Play R-Type II Online

Summary

R-Type II builds on the original’s side‑scrolling formula with a tighter six‑stage run that feels both familiar and fresh. You pilot the upgraded R‑9C, a sleeker version of the R‑9 whose Wave Cannon now supports a two‑stage charge: hold the fire button to fill a blue gauge, then a red one for a burst of extra power. Two new weapons spice the combat – the Search Laser, which semi‑homes and can bend up to 45°, and the Shotgun Laser, a short‑range blast that fans out after a brief travel, demanding precise timing to hit a single target.

The iconic Force unit returns as a detachable floating gun‑shield combo, letting you cling to the ship for extra firepower or launch it ahead to clear tight corridors. Enemy patterns are tougher than before, with denser bullet streams and more resilient foes that force you to master the new charge mechanics. Each level ends with a distinct boss, and the game’s true ending only appears after you beat the whole run a second time on heightened difficulty.

Arcade operators in Japan loved it, with Game Machine ranking it the second‑most successful table cabinet in December 1989, and contemporary magazines praised its challenging design and polished visuals.

Storyline

R-Type II opens amid the wreckage of a Bydo base, forcing the player’s ship to navigate through a ruined alien facility. The next stage takes the pilot into a massive cavern where powerful waterfalls can halt progress, adding a hazardous environmental obstacle.
In the third level the player confronts a fleet of enormous Bydo battleships, each demanding careful maneuvering and firepower. Levels four and five feature constantly shifting terrain, turning the battlefield itself into a dynamic threat. The final confrontation occurs on the Bydo home planet, where the alien organisms are being cloned and mass‑produced, culminating the mission.