Comparison

R.TYPE vs Duke Nukem

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

R.TYPE

Experience a classic arcade shooter reborn for modern devices. Battle the evil Bydo Empire across eight challenging levels, utilizing a variety of weapons and power-ups. This faithful adaptation offers both original difficulty and enhanced touch controls for an authentic retro gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Classic arcade shoot 'em up gameplay
  • Eight challenging levels
  • Multiple weapon upgrades and power-ups
  • Two difficulty settings
  • Touch and virtual D-pad controls
  • Unlockable achievements and leaderboards
Features
Read full description

R-TYPE, THE CLASSIC ARCADE SHOOTER, RETURNS AS A UNIVERSAL APP! Revisit the 80's (mesh half-shirts and Keds optional) with this classic, old-school shoot 'em up! One of the decade’s most popular arcade games will awaken fond memories of jangling quarters, Jolt Cola and week-old popcorn. Fire up your iPhone or iPad and get ready to go back... to R-Type! FEEL THE BLAST! Blast off and attack the evil Bydo Empire. Use everything in your arsenal to take them down – don’t be shy! It's retro, it's fun and it's a “10” on the difficulty scale. Finish this masterpiece and carve your name amongst the greats! INCLUDES THE ORIGINAL FEATURES… Remember how damnably difficult R-Type was? Well it still is, because we stayed true to the original, just the way you remember it! Choose between two difficulty settings, utilize two different control options and soar through eight jam-packed levels, each with its own unique boss. Upgrade to new weapons, power-ups, and attachments as you battle wave after wave of enemies. ... AND SOME NEW FEATURES TOO! - Universal version - Enhanced Touch mode - Eight levels and two different control options: touch and virtual D-pad - Two difficulty settings - Available in 10 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Portuguese - Full Retina Display support - Game Center: unlockable achievements + online leaderboards

About

Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem battles Mech Morphix's mutant army in New York City. This action-platformer blends classic Duke Nukem 3D gameplay with 2D sidescrolling elements. Utilize a variety of weapons and Duke's signature wit to save the city.

Highlights
  • 9 brand new weapons
  • 8 huge levels across NYC
  • Over 25 enemy types
  • Blend of 3D and 2D gameplay
  • Classic Duke Nukem action
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

toucharcade.com - "Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is still a kick-ass trip" 148apps.com - "After pulling off around half an hour of playtime, it comfortably becomes one of the most fast-paced enjoyable platforming games I’ve played in a while" appgefahren.de - "Duke Nukem - Manhattan Project will certainly not disappoint fans of the series" Total Mutant Mayhem on iOS! Duke Nukem takes his Mighty Boot to the Big Apple. Using G.L.O.P.P. (Gluon Liquid Omega-Phased Plasma), the maniacal Mech Morphix has transformed the creatures of New York City into an army of bloodthirsty mutants. In Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, Duke must deploy W.I.N. (Weapons, Insults and Name-Calling) to rid the city of goo-based bad guys, and return peace and tranquility to The City That Never Sleeps. Originally released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Duke Nukem in 2002, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project blends together the best elements of Duke Nukem 3D and the best 2D sidescrolling of the first two games in the series, Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II. From babes, bombs and Battlelords, to goggles, guns and Gargoyles, revisit Duke's dynasty with these re-released classics. Return to a time when the King Of Action didn't need regenerative health or auto-aim - a time when action games were actually about action, an era when heroes had the strength to carry as many guns as they wanted and use as many cheats as they needed. Celebrate Duke Nukem's 20th anniversary in sunshade-wearing, quick-quipping style with a title that - alongside the re-release of Duke's first two adventures - recognizes a series that's had a tremendous impact on an entire industry, and represents the best of Duke in a way that no other game could. *** Key Features: *** A Good Day To Duke: Rip 'em a new one with 9 brand new weapons, including the G.L.O.P.P. Ray, Pipe Bomb, Pulse Cannon and the almighty "press-to-kill-everything" X-3000. New York, New York: 8 huge levels across various regions of New York City: Rooftop Rebellion, Chinatown Chiller, Metro Madness, Unholy Underworld, Fearsome Factory, Tanker Trouble and Deviant Drilling. And the last level is, let's say, a little out of town. Evil Has A Snout: Blast, jump and smart-ass through more than 25 enemies, including Pig Cops, Gator Grunts, and Roachoids. What Are You Waitin' For?: A potent blend of old school gameplay and smooth 3D visuals, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project brings together the best of both Dukes for the ultimate Duke Nukem experience. Let's rock!

