R·Type is a side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game produced by Irem in 1987. The player controls a space fighter named "Arrowhead" to defend humanity against a mysterious but powerful alien lifeform known as "Bydo", which was later discovered to be not entirely alien in origin (see the "Bydo" section for details). R·Type is recognized as one of the classics of the shooter genre from the 1980s arcade. Gameplay R·Type is set in the 22nd century, and the player flies a futuristic fighter craft called the R-9a "Arrowhead", named for its shape, and because it is the ninth model in the 'R' series of fighter craft (but it is the first of the series to actually be used in combat; the previous models were all prototypes). The mission is to 'blast off and strike the evil Bydo Empire'. The significance of the R- in the series title refers to the production code as well as the term of endearment for the player fighter craft, the "Round Can