While the first Irem Collection covered off Image Fight and X-Multiply, this new release contains a few lesser-known Irem classics.
Before I get to that, though, it’s worth mentioning the now-defunct game developer Nazca Corporation. Formed by ex-Irem staffers in 1994, they would later go on to be acquired by SNK and make the Metal Slug games.
This is worth knowing before we get to the games in this collection, as in many ways they are proto-Nazca releases.
While visual elements of R-Type II are somewhat Nazca-esque, it’s games like Air Duel and GunForce II, not to mention Gallop, that shared more of the soon-to-be Nazca team.
Starting with the first GunForce was, in many ways, a very early kind of Metal Slug. While it took elements from the run-and-gun setup in Contra, the fact that you didn’t die on contact with enemies and could drive vehicles did feel very Metal Slug.
This collection also includes not only the arcade versions of GunForce but also the SNES port. The latter is interesting as that was ported in Britain by the same team that did the Game Boy ports of R-Type.
However, it’s the sequel GunForce II, known as GeoStorm in Japan, where things really ramped up. Much of the same setup from the first game was present, except that you could now dual weapon weapons and do an awful lot more damage as a result.
This also looks a lot more like Metal Slug, but arguably affords a far greater degree of intense carnage.
Again, all the arcade versions of GunForce II are included in this collection, and they look and play great.
However, the real star of this collection, at least in my eyes, is Air Duel.
Like Image Fight, Air Duel is a more traditional vertical scrolling shmup, where you can either pilot a plane or a helicopter. The plane offers a standard forward firing solution, whereas the helicopter can partly angle its shots. Power-ups are straightforward and upgrade your main weapon or give you extra bombs.
While this all may sound a bit simple, the game is surprisingly engaging and is one of the jumping-off points for the “bullet hell” shmups that followed. Not to mention, the whole duel craft approach gives off pretty strong SWIV vibes, which Air Duel predates. Although, in the case of SWIV, that was more directly inspired by Tecmo’s Silkworm.
Talking of SWIV, I would love to see a modern HD remaster of SWIV 3D, but I digress.
Air Duel also embodies much of the Nazca aesthetic that the studio would later champion. So like the other games in this collection, they make for a fascinating snapshot into Irem’s and gaming’s history from the early 90s.
As for the collection itself, you still retain the rewind function, which is very handy. As well as numerous visual tweaks and other fun things.
The only weird thing, again, is that the initial menu selection is very loud. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but it is oddly jarring.
Overall, Irem Collection Vol. 2 makes three classic pre-Nazca games widely available again. These are all great shooters, but are also historically relevant as to how the shmup genre would evolve and how Nazca would form a few years later. If you are a fan of Metal Slug, then you should definitely check out this collection, as GunForce II is wonderfully unhinged.
Irem Collection Vol. 2
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S
Developer: ININ Games
Publisher: ININ Games
Released: 14th November 2024
Price: $24.99
Score: 8/10
Disclosure: ININ Games sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review.
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