R-Type III on GBA, Irem's cult horizontal shooter in portable form. Difficult like all R-Types, ships and pods well translated. A must for old-school shmup fans on handheld.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
Horizontal shoot-em-up from the R-Type series developed by Irem and published in the United States in August 2002. The R-9C ship battles Bydo armies through horizontal-scrolling stages with the legendary Force module that can be attached or detached to absorb and reflect enemy fire. Force Wave charge shot system, titanic bosses, complex levels and the demanding difficulty typical of the franchise. Third main episode of the R-Type series.
R-Type III - The Third Lightning review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Punishing"
A sluggish ship, lethal scenery and waves that force you to learn every screen by heart: the R-Type saga built its reputation on anticipation more than reflexes. Positioning the Force pod well and timing your charged shots make all the difference between survival and game over. Stern yet never unfair, it rewards patience and mastery of the route, true to the old-school shmup spirit.
Lifespan
"Short"
Technical info
💾1,3 MB📅29/08/2002
Published by Raylight Studios
R-Type III - The Third Lightning (GBA) price, value & rarity
The USA R-Type III on GBA is Raylight's English port for the North American market, where the Irem shmup keeps a loyal following. Against the multilingual PAL, it stands apart through its NTSC artwork and its own territorial run. A niche title with a limited print, its sealed value far outpaces loose, hunted by horizontal-shooter collections after the original American edition.
Memorable bosses
Heir to the series' biomechanical nightmares, this entry pits you against Bydo guardians of metallic flesh and repugnant forms, lurking at the end of tension-laden stages. Three interchangeable Force pods open as many ways to riddle their weak points. Slow to tame, these organic colossi reward patience and reading, in the great demanding tradition of the horizontal shooter.
Is R-Type III - The Third Lightning still worth playing in 2026?
A GBA port of Irem's horizontal shooter, R-Type III pits the R-9 ship against the Bydo armies across stages renowned for their demand and organic design. The Force pod, attachable front or back and available in three types, remains the tactical heart of a slow, precise and merciless gameplay. The port suffers from some slowdown and tight readability on the small screen. For a fan of demanding old school shooting or of the R-Type series, the title keeps a very real intensity and tactical depth.
