You guys need to read this Nintendo Life hands-on on R-Type Tactics I & II Cosmos — it's one of those remakes that Granzella handled better than anyone could have. They got the license after Irem folded in 2011 and didn't squander it; they included both full games plus all new content. But let me give you the heads up: Tactics II is locked behind progression, which sucks for returning fans because each mission takes about half an hour (the original campaign runs 20-40 hours depending on your path), so a fresh player can't just jump straight into the better sequel. They also added Cosmos — 12 new missions rounding out the story in what feels like a shorter, focused campaign that ties everything together nicely. And yeah, 'Operation Bitter Chocolate' is exactly as funny of an subtitle as it sounds — you're welcome for pointing that out early.
The gameplay core actually holds up because Granzella translated R-Type DNA into turn-based tactics well: hexagonal grids with blue movement/red attack ranges (the classic Tactics visual), fuel and ammo limits per ship, and mid-mission resupply droids you can mine from — all of which force smart positioning rather than mindless bashing. You get Force Pod attachments too: shield versions that absorb fire while protecting the fleet's strongest offensive ships, R9 power boosts for heavy attacks, even a deployable decoy flagship to draw fire away when your main ship is slow and outranged. There are two full narratives — human and Bydo sides with you switching later on — and I genuinely love how they let you skip verbose dialogue chunks if you're there purely for the tactics grind. They also kept one of R-Type's most iconic features: water stages where your ship moves at a crawl unless you burn resources to boost speed, which is a direct callback to original Irem games and just... yeah, that hurts in the best way possible.
Now let's be real about what IS showing its age — the UI is still rooted firmly in 2007 PSP design with almost zero tutorial or hint system, and the upgrade screens offer very little help for new players trying to optimize their fleet. I also wish there was a graphics toggle because while the visual remake looks great, some elements from the original's aesthetic would have been cool to retain alongside it. But that matters less when you get into flow; once you stop overthinking and start predicting enemy moves with your own positioning rather than just hoping for luck, this game opens up. It's a tough, patient kind of experience but rewarding in exactly the way strategy fans want — build through failure until your fleet is formidable enough to steamroll waves on its terms. The R-Type skin works because there are actual systems under it worth playing.
Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/features/hands-on-r-type-tactics-i-b-ii-cosmos-how-does-this-turn-based-psp-pair-hold-up-on-switch
The gameplay core actually holds up because Granzella translated R-Type DNA into turn-based tactics well: hexagonal grids with blue movement/red attack ranges (the classic Tactics visual), fuel and ammo limits per ship, and mid-mission resupply droids you can mine from — all of which force smart positioning rather than mindless bashing. You get Force Pod attachments too: shield versions that absorb fire while protecting the fleet's strongest offensive ships, R9 power boosts for heavy attacks, even a deployable decoy flagship to draw fire away when your main ship is slow and outranged. There are two full narratives — human and Bydo sides with you switching later on — and I genuinely love how they let you skip verbose dialogue chunks if you're there purely for the tactics grind. They also kept one of R-Type's most iconic features: water stages where your ship moves at a crawl unless you burn resources to boost speed, which is a direct callback to original Irem games and just... yeah, that hurts in the best way possible.
Now let's be real about what IS showing its age — the UI is still rooted firmly in 2007 PSP design with almost zero tutorial or hint system, and the upgrade screens offer very little help for new players trying to optimize their fleet. I also wish there was a graphics toggle because while the visual remake looks great, some elements from the original's aesthetic would have been cool to retain alongside it. But that matters less when you get into flow; once you stop overthinking and start predicting enemy moves with your own positioning rather than just hoping for luck, this game opens up. It's a tough, patient kind of experience but rewarding in exactly the way strategy fans want — build through failure until your fleet is formidable enough to steamroll waves on its terms. The R-Type skin works because there are actual systems under it worth playing.
Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/features/hands-on-r-type-tactics-i-b-ii-cosmos-how-does-this-turn-based-psp-pair-hold-up-on-switch