Video games - R-Type III: The Third Lightning

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	Video games - R-Type III: The Third Lightning

R-Type III: The Third Lightning is a horizontally-scrolling shooter video game released by Irem in 1993.

Description

R-Type III was originally released only on the Super NES, but later ported to the Game Boy Advance. It was the first game in the series to introduce new Forces. As well as the original Force (which was now named the Round Force, later named as the Standard Force in R-Type Final
), the player could choose from two other Forces: the Shadow Force and the Cyclone Force. These both had new, different weapon sets and special enhancements.

It also refined the weapons and charging system somewhat. It reverted to the original Red-Blue-Yellow weapon system, and gave the player two buttons for firing: one for rapid-fire, and the other for single-shot with wave cannon charge.

The wave cannon, too, was changed - the Diffusion Wave Cannon from R-Type II
was removed, and replaced with a more standard wave cannon. Charging this cannon to full beam strength results in a massive, powerful beam that passes through all enemies and obstacles.

A new weapon called the Hyper Wave Cannon was also added to the ship, which the player could use instead of the normal wave cannon if they desired. By switching to Hyper mode and supercharging the wave cannon, the ship temporarily gains the ability to use the Hyper Wave Cannon, which is unique among wave cannons in having a rapid fire capability. The shots fired create damaging explosions, and if the player has collected one or two Bits, they spin around the ship burning with energy. However, this Hyper mode causes the ship to overheat after a short while, and it must subsequently spend seconds cooling down, during which time the wave cannon is inoperative.

The fighter in R-Type III is identified in R-Type Final as the R-9Ø Ragnarok; it was originally referred to as 'R-90'. In fact, the original R-90 has been split into three in Final: the R-9S Strike Bomber has the R-90's basic Standard force unit and first wave cannon, identified as 'Mega Wave Cannon.' Final's version of the R-90 has the Shadow Force and Hyper Wave Cannon, but is unable to choose its Force or switch between Wave Cannons. Finally, the R-9Ø2 Ragnarok II has the R-90's final Force, the Cyclone Force. It can be assumed that this is because the original R-90 would simply be too powerful for the game to be any kind of challenge.

Shadow Force Weaponry

Red - Reverse Laser - fires two beams forward and two that angle back in the opposite direction.
Blue - All-Range Laser - fires two beams forward and up to two in a direction controlled by the player.
Yellow - Guide Laser - fires four beams - two forward, one up, and one down - which travel along the ground and walls.

Shadow Force Functions

High Speed Return System - the Shadow Force can be retracted to the player's ship very quickly.

All-Range Shadow Blaster - the Shadow Force possesses up to two Shadow Units - small, ghostly floating turrets which change direction based on the player's position in relation to them, and can thus be aimed. These are normally equipped with blasters, but are also used in conjunction with the All-Range Laser to provide directional fire.

Cyclone Force Weaponry

Red - Passing Laser - a powerful shot that looks like a sideways V.
Blue - Splash Laser - a shot that fires up to five blue lasers at once in different directions.
Yellow - Capsule Laser - generates up to two pulsating orbs that continue to fire a rapid stream of lasers even after the player has moved or stopped firing.

Cyclone Force Functions

Active Control System - the Cyclone Force's forward/backward motion can be reversed at any time, thus allowing some degree of control over it. This enables the player to guide the Cyclone Force into enemies.

Cyclone Power Attack - the Cyclone Force carries two small, revolving spheres called Cyclonic Bits. When the Cyclone Force is detached, these whirl around the Force's core at enormous speed, giving it a large effective radius.

Versions

A notable difference between the Western and Japanese versions is the stage boss at the end of level 2: in the Japanese version the player is attacked at this point by large sperm-like swimming creatures, whereas the other version replaces these with swimming eyeballs.

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