In the near-future, Earth has finally become a planet of peace. Viewing this as a perfect time to invade, the evil, parasitic-like Bydo Empire appear through an inter-dimensional pulse. They take control of every resource the Earth has and multiply rapidly. It's up to you, in your R-Series trans-dimensional fighter to travel into the heart of the Bydo Empire and stop them once and for all. A side-scrolling shoot-em-up, R-Type was a pioneering game in which players would control an R-series spacecraft and battle their way across the galaxy (with the help of various mental power-ups) in an almost impossible mission to defeat the evil Bydo Empire.