Irem is the legendary Japanese videogame developer behind a host of arcade hits, and while they are most famous in America for the intensely difficult and gorgeous sci-fi space shooter “R-Type,” they had released a bunch of games the average western gamer is probably unfamiliar with. It’s not our fault that games like GunForce and Dragon Breed were practically nonexistant in American arcades back in the day, but the capable team at ININ Games teamed up with Irem to port several collections of these classics to modern game consoles.
I was first introduced to Irem last year when I picked out their Arcade Collection Volume 1 as my first Evercade cartridge; the intense underwater battles via “In The Hunt,” the old-school sci-fi racing of “Moon Patrol,” and the wacky shoot-em-up of “Mr. Heli,” got me hooked and I wanted more! Since I’m a big fan of ININ’s work with other obscure gems like Cotton 100% and X-OUT, I was excited for the chance to test-drive their Irem Collection 2 & 3.
Specifications
- Volume 2 Games: GunForce, GunForce II, Air Duel.
- Volume 3 Games: Mr. Heli, Mystic Riders, Dragon Breed.
- Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop.
- Online: Global Leaderboards and Global Rankings.
- Cheats: Infinite Lives, Infinite Continues, Gameplay Rewind, etc.
- Players: local 2-player co-op.
- Price: $24.99.
Irem Collection – Volume 2
Pros
- Excellent visuals and gameplay across the board
- Rewind and cheats to help new players
- Hard-to-find classic Irem games in a convenient package
- Multiple versions included (Arcade, SNES, PC Engine)
- Very difficult, but rewarding games
Cons
- A tad expensive at $8.33 per game
- Notable emulation-induced slowdown at points hurts the immersion
- Archival materials (print ads, manuals, etc.) would have been awesome
What is in Irem Collection: Volume 2?
Irem Collection: Volume 2 brings together a trio of explosive military-themed shooters from the arcade to your modern console of choice:
GunForce
Clearly inspired a bit by Konami’s Contra series, GunForce is a run-and-gun game where you play as a mercenary blasting his way through an enemy base and hordes of baddies to destroy the rogue CPU pulling their strings for world domination. There are plenty of cool weapons to collect (lasers, flamethrowers, etc.) the controls are fairly tight, and it’s not overly punishing if you lock in- I had a good time with GunForce right out of the gate.
Includes the arcade edition (Japanese and global versions) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System port.
GunForce II
Although the original was fun, I was pleasantly surprised to see Irem infuse more original ideas into GunForce II. The big change is that your hero duel-wields guns this time, so you can direct your weapons in two directions at once to deal with foes in multiple directions- this gives GunForce II a layer of added strategy, and I really enjoyed the rocking “Battletoads-esque” soundtrack, killer cyborg enemies, and superior controls.
Includes the arcade edition (Japanese and global versions). (This is the first time GunForce II was ever ported to consoles!)
Air Duel
I recently discovered the long-defunct Japanese game developer Psikyo, and as a fan of their intense overhead shoot-em-ups, I immediately fell in love with the fast and frantic gameplay of Air Duel. In a nutshell, the world has ended via nuclear war and the evil organization D.A.S. is moving to take over what’s left. It’s up to you to take an advanced jetfighter or battle helicopter to take them out once and for all. Between the slick controls and gorgeous visuals, Air Dual is another winner- even if the chopper’s funky ability to shoot diagonally took a little getting used to!
Includes the arcade edition (Japanese and global versions). (This is the first time Air Duel was ever ported to consoles too!)
Irem Collection – Volume 3
What is in Irem Collection: Volume 3?
Irem Collection: Volume 3 gathers three fantastical oddball sci-fi and fantasy shooters from the arcade to your favorite modern console:
Mr. Heli
Volume 3 starts off strong with the strange, but endearing gameplay of Mr. Heli; you play as the surprisingly cute legged helicopter himself, where you advance through the levels at your own pace, while blowing up parts of the environment to collect crystals. Grab enough crystals while dodging obstacles and blasting enemy airships to cash in on upgrades- it’s a wacky balance of managing your finances and blowing away pesky enemy craft, but it works so well once you get the hang of it.
Includes the arcade edition (Japanese and global versions) and the PC Engine edition. I was familiar with the PC Engine port of Mr. Heli via Evercade, so it was fun to play the original arcade title!
Mystic Riders
Irem’s cute-‘em-up features Mark the wizard and Zeal the witch as they ride through an array of fantasy stages while shocking and blasting hordes of ghosts, titanic turtles, and other oddball creatures. Although I appreciate the similarly-styled Cotton series more all-around, I appreciated the ability to toss your character’s riding broom as a makeshift boomerang projectile for those nasty situations when you’re overwhelmed with baddies. Mystic Riders is visually impressive and vibrant, and extra-fun when played with a buddy.
Dragon Breed
Dragon Breed
My favorite from Volume 3 takes the cake for being extra-wild; you play as Bahamoot the flying serpentine dragon and you’ll take on wave after wave of freakish creatures with the help of your rider in Dragon Breed. What sets this game apart is that while Bahamoot himself is completely invincible and will shrug off incoming projectiles and can use his gigantic body to smash smaller beasts, his human rider is your weak point; one hit to the rider and you lose a life. I really enjoyed the fantastical monster designs, array of powerups (fire, lightning, funky-yellow-boomerangs, etc), and how its unconventional main character forces arcade shoot-em-up fans like myself to think outside the box to make it to the end of its 11 levels while keeping the dragon rider intact.
Bunches of Bonus Features to Play Your Way
Let’s make one thing crystal-clear: Irem’s arcade games are extremely difficult and will not hold your hand or show you what to do next. They’ll beat you like a pinata, but that’s just how these classic arcade games were designed, to remove you from your quarters while poking you to invest in another continue because if you get better, you’ll be able to win.
Yes, if you practice, these hardcore games are absolutely winnable, but the good news is that ININ did an excellent job of making all of these games accessible to players of all skill levels by adding optional extras. If you want to sit back and have fun without worrying about continues and game over screens, you’re covered with optional cheats like invincibility, endless lives, and a handy rewind feature to give you an instant second try for those times when you should have zigged when you zagged.
Glitches in the System
While videogame difficulty levels are subjective, there are a few issues I had with these two collections. The bigger problem are the recurring instances of emulation-induced slowdown throughout the games. This isn’t an issue for some titles, and you may experience it for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in others, but when too many elements such as enemies, explosions, projectiles, etc. are on screen at once, the game struggles and slows down to a crawl. This was particularly prevalent in GunForce II, where the game’s enemy detonations, multiple on-screen characters, and tons of weapon fire results in frequent slowdown.
Also, and this is more of a personal thing from a gaming nerd, but many other modern retro compilations include digital scans of manuals, print ads, commercials, and other cool bits from the game’s history. I love this stuff, and the only reason I knew the dragon’s name is Bahamoot and the wizard goes by Mark is because I looked it up online. When you have games so engaging and fun, it’s a shame that I have to look outside of the game to learn its story, character names, and other interesting details.