Screenshots

R.TYPE4 screens
Duke Nukem4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Duke Nukem at 4.1 against R.TYPE's 3.4. Duke Nukem also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 25 months) and chart position (#159 vs unranked). R.TYPE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (62% vs 44%). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

R.TYPE costs $1.99 and Duke Nukem $1.99 up front. Duke Nukem sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. R.TYPE asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Duke Nukem holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 62 and 79 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of R.TYPE's written reviews are positive against 44% of Duke Nukem's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

R.TYPE ships an update every 25 months, Duke Nukem every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
R.TYPE versus Duke Nukem: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterR.TYPEDuke Nukem
Price$1.99$1.99
Rating3.4 (62 ratings)4.1 (79 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.9% of reviews — better43.9% of reviews
Number of ratings6279 — better
Update frequencyEvery 25 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#159 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB236 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDotEmuSpawn Studios, Lda

Customer experience

R.TYPE

All ratings62 ratings
Positive56.5%
Neutral6.5%
Negative37.1%
Written reviews473 reviews
Positive61.9%
Neutral7.6%
Negative30.4%

Duke Nukem

All ratings79 ratings
Positive77.2%
Neutral3.8%
Negative19.0%
Written reviews164 reviews
Positive43.9%
Neutral12.8%
Negative43.3%

User reviews

R.TYPE

From 62 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Arcade-perfect port
  • 👍 Faithful to the original
  • 👍 Great retro experience
  • 👍 Customizable controls
  • 👍 Works well on iPad

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy on newer devices
  • 🐛 Unresponsive controls
  • 🐛 Covers too much of the screen
  • 🐛 Laggy performance

Duke Nukem

From 79 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Classic Duke Nukem gameplay experience
  • 😄 Entertaining one-liners and humor
  • 📱 Portable version of beloved PC game
  • 🎨 Good graphics for mobile platform
  • 💰 Affordable price point

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🎮 Touch controls lack precision
  • 📺 Screen space issues on modern iPhones
  • ⚠️ Game-breaking bugs at specific levels
  • 🔊 Audio/sound problems

Bugs and requests

R.TYPE

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Ship randomly jumps to the right side
  • Buttons overlap and obscure gameplay
  • Crashes and freezes on iOS 13+
  • Compatibility issues on iPhone 12 and newer

Requested features

4 requests
  • Support for Bluetooth controllers
  • Option to resize/reposition controls
  • Difficulty settings/modes
  • Improved sound quality

Duke Nukem

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Game crashes on launch or during gameplay
  • Character floats/flies uncontrollably
  • Save files corrupt or fail to load
  • Crashes when loading saves from inside rooms
  • Screen freezes at specific levels (Episode 5, Chinatown, Fearsome Factory)
Show 11 more
  • Touch controls unresponsive or delayed
  • Audio cuts out or doesn't play
  • Incompatibility with iOS 8 and newer versions
  • Screen cutoff on notched iPhones (iPhone X+)
  • Jumping mechanics broken (character gets stuck)
  • Weapon selection changes spontaneously
  • Muzzle flash stays on screen
  • Game incompatible with iPhone 6 and newer models
  • Lag and frame rate drops on older devices
  • Level loading causes crashes
  • Character stuck in walls or unable to grab ledges

Requested features

11 requests
  • MFi controller support
  • Russian language localization
  • German language localization
  • Full screen optimization for notched iPhones
  • Improved save system with manual save button
Show 6 more
  • Look and Zoom feature from original
  • Better button layout customization
  • Performance optimization for older devices
  • Improved graphics quality
  • Duke Nukem 3D port to iOS
  • Additional Duke Nukem sequels (parts 2-4)

In-app purchases

None

R.TYPE

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Duke Nukem

One-time10
  • Pack of 50 'Force Field'$0.99
  • Pack of 50 'Jet Pack'$0.99
  • Pack of 50 "Mega Health"$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pain Killers$0.99
  • Suck it Down$0.99
  • Blow it Up$0.99
  • Who Wants Some$0.99
  • Skip Level$0.99
  • Piece of Cake$1.99
  • Balls of Steel$4.99

Questions

Is R.TYPE free?
R.TYPE costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Duke Nukem free?
Duke Nukem costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, R.TYPE or Duke Nukem?
Duke Nukem is rated higher. R.TYPE averages 3.4 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Duke Nukem averages 4.1 from 79 ratings.
Do R.TYPE or Duke Nukem have ads?
Neither R.TYPE nor Duke Nukem shows ads.
Which is updated more often, R.TYPE or Duke Nukem?
R.TYPE ships an update every 25 months, and Duke Nukem every 5 months. Most recently, R.TYPE was updated on October 16, 2026 and Duke Nukem on October 13, 2026.

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