Before Einhander hit the PlayStation and Aegis Wing debuted on Xbox Live, R-Type was considered by many to be the quintessential side-scrolling-shooter, and by many it still is. With that in mind, R-Type Dimensions is certainly a welcome addition to the Xbox Live Arcade family, but even with so much old and new content, its asking price remains a little steep.

Gameplay:

R-Type Dimensions takes R-Type and R-Type II and throws them both into one slick, easily accessible package. Both are arcade classics, and both still feature some of the most diverse and unique side-scrolling gameplay that the genre has seen. The basics need little explanation: the player pilots his little 2D spaceship across increasingly difficult levels fighting oncoming waves of enemy ships and monsters. In R-Type, your ship weaponry is upgradeable and can be mounted on the front or back of your ship and act as a shield, which is incredibly useful against the barrage of firepower you'll often be faced with. The levels are relatively brief and end with a boss fight, and will likely be something of a surprise to younger, more new school gamers: there aren't any checkpoints if you die. Screw up five seconds in or against the boss, and either way you'll be repeating the level until you run out of extra lives. R-Type is the kind of older game that mercilessly beat a mastery of itself into your brain. However, there is an alternative game mode that allows you play without a crippling fear of death, where only your Xbox Live score is penalized for failing. Dimensions also features co-op play in either of the modes, though it should be noted that for most of the 12 achievements, you'll have to play on the harder Classic Mode.

Graphics:

It's easy to cover R-Type Dimensions' graphics and sound in the same paragraph, because they remain true to the original arcade classics...well, sort of. In what is a very nice touch, Dimensions has updated 3D graphics that look very nice and crisp. While you have to put it in perspective since the game is still "flat" (after all, you travel from left to right the entire game), that doesn't take away too much from the appreciation you can have for the updated look, especially since the update wasn't the only graphical nicety that was included. At any point during gameplay, players can switch back and forth between the original 2D graphics and the new 3D in what is a really cool transformation. The original 2D graphics come with an alternate camera mode, a zoomed out shot showing the original arcade cabinet, while the 3D graphics have an alternate camera mode with the angle tilted back to the left so you're looking slightly "forward" as you move along the level. There are also several graphic filters you can apply to make the graphics look "8 bit."

Audio:

Longevity:

What Dimensions boils down to isn't so much whether there's a lot of good stuff in the package, because there is. The classic visuals and classic audio are both nice, and the updated visuals and the new cameras and filters are all nice as well. The gameplay is solid and enjoyable for a side-scroller, and really, for an old school throwback there's a lot of content here that Dimensions could have taken the low road out on and not included. Even so, it would've been nice if the shelf life could have been extended with a few mini-games or a few other extra game modes, especially since Dimensions costs 1200 Microsoft points.

Overall:

R-Type Dimensions is pretty expensive for such an old game with such short levels, which makes this a game best suited to side-scrolling fanatics or people who just have money to burn. You mostly get what you pay for...if you're willing to pay that much for it.