R-TYPE DELTA: HD BOOSTED Review – A Classic SHMUP Better Than Ever!?

Ole Gamer Joe
Nov 20
6 min read

R-TYPE DELTA: HD BOOSTED

PC/PS/XBOX/SWITCH

11/20/25

CITY CONNECTION, TAKE×0FF, Clear River Games

I was three years old when R-Type first blasted its way into arcades, but I have fond memories of playing the original game and its various sequels throughout the years. Outside of numerous follow-ups, it's a franchise that has spawned model kits, soundtracks of its epic compositions from various musicians, and more! R-Type wasn’t like other arcade horizontal-scrolling shooters, as players piloted the now-famous R-9, which can acquire an orb known as Force. This Force orb not only protects the player from enemy fire but also acts as a weapon of its own. This adds a unique feel and surprising depth to the game when compared to other arcade shooters of its time.

In 1998, PlayStation fans would get a taste of R-Type for the second time, having been previously treated to the R-Types collection, with the release of R-Type Delta. The fourth game in the series, it would be the first to feature 3D visuals, and fans LOVED this game. In fact, today it is still often regarded as perhaps the best entry in the entire franchise. While the move to 3D wasn’t kind to every game during the PlayStation era… Cough… Bubsy… Cough… Earthworm Jim, R-Type Delta did things the right way, offering, for the time, impressive 3D backdrops while retaining all of the classic gameplay the series was known for, with a few bells and whistles.

And now, well over 20 years later, R-Type Delta is back with a new visual overhaul, an optional soundtrack created by Chris Hülsbeck, Masahiko Ishida, and the USP sound team, and some other light touches to bring it up to modern times. That’s right, this is R-Type Delta HD BOOSTED, and it's every bit as challenging as you remember it. But is this the definitive way to play a classic? Or is HD BOOSTED a shameless cash grab? Let’s find out in our full review!

R-TYPE DELTA: HD BOOSTED is more or less the same game that fans of the original 1998 release are familiar with. It’s a tough-as-nails arcade shoot-'em-up that allows players to pilot three different ships, along with a bonus armored craft that can be unlocked through gameplay. While this version of the game does include a slightly extended introduction over the original, this is still a case where you could learn more about the plot in the classic PS1 manual than you can in the game itself. Regardless, the basic premise involves the R-9 Arrowhead returning from a battle against the evil Bydo Empire. Objects begin to fall from the sky, and Earth is under attack! This leads to an emergency mission being launched, a fight that will feature untested ships such as the R-9A2 Delta.

R-TYPE DELTA: HD BOOSTED, much like the original, features 7 distinct stages to blast through, each ending with an epic boss encounter. Saying that these levels are challenging would be an understatement, as they offer a dizzying array of bullets and enemies that will have you dodging, shooting, and weaving as if your life depends on it, because, well, it does—in the game at least. That said, Delta is perhaps ever so slightly more lenient when compared to its predecessors in what can instantly destroy your craft, especially when it comes to instant terrain deaths; however, the bodies of enemies and plenty of other hazards remain one-hit kills. Players are also able to shift gears to speed up their crafts as opposed to collecting speed-ups, which can help in dodging out of the way or avoiding being trapped in a corner with nowhere to go. The result is a game that feels very challenging, but fair, assuming you have enough patience and are willing to practice. Shooting and movement feel good though, with the option of holding down the fire button instead of needing to mash away at it.

To help even the odds a bit more, R-Type Delta also features the Delta Weapon, which is a devastating blast that can clear out an entire screen. It needs to be charged up with the help of your Force unit, which charges as it attacks foes independently. This makes the already meaningful Force mechanic that the series is known for even more interesting, adding an extra layer of depth to a genre that is often fairly straightforward in its approach. R-Type was always a bit deeper when compared to other games in the same genre, and that’s no different with this version. These extra layers of gameplay do come at the cost of Delta being single-player only, which, while disappointing, makes sense as I do feel like 2 ships on screen would have been absolute chaos.

The three main ships that are available also offer a distinct gameplay experience. There’s the Cerberus for a more aggressive approach, the Albatross if you prefer playing defensively, and the Delta, which would be the most balanced of the three, offering the closest thing to a traditional R-Type experience. Each ship controls differently enough that it's worth going through the game with each one. Regardless of which ship you select, if you’re new to this series, the Force mechanic is going to be an adjustment, as it is indeed its own object that can be attached to the front or back of your ship, and even fired off to do its own thing. It’s not something you see every day, and players throughout the years have been divided on this franchise because of it. Personally, with so many other SHMUPS on the market, I always appreciated that the R-Type franchise had its own distinct style, even if it is an adjustment.

As for whether this version of the game makes enough improvements over the original to justify its existence, well, that’s also up for debate. When using the new HD textures, gone are the gritty, edgy PS1 visuals of yesteryear, replaced with a more smoothed-out look that left me feeling mixed. On one hand, the higher resolution of the game does make it feel like a newer release to some extent, but at the same time, the charm of the original look is lost in the process. Going back and playing the original again for myself on actual PS1 hardware, I ultimately preferred the older look. The textures are still low-resolution in this updated version, meaning that while it's a clean presentation, it more or less feels like a filter has been applied as opposed to a full reworking that could have offered improved texture quality, lighting, and other visual effects. Overall, I wasn’t a massive fan of the HD update that was implemented. But that said, the developers have included a low texture mode that gets closer to the PS1 version of the game’s aesthetics, even allowing the aspect ratio to be adjusted if you want a more true-to-the-original visual experience.

Fans of the original soundtrack will also be able to enjoy it as was intended, but this version of the game also features some nicely remixed tunes. The original soundtrack is a great set of hard-hitting atmospheric electronica, but these optional tracks composed by Masahiko Ishida of R-Type 2 fame, the USP sound team who wrote many of the original compositions for this game, and Chris Hulsbeck, a legend that needs no introduction, are really nice and definitely worth checking out. Outside of its excellent music, the rest of the game sounds great too, with no shortage of gunfire and explosions that will rattle your windows—assuming you have a nice sound system hooked up.

The only other new feature of note would be a practice mode, which is welcome for those who would like to master their craft. But outside of that, there’s not much new here. The game does perform very well, though, without the slowdown that could sometimes be found in the original game during busier sections. It is also playable on Steam Deck without issue, though I will note that the PC version of the game strangely didn’t have an exit option built in at the time of this review, meaning that I had to hit the Windows key and manually close out. It’s also nice that the game’s original cheat codes still work in this version.

While R-TYPE DELTA: HD BOOSTED isn’t anywhere near a complete remake of the original release, it does a nice job of maintaining the spirit of the game while adding at least a few bells and whistles. The HD visuals weren’t my favorite, but the new soundtrack is very solid, and at the end of the day, this is still one of the best entries in this storied franchise, now playable on modern hardware. If you already own and love the game on PS1, you might not find too many reasons to double dip, but if you’ve never experienced this classic SHMUP before, this is a solid way to do so. And remember, practice makes perfect!

BRONZE - GOOD

Pros