Download R-type | -supergrafx Port-

While the standard PC Engine version had to strip out the complex backgrounds of the first stage to keep the action smooth, the SuperGrafx version adds them back in. You get the scrolling space station details, the lightning effects, and the massive mid-bosses without a single frame of slowdown. Since a boxed SuperGrafx console now costs more than a used car and the original HuCard (or CD-ROM² version) is a collector's holy grail, emulation is the most accessible route.

If you haven’t experienced the SuperGrafx port of R-Type , you haven’t truly played R-Type at home. Here is why you need to hunt this ROM down immediately. The SuperGrafx was NEC’s ill-fated "upgrade" to the PC Engine. It had dual graphics chips, more RAM, and the ability to do arcade-quality parallax. Only five games were officially released for it. Download R-Type -Supergrafx Port-

But when it came to home ports, the story was messy. The Master System version was admirable but flickery. The Amiga port had terrible sound. The PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) version was solid, but it lacked the parallax scrolling and sprite density of the arcade. While the standard PC Engine version had to

The arcade version, while beautiful, had notorious sprite flicker during the final boss. The SuperGrafx port cleans this up. Also, the audio—while different from the arcade’s YM2151 synth—has a punchy, gritty quality to the explosions that feels more visceral on the SuperGrafx’s chip. If you haven’t experienced the SuperGrafx port of

9/10 (Loses one point because the wait for the Force pod to respawn after death is still soul-crushing). Ready to dive in? Search for "R-Type (SuperGrafx) ROM Set" and pair it with the Beetle SuperGrafx core. Just be prepared to throw your controller at the wall when you reach the second stage.