R-Types Retro Game Music Collection

	Album Title: R-Types Retro Game Music Collection
	Record Label: Team Entertainment
	Catalog No.: KDSD-00415/7
	Release Date: January 26, 2011
	Purchase: Buy at CDJapan

Overview

In the past year, Team Entertainment have been commemorating the classic game music of a range of lesser-known companies with various compilation albums. Perhaps the most ambitious of these releases is the R-Types Retro Game Music Collection, which commemorates the music for a line of futuristic space shooters. While R-Type is best known for its adaptations on Commodore 64, Amiga, and iPhone in Europe, the original series was created by the long-running Japanese developer Irem. The complete original scores for six of their titles, R-Type, R-Type II, R-Type III, R-Type Leo, R-Type Delta, and R-Type Final, are compiled on to this three disc release. Two of these scores are completely exclusive to the release, R-Type Leo and R-Type III, while the other scores are new or remastered recordings.

Body

R-Type

The album appropriately starts with the soundtrack for 1987’s R-Type for Arcades, specially recorded in mono for this release. “Start ~ Battle Theme” opens up with a sinister motif before moving into first stage theme, which maintains the sinister atmosphere throughout the entire track. Masato Ishizaki offered some reasonably catchy hooks and nice rhythms on this track. However, I find the melody and progression to be rather basic, while the dated synthesis doesn’t help matters. While not particularly a favorite of mine, it does give off an adventurous vibe. The only boss theme in the album, “Boss Theme” has has a very sinister sound, similar to something you might hear in an early Castlevania game. It definitely features tension but falls flat in terms of development, like many boss themes from this era.

Moving to subsequent stage themes, the majority focus on creating a sinister atmosphere rather than offering memorable melodies. This will be a positive feature for those that enjoy seeing how composers creating dark atmospheres in spite of major technological limitations, just as Hirokazu Tanaka did a year earlier for another futuristic science-fiction title, Metroid. Some of the soundscapes are particularly impressive in “Battle Pressure” and “A Monster Lurking in the Cave”. Nonetheless, these tracks won’t be appealing to a casual audience given their generic stylings and unattractive leads. “Monster Beat” particularly suffers from its low-key development and the arpeggios featured in accompaniment get old rather quickly.

There are a few more memorable tracks on the game. For example, “Muttering” for the fourth stage is one of the better stage themes with its blend of heroic melodies and tense underscore. However, it still falls short of other classic shmup stage themes from Taito and Konami from this era. Unlike many stage themes, “Scramble Crossroad” is also refreshing with its catchy upbeat melodies and sense of adventure. It manages to cast a heroic light amidst the more sinister focus of many stage themes. An immersive piece before the final encounter, “Dream Island” manages to combine a dreamy atmosphere with a somber tone. However, “Womb” is a surprisingly disappointing with its nonexistent melody and highly repetitive focus, meaning the mysterious atmosphere and immersive effect is lost.

R-Type II

Released two years after the original game, the re-recorded score for R-Type II features a similar layout as the original R-Type with several stage themes and a sole boss theme. The first stage “Counterattack” features an upbeat melody with a futuristic vibe. In addition to fitting the game well, it features a dash of Masahiko Ishida’s punchy lyricism that makes it appealing on a stand-alone level too. It falls short on development, but it a great improvement when compared to the corresponding theme for the first game. “Boss Theme” has a very sinister atmosphere with some industrial influence. It’s also much more engaging compared to the first game’s boss theme and really gives off a tense feel. Though it’s the only boss theme in the game, it does the job and more.

Moving to more challenging stages in the game, “Water Splash” features a industrial soundscaping and a very dark melody. This is a fantastic track that demonstrates wonderful development; it isn’t flashy, but each section has a very specific tone that accentuates the overall soundscape of the theme. It’s easily the best stage theme for this game and a further reflection of how Ishida improves upon R-Type‘s score. Further expanding the diversity of the soundtrack, Ishida integrates an upbeat lounge jazz vibe into “Metal Crusher”, whereas “Slidin’ Away” takes a more rock-influenced approach. While both suffice in the intermediate stages of the game, they fall somewhat flat on a stand-alone basis due to their brevity and impaired synthesis.

Coming to the final tracks of the game, these themes definitely reflect how the series’ music generally aspires to be moody and ambient, rather than catchy and fun like most other early shooter music out there. The fifth stage’s “Dead End” is an ominous theme that is more atmospheric than melodic. It won’t impress melodically, but the tension and desolation heard in the track is quite nice and impressive for its time. Lastly, “Baiyo (Stage 6)” features a sinister atmosphere with some industrial influence. While somewhat compromised by synth limitations, it is definitely a tension builder and surely gives off a better sense of finality than the counterpart on the first game. Overall, R-Type II‘s music corrects some of the problems that plague the original game.

