Restoring a R-Type... worthy or no?

[Gunstar Hero]

So I have a chance to pick up a solid, but certainly not perfect, R-Type machine locally.

I know it's less than a classic, but I love R-Type and I like the design/shape of the cabinet. An example...



It plays well, but the monitor is a little dim. The sideart is there, but could use replacing. The marquee looks good, but the light seems to be missing or just not on. The CPO is mostly there and is covered by plexiglass, but is missing a chunk or two. The cab is pretty solid, complete with back door. The owner also showed me how to swap the board for a nintendo VS. board and will include Excitebike with it.

He wants $200 for it. Is this... A) a decent deal, and B) does it sound like a good candidate for a refurbish/restoration?

[Ken Layton]

My buddy Steve still has two R-Types out on his game route. They are still good money makers. You have a great bargain in that price! It's worth restoring. I just did a monitor capkit to one of Steve's R-Types on location two months ago. Fixed it right up (it was dim before the kit and nice, bright, and perfect after the kit).

[danny_galaga]

I just did a monitor capkit to one of Steve's R-Types on location two months ago. Fixed it right up (it was dim before the kit and nice, bright, and perfect after the kit).

i LOVE this about arcade machines!! it sounds so much like 'yeah, just put a gasket kit through the carby and now she runs like a dream' !   . i'm more and more getting a hankering to get a machine to restore. the R-type sounds like a fixer then if ken is saying their still pulling in the coins...

[mahuti]

I pumped hundreds of dollars into r-type when I was a kid. I still love that game, and I'd put at least a fiver into it if I saw it again.

In my book it is a classic.

[CthulhuLuke]

R-type in my book is a serious classic.  Unfortunately I didn't play this one in the arcade as much as I played this one non-stop on my Sega Master System when I was very young.  It's sad but I actually had the first 4 levels of that game memorized from obsessively playing it, and I didn't realize that till the other year I was playing and was like "Holy crap, I know where everything is!!"
 -R-type is a serious classic in my book.  Restore it and worship it.

[RayB]

Hmm, in Canada, I never saw an R-Type in a cabinet other than those grey generic Nintendo 'VS' style cabinets. I'm not a big fan of those cabs, so I wouldn't restore one personally. But it is a good game. Kinda hard.

I'm inclined to say talk him down a bit. Point out all the problems with it and how much work/cash it will take for you to correct. (Did you also check that both coin mechs are present and working?)

[Xiaou2]

$200 is a real deal for a working game + good cab + monitor + Another boardset!   You wont find many deals better than that.

 I like rtype.. but its too hard for me... a little slow and fusterating as well.  My fav shooter is Thunderforce II for sega genesis.  Although, I just found the x68000 version of it, and its even more incredible.

 If you like the game, then restore it.  

 General rule:  If it ever broke down.. and you needed to have it repaired by a service tech... would you be willing to spend the money?  If not, then do not bother buying the game.   Just buy the game(s) that you love so much that will make you very happy to own and keep running and playing : )

[Gunstar Hero]

Thanks for all the responses.  

The great thing is, I do love R-Type, and it's looking like I can get away with just a cap kit and a healthy cleaning/touch up and be happy and playing for the time being.

My fave shooter, BTW, is Thunderforce III, for the Genesis, but R-Type is certainly in the top 5.  

[Lilwolf]

If the sideart, marquee and control panel are top notch... Yeah....

But if any are not, you might find that replacing them is very difficult.  Look at ebay before you really start deciding about trying to make it look original.

Cap kits are cheap.  Take some time... but I hear they are easy.

Great game.  I don't know if it will be an investment though... It should be...  

I could see bringing it back... then getting a jpac and ipac at some point and making it a horizontal scroller mame box.  And keep your board, ready to be plugged back in.  BlasingStar BlazingShooter, whatever... the neogeo rtype clone is also great... There are a few really good ones... RType was a classic... but I think a few others really added onto it for playability for home use.

