Super R-Type hits different when it boots instantly in your browser. Released in 1991 on the Super Nintendo, this retro classic from Irem is ready the second you press start — no downloads, no setup.
It was released in Japan and North America in 1991, Europe in 1992, and Brazil in 1993 by Nintendo. It is a partial port of R-Type II, borrowing stages and enemies, but introducing several of its own.
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| Action | Keyboard | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| D-Pad Up | ↑ | D-Pad up |
| D-Pad Down | ↓ | D-Pad down |
| D-Pad Left | ← | D-Pad left |
| D-Pad Right | → | D-Pad right |
| B (bottom) | X | Bottom face |
| A (right) | Z | Right face |
| Y (left) | S | Left face |
| X (top) | A | Top face |
| L | Q | Left shoulder |
| R | E | Right shoulder |
| Start | Enter | Start |
| Select | V | Select |
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The Story Behind Super R-Type
is a scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Irem for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game has been re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2008, and on the Nintendo Classics service in 2024. The game was re-released on the Nintendo Classics service on April 12, 2024.
Legacy games company Retro-Bit released a SNES-compatible cartridge including the game alongside R-Type III: The Third Lightning in July 2018. The game was made available on the Virtual Console in North America on March 17, 2008. It is a partial port of R-Type II, borrowing stages and enemies, but introducing several of its own.
How Super R-Type Plays
The game is known for its high difficulty (even compared to other games in the series), particularly because of its lack of checkpoints, since dying means restarting the level from scratch. is a scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Irem for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a partial port of R-Type II, borrowing stages and enemies, but introducing several of its own.
But unlike the others Super R-Type slows down to a virtual standstill when there are many things on-screen. Also, this game suffers from slowdown, which was also a problem in many early games for this system. Super R-Type borrows four stages from R-Type II and adds three new ones.
Why Players Still Load It Up
Entertainment Weeklys Bob Strauss picked the game as the second greatest game available in 1991, saying: "The space-shooting R-Type game has been evolving over the last several years; this latest incarnation is the most graphically overpowering yet. According to Famitsu, Super R-Type sold 109,120 copies in its first week on the market and 190,374 copies during its lifetime in Japan. Super Gamer stated that "It looks brilliant and plays well, but while graphical slowdown isn't that bad, going back to the start of the level whenever you die soon becomes tedious".
Players pilot a ship through the deep cosmos, picking up various supercharged weapons along the way and squaring off against some extraordinarily detailed aliens, which look like illustrations from classic pulp sci-fi magazines of the 1930s". It is a partial port of R-Type II, borrowing stages and enemies, but introducing several of its own. It was released in Japan and North America in 1991, Europe in 1992, and Brazil in 1993 by Nintendo.
Super R-Type — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players does Super R-Type support?
This browser version of Super R-Type handles 1 player(s).
Can I play Super R-Type online for free?
Yes — Super R-Type runs directly in your browser on this page. There is nothing to download or install; the game boots in the player above.
Do I need a controller to play Super R-Type?
A gamepad is optional. The keyboard mapping shown on this page works immediately, and plugging in a USB or Bluetooth controller switches the player over on its own.
Who developed Super R-Type?
Super R-Type was developed by Irem and published by Irem.