The inevitable sequel to the hugely-successful original finds the evil Bydo Empire once again intent on the destruction of all mankind. The infamous Beam Weapon and Pod Laser make a welcome return, as do the beautifully rendered, organic-looking levels. R-type II doesn't do anything that the original didn't do, but the sequel is every bit as good as its illustrious predecessor, with the same tight gameplay and imaginative level design that made R-type such a classic - although R-Type II is, if anything, more difficult than its already-unforgiving prequel.