Irem's R-Type series has been a shooter staple since its launch in arcades way back in 1987. It may not be the greatest-selling title of all time, but it does hold a special place in many gamers' hearts. Which is exactly what publisher Fresh Games (a division of Eidos) is hoping will be the case.While R-Type Final has all the classic pieces to the puzzle and a number of new innovations, such as AI-controlled head-to-head battles where players can set the parameters of their ship's routine, the game isn't for everyone.You see, R-Type Final is incredibly hard. While you can knock down the difficulty to make the game easier, doing so basically removes all entertainment from the title. On the easier levels, I usually just died of boredom, on the harder difficulties I swore in anger at the title's merciless assault.For the hardest of the hardcore, this game has a lot of replay value (including an amazing list of 101 ships that can be unlocked), but for most – myself included – it isn't entertaining enough to even justify purchase (even at its bargain basement price of $29.99).Concept:Blast through a horde of enemies to unlock goodies and post high scoresGraphics:The art is good, but the levels are fairly bland and certainly not as good as they could beSound:Typical techno shooter fare. Sometimes it sounds great, sometimes it sounds like a bad pornoPlayability:The variety of ships is impressive, but the controls haven't changed much over all these yearsEntertainment:Only the hardest of hardcore shooter fans will find something to love hereReplay:Moderately HighRated:6.75 out of 10Editor:Andy McNamaraIssue:March 20042nd Opinion:R-Type Final has everything I hoped it would: lots of ships, lots of shooting, and no feeble attempts to update the gameplay for a next generation system. It's the classic R-Type formula you know and love, complete with limited continues, huge alien bosses, and ridiculous firepower. It is also extremely difficult, and a must-have for die-hard fans of the genreRated:8.5 out of 10Editor:Joe JubaSubscribe to Game Informer--Game Informer Review