Game Boy R-Type sequel. R-9C, new levels, beefier bosses. More generous than the first, but the engine barely holds. Pleasant for Irem fans, nothing more. The shooter stays demanding, perfect if you accept the sometimes confusing monochrome read. Minor in the R-Type branch.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
R-Type Game Boy sequel with new levels, the R-9C spacecraft, and even more imposing bosses from the Bydo empire. Published by BPS, released in 1992 in Japan. New levels designed for Game Boy, improved Force, enriched enemy patterns, and more complex bosses.
The Japanese R-Type II, released after the Western edition, stands out for its domestic packaging and manual and a tighter print run that makes complete copies scarcer. For the Irem collector it rounds out the cartridge's regional variants alongside the PAL release. Its appeal rests on that territorial specificity and the challenge of assembling the original Japan edition, rather than on any difference in the game's content itself.
Is R-Type II still worth playing in 2026?
R-Type II adapts the sequel to Irem's legendary shoot'em up to Game Boy, with its Force pod that you attach to the ship to modulate attack and defense. This strategic mechanic, demanding and rewarding, remains one of the most striking in the genre. The monochrome conversion loses some spectacle but keeps the devious level design and the characteristic feeling of pressure. For fans of memorization-heavy retro shmups and tough challenge on the handheld, it is a port worthy of its reputation.