[Knoxximus]

R-type in my book is a serious classic.  Unfortunately I didn't play this one in the arcade as much as I played this one non-stop on my Sega Master System when I was very young.  It's sad but I actually had the first 4 levels of that game memorized from obsessively playing it, and I didn't realize that till the other year I was playing and was like "Holy crap, I know where everything is!!"
 -R-type is a serious classic in my book.  Restore it and worship it.

Yeah, I wore it out on the TG-16.  I can still almost get to level 5 with my eyes closed (gross exaggeration, but yeah, It's like riding a bike).

[RayB]

I could never get past the level with the gross red fleshy looking backgrounds.

[Xiaou2]

Thanks for all the responses.  

The great thing is, I do love R-Type, and it's looking like I can get away with just a cap kit and a healthy cleaning/touch up and be happy and playing for the time being.

My fave shooter, BTW, is Thunderforce III, for the Genesis, but R-Type is certainly in the top 5.  

 Heya Gunstar,

  I highly recomend trying to beat Thundeforce II for genesis.   Imop - its MUCH better than TF3 ... which to me was a huge letdown.

 TF3 has lower res graphics,  crappy music and poor quality sfx compared to TF2... and its too easy.  

 The biggest complaint about TFII that most had... was that they didnt like the top view sections.  (The game alternates from sideview to topview each other level)

 While the top view sections are a bit of a pain... they do add extra variety and challenge to the game.  

 The part that most people didnt understand about the top view sections has to do with the main weapon.   You see... if you look closely when you fire... you will see 2 small circles fly out about 3inches in front of your ship.  While you might think that is just extra forward firepower... they are actually Bombs.    And... in order to hit the ground bases... you need to target them with those circles - which means getting in real close range.   The rest is memmorization of the huge map, as not to get lost.

 There is also a trick to skip many of them:

 - when powering up the game/emu... hold a+b+c and +hit start  will take you to an option screen.  you can choose to start up to level 5  (a very hard top view level... but well worth it once you see the next levels up!)   You can also choose difficulty... but beware,
if you choose easy, I believe you can only finish one level and it ends the game... medium = win till level 5 and ends the game... and hard to be able to get to play all the levels of the game and see the ending.  Its pure genious!

  The sideview levels blow TF3 away... in speed, intensity, looks, and strategy.  The weapon system is much better as well.  Up to 7 weapons can be held at once!  And they each have strategic uses thru the games levels. ... but nice to see, that the standard gun will always get the job done as well.

 The sounds are much more synthy and crystal clear.  Nice and unusual... very fitting and cool.

 I believe TF3 had to skimp on sound and gfx quality to fit the larger levels in.  In TF2.. theres a little vertical scolling (about 2 inches max with exception to the top view levels)... but in tf3... the screen scolls many levels up and down.   This really dosnt add much play - and wasnt worth the quality drop.

 TFII is a LOT harder as well.  Took me about 1yr to beat with off/on gamplay.  Was and is still always a blast to play (great replay value game)  Ill Never boar of it.  Someday, I plan on trying to beat it starting from level 1.  That will be a huge feat... as I have trouble beating it starting on level 5!  : )

  Warning... the worst part is the mid boss in the caves.  There so many beams and bullets its scarry!   I had to keep on toggeling the pause on/off while moving and shooting to sorta slow it down to human comprehension level speeds in order to beat it.   The final boss ship stage is also rough... but still seems easy compared to the midboss.

  Now that I found TFII x68000 version... Ive got a lot of skills to un-rust.  Theres many new levels in it that are much harder - specially the top view parts (which I never was that good at anway)... and I have no idea if/how to level skip on this version... so it will take some time to beat it!

[daywane]

Yeah, I wore it out on the TG-16.  I can still almost get to level 5 with my eyes closed (gross exaggeration, but yeah, It's like riding a bike).

thats how I found out about R type.
I would fix her up.
I will be botherd obout a arcade I lt go till the day I die.
I had a mint galaga years ago. paid $200 for it. I was a poor then. monitor went out and I had no idea how to fix it. I left it in a move  
some things you never forget.
That R-Type would bother me for years if I let her slip away.