There was a time, in both arcades and on consoles, that side-scrolling shooters were all the rage. There used to be countless titles to choose from, but the undisputed leader of the pack was undoubtedly R Type.

In true retro style, this game is a direct reproduction of the original, harking back to a time when stunning graphics weren't essential to make an excellent game. There are eight frantic levels to play through, fighting off a seemingly neverending assault from waves of enemies and the ever-terrying end of level boss.

R Type features two difficulty levels and three different control methods. The main aim of the game is to simply stay alive until the bitter end, but there are all manner of power-ups and upgrades to be grabbed along the way.

Being iPhone and iPad based, R Type suffers slightly from the lack of a dedicated controller. On screen controls take a little getting used to and, particularly in the case of the iPhone, it is easy to cover up the action with your fingers. Despite this, the game is a faithful port of a well loved game that is sure to attract legions of new fans.