Between the early niche years of "Pong" and the release of "Pac-Man," video gaming became where people went to play science fiction.

Games like "Space Invaders," "Galaga" and "Scramble" gave players a chance to fly in simplified "Star Wars" adventures in which the game-play was hard and the graphics were simple. There were very few video game arcades at that point in time. You played these games at bowling alleys. With a pocketful of coins, you might get 30 minutes of play. It was sublime.

"R-Type Final" (Final), from Irem for PlayStation 2, is not a new game as it came out in Japan in July. But it is a new game for everybody outside Japan.