R-Type III

Closing the first disc is the exclusive soundtrack for 1993’s R-Type III for the Super Nintendo. Unlike the first two games, the soundtrack is much more fleshed out and features multiple stage and boss themes. The select theme, “Force Select,” is a chaotic progressive rock theme with some crazy keyboard work. It is surely an interesting choice for a select style sort of theme and captures the futuristic imagery of the game. The rock vibe heard in “Force Select” continues with the first stage theme. One of the most outwardly appealing tracks on the game, an adventurous melody combine with jamming guitar riffs to give an exhilarating atmosphere. Lots of solo sections really help add a lot of flavor to the piece and push the Super Nintendo to its limits.

The other stage themes on the soundtrack are a diverse bunch. “Stage 2” creates a mysterious atmosphere through the contrasting sounds of the rock leads with the xylophone backing, “Stage 3” features a more carnival-esque sound, and “Stage 4” exude an ethnic and jazz influence with its rich rhythmic features. However, its certainly the final two stage themes that are the most appealing. Both focus on conveying an ominous tone with its eerie synth lines and guitar riffs. However, “Stage 6” sounds much more climactic with its haunting choral tones and exhilarating melody line, really giving a sense of diving into the darkest parts of the universe. All this diversity certainly ensures the in-game and stand-alone experiences are rich ones.

The boss themes also feature a variety of soundscapes, although all with a rock focus. “Boss 1” and “Boss 2” manage to plunge gamers into action with their synth leads and intense backing. However, given they are used to represent transient boss encounters in the game, both have a very repetitive make-up and fall flat compared to other tracks. More impressive is “Boss 3”, a remix of the boss theme from the original R-Type. It’s interesting to see the once brief and limited original revitalised with electric guitar riffs and eerie synth parts. “Last Boss” is also fantastic with its electrifying yet haunting combination of synth and electric guitar lines. It also features some eerie choral synth and some futuristic synthesizer accompaniment to create a real sense of impending doom.

R-Type Leo

The exclusive soundtrack for 1992’s R-Type Leo for Arcade on the second disc follows in the footsteps of the first two R-Type games, at least in terms of structure. The first stage theme “Paradise Planet” features a very futuristic, funky vibe similar to something you might here in the Streets of Rage series. The melody is pretty effective with its memorable shape and dreamy quality, while the groovy bass line is also likeable. In the end, it’s fairly solid. “Boss” follows in a similar style. There isn’t any intensity or tension in this theme really, making it ill-fitting for the climactic boss encounters at the end of each stage. Far from a bad track musically, it’s got a groovy beat and some fun ideas. However, it doesn’t hold up too well compared to some of the other boss themes in the series.

For the second area, “Red-Hot Desert” is another groovy track. The melody has an almost jazzy quality to it that synchronises nicely with the funky bass line. While quite enjoyable on a stand-alone level, it isn’t particularly fitting for the environment and may sound a bit too similar to “Paradise Planet” for some. Perhaps the most different from the rest of the stage themes, “Tropical Forest” features a rhythmically compelling bass line, but with a much more sinister approach in the melody line. There is definitely a sense of tension heard in this theme, fitting for one of the intermediate stages in the game. I really like the various synth accompaniments as well, given they add some interesting textures to the piece. It is definitely one of the more solid stage themes for this game.

Moving to the later stages in the game, “Floating Continent” and “Inside of Ruins” is too short and generic to compare to the better stage themes of the game. Both again rely on funky bass lines and ethereal melody lines that don’t bring much drama or excitement to the experience. Such themes are great in limited quantity, but begin to tire by the penultimate stage. Even the last area theme, “Core of the Area”, continues this approach. The melody has a very spacey, futuristic vibe that does help distinguish it from the rest of the funk-laden themes for the game, but this backbone for all the tracks has definitely worn out its welcome by now. While entertaining at times, the focus on a sole style really makes it feel as if the composers were rather lazy in their approach.

