R-Type III: The Third Lightning

When someone in 1993 wanted to show what a 16-bit horizontal shooter could do, they reached for R-Type III: The Third Lightning. Irem, the fathers of the whole R-Type series, created exclusively for the Super Nintendo one of the most beautiful and demanding shooters of the time, visually rich, with detailed metallic ships, organic enemies and bosses half a screen in size.

At the heart of the game remains the iconic Force module, an indestructible orb you attach in front of or behind your ship, using it as both a shield and a weapon and juggling it strategically according to the situation. The third installment also adds three types of charged fire to switch between: the classic wave laser, the Bounce laser that ricochets off walls, and the deadly Shadow laser. It's precisely choosing the right weapon for a given stage that makes R-Type III a thinking affair, not just reflexive shooting.

Retro gamers value R-Type III for its relentless but fair difficulty, where death usually stems from your own mistake, not unfair design. The slower, deliberate pace forces you to learn the level layouts and bosses by heart. For connoisseurs of the shmup genre it's one of the pinnacles of the 16-bit era and one of the most sought-after SNES shooters of all.