r-type-tactics
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Disaster Report creator working on new IP for Vita and PS3
The creator of Disaster Report 4, Kazuma Kujo, may have suffered a small setback when his game was canceled following the earthquake in Japan last year. But it hasn't turned him off of game development for good: he reports via Twitter that his new studio at developer Granzella is hard at work on a new title for both the PS3 and the PS Vita. Kujo says that the game will be downloadable, though the PSP isn't planned to be supported at this time. It's a completely original IP, he says, but wouldn't tell Twitter followers in what genre it would be. Granzella is working on at least two titles for the PS3 and the Vita, and this is presumably one of them. Kujo also says he'd like to make a war strategy game at some point, similar to the old R-Type Tactics games, and that he knows followers are looking for a Steambot Chronicles sequel in the future as well. Let's just hope production for all of these goes a little smoother than last time.
Get your first taste of R-Type's Bitter Chocolate
Who knew Irem had such a sweet tooth? The team is working on a sequel to its first PSP game, R-Type Tactics, awkwardly titled Operation Bitter Chocolate. Unlike previous R-Type games, the Tactics series strays far from its shmup origins, offering Advance Wars-esque turn-based strategy in its stead.The debut trailer for Operation Bitter Chocolate is stylish, but we're still not entirely sure what inspired its candied name. Perhaps it's solely to bundle chocolate replicas of the franchise's iconic Arrowhead with each copy of the game. Yum.%Gallery-69290%[Via PSP Hyper]
Famitsu: IREM offering R-Type Command fans some Bitter Chocolate
According to IGN, the latest issue of Famitsu reveals plans for a sequel to IREM's PSP hexagonal strategy game, R-Type Command. The sequel, which has the bizarrely great title R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate, will include twice as many units as the original shmup spinoff, along with new commands and a branching storyline. Bitter Chocolate will also offer downloadable missions.When the sequel launches on October 29, it will be released both on UMD (with a bonus soundtrack disc) and as a cheaper download, which is kind of a good idea, considering that the PSP Go will be out in Japan on November 1.%Gallery-3448%
R-Type Tactics targets Europe in September
For some reason, PSP games take a while to reach the European market. The upcoming release of Crisis Core, for example, is comically late compared to the Japanese and American releases. (At least Square Enix is making up for the tardiness through a number of great bonuses in the territory.)R-Type Tactics, Irem's strategy game for PSP, is finally announced for release in Europe. It will be available on September 26th, and will be distributed by Rising Star Games. The game is unlikely to be enhanced for its release there, but who knows? Maybe Rising Star will figure out a pre-order bonus as cool as Atlus'.%Gallery-3448%
The R-Type debut trailer
Guess that God of War disc that Sony sent us had us a little ... distracted. We forgot to show you the debut trailer for R-Type Command, coming to PSP this May. This new iteration takes the series to a bold new direction. But is it the right one? Take a look at the trailer and tell us if you think a strategic approach on Irem's classic shooter works for you.
R-Type Command coming to PSP on May 6th
It seems the rumour from November turned out to be true. Atlus USA has today announced that R-Type Tactics will be heading to the US under the new name of R-Type Command. This entry into the R-Type saga will be in the form of a turn-based strategy game and will be available from May 6th for the recommended price of $39.99. We're happy to see this game finally make its way out of Japan, but why so late? May 6th couldn't feel further away.%Gallery-3448%
R-Type Tactics: when space-shooting goes wrong
What we've heard of R-Type Tactics is minimal, but today we've got a more comprehensive update for you to munch on, in between tidbits of PSP sales skyrocketing. Seems the concept of turning one of the more difficult side-scrolling space shooters into an SRPG was good on paper, but according to 1UP, something was lost in the creation of this hex-based tactical adventure.The game plays out like a hexagon-checkerboard-style Jeanne D'Arc -- that meaning you generally move from the left to the right of a given map, issuing commands to all your units in one "phase". Each unit has a plethora of innate abilities and the options are, well, there are a lot of options for even the simplest of missions. This can prove frustrating, unless you're very much into the intense micromanagement of classics like Ogre Battle. Also, load times are horrendous: waiting for an attack animation to load every single time would probably grate on your last nerve after a few minutes. This hasn't been slated for a release outside of Japan, but let this serve as a warning to the SRPG importer -- this one might be a bit much to handle, even if you've got a pretty good grasp of Japanese. It's a shame, we would've liked to see an R-Type game of a different genre stand out.
Import R-Type Tactics if you dare
It's no secret that among the horizontal scrolling shooters, Irem's R-Type and Konami's Gradius series' are the best of the best. If you disagree, go play them. Seriously. Anyway, we were alerted via e-mail today that Play-Asia is selling R-Type Tactics today, as it was released overseas. Normally, importing games requires some kind of knowledge of another language, unless you don't mind having no idea what's being said, but this is R-Type at its core. The story won't revolve around much more than "kick ass, don't take names, but do it tactically this time." So go ahead, if you really want, snag this game and take advantage of the region free PSP! We're tempted to.
Ten new R-Type Tactics screenshots
Okay, so we admit we're a little biased. Any time we see Irem do anything, we want to report it. They've released ten new screenshots of their upcoming strategy game, R-Type Tactics. While they look good to us, we'd love it if Irem released a demo, so that we can fully understand how to play the game. We're sure R-Type will be fine as a strategy game, but a nagging voice in the back of our head remains a little unsure ...Check out our updated gallery for all the pictures.%Gallery-3448%
A first look at R-Type Tactics
If you haven't heard, Irem is working on a new R-Type game for PSP. R-Type Tactics looks to take the series in a bold new strategic direction. Tactics will feature all-new turn-based battles based on grids ... while retaining the series' trademark good looks and massive explosions.Check out the first direct-feed screenshots of the game in our gallery below. Then, visit the official Japanese website to find out more about the game (provided you understand Japanese).%Gallery-3448%[Thanks, Thien!]
R-Type Tactics revealed in Japanese magazine
R-Type Final wasn't so final afterall. The latest issue of Famitsu reveals a new iteration to the once-dead R-Type series, and like so many other PSP exclusives, this also features Tactics at the end of its title. Unfortunately, due to the abysmal quality of the image, it's hard to decipher much about the game. For example, how tactical is it? Is Irem involved in any way? We'll try to provide you the details as soon as we get them.[Update: IGN has translated much of the information. "R-Type Tactics looks like a traditional shooting game, right down to the side-scrolling perspective, only instead of freely moving about and blasting enemy ships, you take turns with the enemy, making careful movements over a grid." Because Final was meant to be the last R-Type game, this strategic twist is meant to bring something "new" to the table. Do you approve?][Thanks, crithit5000!]