R-Type Delta

The second disc of the compilation is otherwise dedicated to the music of the soundtrack for 1998’s R-Type Delta for PlayStation. All the tracks here have been previously released, but they are remastered here with an increase in reverb and noise. The first stage theme “Crazy Machine” introduces the futuristic sound listeners should expect from the soundtrack. One of the lighter tracks on the soundtrack, Haruhiko Kuroiwa places the focus on catchy melodies on the synthesizer and funky licks in the accompaniment. Nevertheless, he still captures the futuristic imagery of the game’s visuals with rich synth soundscaping and industrial rock influences. There are some more electronic focused sections scattered throughout the soundtrack, but they are much more sophisticated than those in previous R-Type soundtracks.

Moving to more intense tracks, the third stage theme “Gigantic Attack” is perfect for depicting an onslaught of enemies with its apocalyptic crisis motifs and badass rock riffs. However, it is less satisfying on a stand-alone level given its somewhat repetitive and ambient quality. “Evil” and “Awakening” feature highly experimental fusions of industrial, rock, and horror elements to portray some of the most intense imagery of the game. They will also be divisive, but many will find their atmospheres and stylings to be spectacular. The last stage theme “Life” is also stunning. Placing the focus on a heavenly chorus, Kuroiwa at last introduces a human influence into this otherwise inorganic soundtrack and strikes gamers on a personal level, while maintaining the surreal and ominous sound.

There are three boss themes of varying enjoyability as well. “Encounter Enemy” is a rock-oriented theme featuring frenetic guitar lines written in a pseudo-improvised manner. It doesn’t really do much melodically, but it is an energetic battle theme that gives off some nice tense energy. On the other hand, “Encounter Bydo” is a darker and more ominous theme, featuring an interesting blend of industrial and gothic influences. It definitely creates a sense of tension, but at the same time, it isn’t the most interesting of boss themes. Finally, “Last Dance” incorporates further surreal vocals in conjunction with a powerful, suspenseful orchestral atmosphere. It’s a very unorthodox final boss theme for a shmup, but it does manage to portray a very foreboding battle while appealing on a stand-alone level too.

R-Type Final

The third disc is entirely dedicated to Yuki Iwai’s soundtrack for 2003’s R-Type Final for PlayStation 2. Again, these pieces have been released before, but are remastered and amplified for this release for better or worse. The themes for the first stage reflect the sort of music to be expected from the soundtrack. All tend to focus on conveying industrial imagery using ambient synthpads and sinister beats. While the majority of such themes do complement the visuals in an understated way, they’re absolutely underwhelming on a stand-alone level. The tracks have no hooks to speak of, feature little to no development, and are styled in a mundane and derivative way. This is a major contrast to the much more emotional and entertaining R-Type Delta soundtrack, leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

Focusing on the contextual experience, Yuki Iwai takes a more interactive approach on the soundtrack R-Type Final and offers multiple themes for each stage in R-Type Final. This allows the soundtrack to constantly represent the game’s diverse environments, for example the desert, air, and underwater segments of the second stage. However, the multiplicity of ambient themes only makes the stand-alone experience more tedious. The tracks for the deserted lab do capture the anticipation of the spiral pathway, danger of the enormous cistern, and heroism of the boss encounter. However, their typical stylings and unmemorable features make them alienating rather than immersive on a stand-alone level. Frankly, I would have it if Iwai focused on making one masterpiece composition, rather than multiple mediocre ones.

Despite most of the soundtrack being unappealing, there are a few more appealing themes on the soundtrack. For example, the intense scenes of a battleship raid during stage three are captured with sinister organ and choral components; they could be more memorable, but still feel more substantial than the rest of the material here. Furthermore, “The Bydo…” for Stage F is an ominous industrial theme that transcends the others by being both contextually effective and melodically memorable. The overall soundtrack would be much more appealing if more tracks sounded like this. The boss themes are also enjoyable given they follow the tradition of R-Type Delta. In particular, the final boss theme is another surreal choral theme.

Summary

For the most part, the R-Types Retro Game Music Collection is a mixed bag. While the soundtrack for R-Type III and R-Type Delta are highly creative and entertaining, the other soundtracks have more lows than highs and will be too ambient for most. As a compilation, Team Entertainment have done a decent job here by compiling six scores into a respectably priced package here. However, some have complained about mastering issues with certain scores and several scores, including Super R-Type and R-Type Command, are completely omitted. If you enjoy the music while playing the game, I recommend picking this up. However, be warned that there are many themes that lose their touch out of context and the compilation isn’t quite as encompassing as it could have been.

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on August 1, 2012.

About the Author

Don Kotowski Currently residing in Philadelphia. I spend my days working in vaccine characterization and dedicate some of my spare time in the evening to the vast world of video game music, both reviewing soundtracks as well as maintaining relationships with composers overseas in Europe and in Japan.

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