Irem Collection Volume 2 (NS) - Review

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It's time for more Irem. Approximately one year after the launch of the first volume, publisher ININ and developers Tozai Games & Ratalaika Games have produced Irem Collection Volume 2, the second installment of a five-part anthology. Like the last one, this collection includes three Irem arcade games from yesteryear. In this instance, the games are the vertically-scrolling shoot-'em-up Air Duel, the side-scrolling run-and-gun game GunForce, and its direct sequel GunForce II. And just like the coin-op games from the first volume, these titles arrive with a few bells and whistles, although fewer than you'd like.

The first game on offer is Air Duel, a middle-of-the-pack shoot-'em-up from 1990. For the most part the game is hopelessly generic, but it does benefit from a couple of interesting ideas. The first is that it allows players to change their aircraft at the start of each level; you can choose between a forward-firing jet fighter or a helicopter that turns and fires at an angle. The second is the bomb, which extends outward in several horizontal blasts that can actually be directed left, right, and center by the player. Even with these wrinkles, though, the game fails to leave a strong impression. The scoring system is rudimentary, the backgrounds are mostly boring, and the action is rather basic.

Things improve with GunForce, also known by the amazingly bonkers subtitle Battle Fire Engulfed Terror Island. A precursor of sorts to Metal Slug, GunForce is a bit rough around the edges but undeniably fun to play. The action is fast-moving, there are many different weapon types to collect, and, best of all, almost every stage has an assortment of vehicles and turrets to occupy. At various points, you can jump inside a cable car, a raft, a helicopter, a jeep, a mech, you name it. In the fourth stage, you actually start inside a tank. The game suffers from a couple of nagging problems, including a floaty jump and not enough enemy diversity, but overall it's a competent shooter.

Its sequel, GunForce II, is much more than competent. In fact, it's downright great. Developed by the team that would eventually leave Irem and form Nazca, the studio responsible for Metal Slug, it's a high-octane run-and-gun game with explosive action, spectacular boss fights, and lots of exciting vehicle sections. Everything from the premier GunForce has been dialed up to 11. The graphics are more vibrant and detailed; the explosions more fiery; the bosses far more unusual, dynamic, and dangerous; and the set-pieces more inspired. At one point, you'll scream down train tracks on a motorcycle while a mechanical centipede gives chase; at another point, in the beginning of the final stage, you'll pilot a hovercraft above the clouds and shoot down enemy missiles. The only downside: significant slowdown at times, when there are simply too many bullets, explosions, and bad guys on screen.

In addition to the three main games, all of which support two player local co-op, Irem Collection Volume 2 includes the SNES and Super Famicom ports of GunForce. While it's always nice to have extra games, the home console versions in this instance are inferior, due to frame rate issues and downgraded graphics & animations.

Unfortunately, the developers didn't go the extra mile to remove the slowdown, either from GunForce II or from the SNES/Super Famicom version of GunForce. Nor did they include any instruction manuals or bonus materials, although that was to be expected based on Volume 1.

This volume would have benefited particularly from some bonus content on Nazca, which seems to be the common denominator connecting all three games. Although it's difficult to tell due to the use of pseudonyms at the time, it's generally accepted that the team that would one day develop Metal Slug started its career within Irem with Air Duel and finished with GunForce II. Profiles of the developers and/or interviews with the people involved would certainly enhance this collection and help explain the theme.

While there's no bonus content to speak of, there are multiple quality-of-life features, including rewind, cheats, save states, control mapping, and auto-fire, plus plenty of display, shader, and wallpaper options. There are also online leaderboards for each game, as long as you play in "classic" mode.

Irem Collection Volume 2 is very much like the first volume — an uneven collection of old-school coin-op shooters ideal for collectors and arcade enthusiasts. The games here are arguably better overall than those in Volume 1, mostly due to the greatness of GunForce II, but they've received fewer upgrades. Hopefully future installments will include more refinements, more bonus content, and more ways to appreciate and celebrate each game. 

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