R-Type/Gameplay

Controls

 * Joystick: Use the joystick to control the R-9a and guide it through space. You can direct the R-9a in any one of eight directions.
 * Fire: Press the fire button to shoot your weapons. Hold the fire button down to charge up the R-9a's wave beam attack.  Release the fire button after charging to fire the wave beam.
 * Force: When a Force is attached to the R-9a, press the Force button to separate the Force from your ship. Upon separation, it will fly off to the right if attached to the front of the R-9a, or to the left if attached to the back.  When separated, press the Force button to summon the Force back to your ship for reconnection.
 * Start: Press the start button to begin a one or two player game. On home consoles, the start button typically pauses the action mid-game.

R-9a "Arrowhead"
The R-9a is the craft that has been designated as the assault weapon to pit against the entire Bydo army. Highly maneuverable, it has tremendous flight capability through space. However, it's key design is it's upgradeable weapons system. When delivered into battle, it starts out in its weakest state. Throughout combat, the R-9a can utilize special energy signatures left behind by defeated enemies and convert them into powerful weapons. There are a number of enhancements that the R-9a can employ, including increased speed, a missile system, and "Bits" which hover above and below the ship. But the most powerful weapon available to the R-9a is the Force, which is explained below.

In addition to the various enhancements, the R-9a comes equipped with a special Wave Beam attack which is performed by charging up fire power and releasing it at once in a large burst of energy. While charging, the R-9a cannot fire bullets. A single blast of the Wave Beam is capable of wiping out an entire fleet of basic enemies. Larger enemies take a lot of damage when struck by the full power of the Wave Beam, but it may not be enough to destroy them. The R-9a will not survive contact with any enemy or projectile. However the Force, as well as each Bit, is invulnerable and can absorb damage from all attacks or collisions. Use them to shield the R-9a as often as possible.

Force
The Force is a manifestation of energy that coalesces into a sphere of glowing light with additional metal components that harness the energy and convert it into firepower. When separated from the R-9a, this firepower is in the form of regular bullets. But if the Force is connected to the R-9a, and at a high enough level of power, the combination of the two objects can create one of three different powerful attacks. The player must collect weapon upgrades to increase the Force's power level, as shown below. While the Force is present on the screen, it can be manipulated through the use of the Force button. When connected to the R-9a, the force button will rocket the Force apart from the ship. If connected to the front, the Force will fly to the right. If connected to the back, it will fly left. In this manner, the Force can be used as a weapon and fired ahead or behind the ship. When the Force is disconnected from the R-9a, it seeks to fly at the same height on the screen as the ship. However, it will occupy the right half of the screen while the player is on the left half. If the player advances to the right half, the Force will slide back to the left side. When separated from the R-9a, the Force button can be used to summon the Force to the ship's proximity for reattachment. The Force can be connected to the front or the rear of the R-9a, providing extra firepower in whichever direction it is facing.

Weapon upgrades
There are three different weapon upgrades available to the R-9a throughout its battle with the Bydo empire.

Additional upgrades
Besides weapons, there are three other types of upgrades that the R-9a can collect and utilize during battle.