Review: Irem Collection Volume 2
I’ve reviewed several retro video game collections over the years. Notable entries include Metal Gear Solid – Master Collection Vol.1, Taito Milestones 1 & Taito Milestones 2, and now we have the Irem Collection Volume 2.
I admit that although I was familiar with IREM, there weren’t many games that immediately came to mind in the same way of when I think of Capcom or Konami. Looking IREMs history, they have certainly made some valuable video game contributions over the years including, Kung Fu Master, R-Type, and Moon Patrol to name a few. As a result, I was keen to try Irem Collection Volume 2 to experience some of the games I have never played before.
Included in the collection are:
- Air Duel – Arcade (Japanese). Air Duel is a vertically scrolling shooter released in 1990. You get to choose between a helicopter or jet fighter at the start of the mission. Each aircraft has their own strengths and weaknesses, so picking which works best for you is part of the strategy. As is the case with this genre, power ups can be gained by destroying enemy ships. However, if you get hit, you lose your power and have to start with a weakened ship. I enjoyed Air Duel, but I admit that I’m completely rubbish at it!
- GunForce – Arcade (English/Japanese) SNES/Super Famicom. GunForce is a run and gun shooter released in 1991 in the arcade, and 1992 on the SNES. My first thoughts when I started GunForce were that it reminded me a lot of the Contra series of games from Konami. The arcade version is good fun, and the inclusion of the SNES version is a nice touch. However, it also highlights the shortcomings of the SNES in terms of the graphics and controls not being as good as the arcade. The SNES version also suffers from significant slow down when there is a lot happening on screen. I understand the need to keep the SNES version authentic, but it doesn’t necessarily make it an enjoyable experience. Overall, this was a tough, but fun shooter.
- GunForce 2 – Arcade (English/Japanese). Released in 1994, GunForce 2 turns everything up to 11 in the action stakes. The player (and a friend) takes control of Max and Lei as they fight their way across swathes of enemies to rescue female POWs. I enjoyed GunForce 2 mainly for the ridiculous number of enemies the game throws at you. There are also some huge boss battles where the boss takes up a large amount of the screen. In fact, there is often so much going on, it was hard to keep up. GunForce 1 and 2 are fun games, but if I’m honest, I felt like firing up the Contra Anniversary Collection
Each game has a set of options including a casual mode and classic mode. The casual mode has the following features:
- Rewind
- Gameplay Settings
- Cheats
- Save States
- Autofire
- Control Settings
- Video Settings
The Classic mode keeps things authentically difficult and includes:
- Trophies
- Online Rankings
- Autofire
- Control Settings
- Video Settings
There are other options available with all games including:
- Video options to change the display from 4:3 DAR. Fullscreen, Perfect and Perfect 1x
- Wallpaper background
- Shader style
One of the main criticisms I have of this particular collection are the lack of games included. A lot of retro collections I’ve tried in the past tend to have some standout titles, a few decent games, and then a bit of filler. With only 3 games to choose (and one of them is a sequel) your options are limited. As a result, I would suggest this collection is aimed at fans of the games which are included. If this is the case, then you are likely to already enjoy them and want to own them in your collection. If you are like me and unfamiliar with these games, you may feel a little short changed. The games themselves are fun, but paying £19.99 is something that should be considered before you buy.
IREM Collection Volume 2 is available now.
Review by Chris.