R-Type I (aka R-Type Part 1) is a side scrolling shooter and is the conversion of Irem's arcade game originally released in 1987. The Bydo Empire, a mysterious alien civilization, is about to take over the Earth and the solar system. The R-9, powerful star-fighter built on alien technology, is humanity's last stand and is sent to stop the massive threat. The fighter can use an arsenal of weapons including a standard Vulcan gun or long-range ballistic missiles. But the real super-weapon in the game is The Force - the glowing orb is indestructible and its basic function is to float near the R-9 and to protect it. It can however be upgraded throughout the game or charged up to fire powerful blasts of energy. Another important feature of the Force is how it can be thrown at the enemy and inflict devastative damage - this manoeuvre is often necessary in order to take down the large bosses or simply wreak havoc to the Bydo Empire. R-Type I only features the first four stages from the arcade game and is single player only.