Critically-Acclaimed Shooters Make a 16-Bit Return

Defend humanity against the power of the evil BYDO Empire in the classic intergalactic shooters in the R-Type III & Super R-Type Collector’s Edition. Published by Retro-Bit®, this bundle is loaded with exclusive collectibles and available for a limited time only. In R-Type III, hop into the R-90 and blast you way through six intense stages and destroy the BYDO mothership or switch to Super R-Type and use the R-9 to power yourself up through seven stages filled with tricky routes and huge bosses. Add this unique SNES® cartridge that has two amazing shoot 'em ups to your collection!

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R-Type III & Super R-Type - Collector's Edition

R-Type III: The Third Lightning - Originally released in December 1993, this entry introduced two new Forces and a refined weapon system, such as the Hyper Wave Cannon. You'll need the additional firepower to take on massive stages with equally massive bosses.
Super R-Type - Released in September 1991, this game was a hit on the SNES®. It is a partial retelling of R-Type II, borrowing four stages while adding three of its own. It is a brutal game providing no check points and making even the most skilled veterans sweat with its difficulty.

2,900 Units Released to North America and 2,800 Units to Europe

ALL COPIES DELIVERED AUGUST 2018

Release Timeline

May 1987

The original R-Type arcade game was a massive success and topped many critics' lists across Japan, North America, and Europe that year. The evil cyber-organic Bydo Empire has Earth in its sights, and it is up to the pilot of the space fighter R-9A Arrowhead to strike at the heart of the enemy before they take over. The visuals were vibrant and detailed, featuring H.R. Geiger-inspired enemies in various sizes. The Force Pod mechanic created innovative gameplay scenarios, and the Wave Cannon required players to be skillful rather than just spamming attacks. All of that created an atmosphere in which it didn't matter that the game was already very difficult (even by Japanese standards); players were happy to pump more coins into the arcade.

It was ported onto just about every console, PC, pocket device, and smartphone throughout the years. It has also had a fair amount of remakes and remasters. Most retro fans will highlight the PC Engine/Turbografx-16 port as the most arcade-accurate of them all.

November 1989

The anticipated release of R-Type II came a couple of years later, becoming another success. The Bydo Empire left behind a secret base during its initial invasion, and now they threaten Earth once again, but with increased ferocity. Now you're piloting the R-9C War-Head with a new Wave Cannon. Once again, the graphics were praised with even more detail and environmental effects to soften the blow of the brutal difficulty. Once again, the CD-quality audio and visuals allowed the PC Engine/Turbografx-16 port to capture most of that arcade magic.

July 1991

Super R-Type was released on the Japanese Super Famicom. It uses most of the stages from R-Type II as a base and builds on them, giving you a total of seven brutal encounters, with some bosses returning from previous arcade releases. It would be released in North America in September 1991 and in Europe in 1992. Digital versions on the Nintendo Wii (2008) and Nintendo Switch (2024) would later be released.

December 1993

R-Type III: The Third Lightning was released on the Japanese Super Famicom and added new Forces along with gameplay changes. Players also got to experience the Hyper Wave Cannon, which could be charged up with the latest fighter ship, the R-9Ø Ragnarök. It was also released in North America (August 1994) and Europe (Late 1994). A port for the Game Boy Advance dropped in 2004.