R-Type Dimensions: History Reborn
Tozai talks with IGN about doing justice to a classic.
by Erik Brudvig
February 2, 2009 -
R-Type Dimensions will release this Wednesday, February 4 on the Xbox Live Arcade at a price of 1200 Microsoft points. We first took a look at the game back in October at the Tokyo Game Show where the first concrete details were handed out, but since then have not heard much on the classic remake. With the impending release, IGN recently spoke with a few key members of Tozai, including Sheila Boughten, President, Scott Tsumura, Chief Advisor, and Brett Ballow, Executive Producer, about the studio's history with R-Type and what we can expect out of the download.
R-Type is an arcade shooter that was first released to arcades way back in 1987. It came to be known as a classic, thanks in no part to its legendary difficulty. Its follow-up, R-Type II, saw a more limited release in the US a couple of years later. Both games have been ported to numerous systems over the years, most recently to the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Arcade. R-Type Dimensions is not a simple port, however.
Shiny new graphics.
Tozai was founded in 1996 but originally only focused on IP licensing between Japan, the US, and Europe. "A couple of years ago we decided that we wanted to move into developing games, particularly for online and Microsoft services," said Boughten. Those years have not been put to waste. While most Xbox Live Arcade games have a development cycle that is much shorter and cost effective than full retail releases, Tozai has been working on R-Type Dimensions for over two years.
Such an investment makes releasing R-Type on a smaller service such as the XNA Community games impossible, but it also means R-Type Dimensions won't be a quick and dirty port -- something the Live Arcade has been plagued with. The team's history with the franchise drove them to make something that the old fans would enjoy while still having the flash to draw in new gamers
"I always loved the franchise just because it was so well designed and looked so beautiful," said Ballow after recounting his near failure to finish college because of the game. Purchasing his own arcade cabinet was the only way Ballow could avoid flunking out, he claims. Tsumura has an even more involved history with the franchise. Tsumara, who has been working in the videogame industry since 1978, followed Ballow's story by telling IGN, "Coincidentally, when I was in Japan I worked for Irem Corporation, the IP holder of R-Type, and I was involved in R-Type development and also mainly sales."
And so, after years of work, R-Type Dimensions is nearing release. The package contains both R-Type and R-Type II, both with completely reworked visuals. There is now an option for on-the-fly swapping between the original, classic 2D graphics and the all-new 3D look. Just hit a button and you can move back and forth from one look to the other without pausing the game -- a first for the Live Arcade.
Tozai has also added a co-operative mode for two players that can be played locally or online. "It doesn't really make it any easier," says Ballow. The co-op mode is good for casual or first-time gamers because it makes the experience less overwhelming. R-Type is a classically hard game and the team hasn't changed that formula -- all of the enemy patterns remain intact -- though an infinite continue mode has been added for those who simply can't beat the game on limited credits.
Tozai is also hard at work on another classic remake, Lode Runner. Development on that game is going well, we're told, with the work nearing completion. Be on the lookout for more news on that release in the near future.
R-Type Dimensions coming to Xbox Live Arcade
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