R-Type iPhone hits the New Zealand App Store

It's been almost a year since we first heard about R-Type on iPhone. Since then EA has picked up the publishing rights, and we've had a chance to play it, concluding afterwards that it's “looking like it could be a big hit.”

In case you missed it, R-Type is a hugely influential and fondly remembered side-scrolling shooter in which you take on the Bydo empire in a small space craft called the R-9 Arrowhead, accompanied by a 'Force' power-up that floats around destroying aliens.

There are eight levels, but most humans only ever see about five of them, such is the game's preposterous level of difficulty.

The iPhone version contains all of the features and levels from the original game, and can be played using three different control methods: tilt, touch, and virtual D-pad.

It's a stone cold classic, and it costs just $2.59 in New Zealand, which translates to $1.99 in the US and £1.19 here. It should his the UK App Store at midnight.

If you can't wait for Pocket Gamer's definitive review, read our R-Type iPhone preview.