Review - It is the last month of 2005 and I finally got to play the lost R-type chapter…

As of today, this game is an arcade-exclusive and can be played either by downloading the ROM, or by purchasing the PCB.

Me, I got the PCB to experience this shooter the hardcore way, in front of my TV screen using an arcade-quality controller. Sure this option is certainly more expensive than downloading the ROM for free off the net and it has its amount of annoyances such as the inability to pause the game.

Just to give you an idea of what it means, I will just tell you that during the time I played Leo, I got interrupted a million times as the phone kept on sadistically ring while my parents kept on coming in my room to ask me to move furniture around, while the neighbours kept on banging on the walls because of me shooting like a madman during the last phases of L5 and L6…add to that that I suddenly had to go to the bathroom and you have a pretty precise frame of the situation… Despite this living nightmare, I found the time to appreciate this incredible shooter in all of its facets and I am here to tell you that I enjoyed every single minute of it.

Let's get this straight though: Leo is more of a spin off than a true sequel because the R-Type's trademark POD is missing. Many players argued that because of this, Leo doesn't even play like an R-Type game. This isn't entirely true because the slow-paced gameplay and the check point system are still in place.

Also, 2 lateral satellites can be unleashed by keeping pressed and then releasing the fire button. As a result, R-Type Leo gameplay feels slightly more traditional but still close enough to regular R-Type. Visually, Leo had very impressive graphics for the time and it still looks good today. Enemies are varied and bosses are big and nicely detailed. There are a lot of things going on while playing and tons of enemies and bullets will often crowd the screen with not even the slightest hint of slowdown (on single-player mode at least).

Backgrounds are varied and each have a distinctive look. You'll be firing you way through the outskirts of space where you'll fight the 1 st boss just outside of the atmosphere of a planet (what a view!). Then, down into a bright desert and after that into a very evocative tropical jungle and so on. Levels are very well drawn and the difficulty will actually seem to be pretty low in the beginning, up to level 5 when things will suddenly turn sour, very sour. If until level 5, it seems possible to go through the game without using continues, once you reach the ruins, you'll probably be incinerated before you even start to realize what happened. Level 6 (the last stage) is even harder and the screen will be completely littered with bullets and enemies while your ship will probably be underpowered and in great need of speeds-up. Here, there is no secret. Play the game from the last check point over and over and memorize the enemies pattern. Know where to shoot and do it fast or else you'll be instantly wiped out. Never relax because as soon as you do (thinking you are in a safe spot), that last stupid little bullet you thought would never reach you will inexorably collide on your path and you'll be gone.

Many players complained about the low difficulty level of Leo and honestly, I wonder why?! About the music and sound effects, everything is done right and increases the appeal of the overall package. I can't think of any tune in particular but they were all pretty decent (if not memorable like in the first game of this glorious series).

To conclude, R-Type Leo is really a great side-scrolling shooter recommended to both R-Type veterans and fanatic shumppers alike. Simply put, the quality audio-visuals and the classic yet tight gameplay will appeal to all. Even to the R-Type purists out there who might disagree, I say to them that they will have a good time playing such a nicely crafted and well balanced shooter, POD or not.

Bottom line: The lost R-Type chapter which almost feels like a spin off. Rare and beautiful. 8/10