still really cool to toy with. Bar a little slowdown and frame adjustment, the transition is impressive. The 3D remodel also has sections where the camera auto-tilts dynamically at an angle, as if your ship is flying into the screen, but this can be flattened into a 2D plane by simply clicking the thumbstick.

The new audio is a lovely bonus, too, having been completely re-recorded with live instrumentation. It remains faithful to Ikuko Mimori’s soundtrack note-for-note, but jazzes everything up with a new, richer sound.

The Super Nintendo release featured an alternating two-player mode, where if one player died, it would switch to the other’s last point of progress. For the first time, local two-player co-op is present, and it’s interesting. R-Type III, like most R-Types prior and after, doesn’t have a huge amount of free screen space, and within a minute of playing, the elements start to close in. With hard memorisation and a concerted strategy, two players can make some headway, but it certainly isn’t easy.

The best aspect of co-op is being able to try it with the original SNES graphics. It’s something that has never existed before, and that makes it a very attractive novelty.

Its core gameplay switch-up is the introduction of two new Force Pods: Shadow Force and Cyclone Force. These greatly vary one’s approach to the game by offering a total of nine different weapons grouped into sets of three. Shadow, for example, can pick up a reverse laser that fires behind, which can be incredibly advantageous for certain areas, while Cyclone has a spread beam with good coverage. The pods themselves also have different functions, with Cyclone having unique shield properties when detached.

Learning which Force Pod and its armaments are most suited to your goals is intrinsic to playing R-Type III well, but it’s also the tip of the iceberg. If there’s one aspect of the game that can’t be overstated, it’s the difficulty. R-Type III is hard, and not in a throwaway, “it’s a tough game” kind of way, but in a really tear-your-fingernails-out kind of way.

As is classic for most R-Type releases, a single death sets you back to a checkpoint fully underpowered. You only earn extra lives through scoring thresholds, and outside of your weapon pickups, you need to rely on either the Charge Beam shot or the Hyper Charge, the latter providing a brief window of souped-up firepower. Strategic use of these really helps in dispatching bosses.

A game that’s designed to massacre you every 10 seconds, R-Type’s core has always been strict, sterile memorisation, and it’s famous for this particular motif. Stages are built around multiple throttle-points, where you’re faced with an abrupt new situation that you almost immediately die in, then return to, probably die again, and repeat until you’ve locked it down.

If you commit, dissect, rinse and repeat, you bend it to your whims and suddenly you’ll have the upper hand. It’s about mastery of precision, a process of breaking down barriers piece by piece. At the same time, this particular entry is famously tough. With bosses and walls that punish you every which way, it’s considered by many to be one of the harder games in the series.

Now, let’s take a breath. In the process of reviewing the game, I began to suspect its new 3D visual mode was considerably tougher than the 2D original. As it’s meant to be a 1:1 representation, it was difficult to pinpoint why, and I wasn’t sure if it was simply my imagination. I did find myself actually switching into 2D to pass tricky areas, and interestingly, this worked.

Comparing side-by-side with the original (as others have), it’s not great news, folks: the 3D mode is indeed considerably off the mark in terms of accuracy. Your shots are weaker (or enemies stronger), certain animations don’t match the original, and collision detection is an issue. I felt the hitbox was larger than it should be, making you far more prone to accidental deaths, and the available screen space feels more limited. This makes a difficult game frankly infuriating, and that’s not a good look.

Additionally, these issues extend to the 2D side of the port, too, and side-by-side with an original cart, one is able to see how enemy hitboxes and collision aspects are out of whack as early as stage one.

Far more minor are the few aesthetic flaws: the 3D graphics occasionally load in late, popping in at the far edge of the screen. Equally, some textures didn’t seem to load at once and took a while before fully realising. The 3D and its camera tilting is super cool and will be amazing for fans of the original game, but I’m not sure the new graphics conjure the same level of atmosphere as the original’s beautiful pixel art.

And, while you can configure the face buttons to your liking, for some reason the shoulder and triggers are locked. There are certain options, like switching between Charge Beam and Hyper Charge, or the graphics switch, that would have been useful to freely arrange around the top of the pad.

There is no rewind option, which means you need to learn it inside and out. If things get too much (and they will), the new Infinite Mode offers unlimited lives, does away with checkpoints, and even allows you to grab back the Force Pod after a death. This allows anyone to see all the game has to offer, albeit in a stilted, why-do-I-keep-dying-every-five-seconds kind of way. It’s far more rewarding to learn it by rote until you’re a shoot-’em-up god laying waste to every alien in the cosmos, but serious dedication is required for such a feat.

If you’re a total masochist, there’s an Advanced difficulty option, but considering the port deficiencies already make it an uphill battle, it really isn’t necessary.

R-Type: Dimensions III is a glossy product, no doubt, with an impressive amount of thought in its production. Unfortunately, with hitboxes and other elements so out of sync with the original, it’s somewhat spoiled for purists. If you’re not a diehard and just like to try new things, you may still enjoy the novelty — but it’s brutally tough in its current form and requires heavy patching.

One saving grace is that the whole thing runs at a beautiful 60fps, meaning that once-perceptible SNES processing chug is firmly a thing of the past. Whether this helps or hinders in its current state is another question entirely.