Irem Collection Volume 2 review

The three pillars in the run-and-gun pantheon are Metal Slug, Ghosts ‘n Goblins, and Contra. In this writer’s mind, franchises like Assault Suit Leynos and Turrican are both illustrious efforts, but they lack a bit of the personality found in Nazca’s, Capcom’s, and Konami’s beloved classics. One tier below those titles is GunForce, which along with 1990’s Air Dual form the bulk of Irem Collection Volume 2’s abbreviated anthropology.

Seemingly, shrinkflation is now afflicting retro collections, where anthologies once bundled dozens of games. Much like the shriveled curation of the first Irem volume, Volume 2 provides regional variants of the arcade and SNES versions of GunForce, two versions of the sequel, along with Air Duel. While the inclusion of different territorial varieties is welcome, especially since Japan got more expositional substance, you’re essentially buying just a trio of titles. For hardcore collectors, that might be worth it. You’re seeing Metal Slug gradually take shape, as many of the Irem staff would move onto Nazca in 1994 to develop the cherished series.

Low Gravity, High Intensity

Here some good news: GunForce is still a strong entry in the genre. Emulating the 1991 coin-op that spearheaded the two-game series, the original game still conveys the feeling that’s you’re a super-soldier. Rapid-fire power-ups are plentiful, allowing you to send an inundation of ammo in eight directions. The game’s jump button initiates a tragically floaty leap, but also lets you hop into vehicles, hang from roping, and crouch when combined with a downward controller press. Largely, success requires level memorization as well as the ability to evade crisscrossing enemy bullet steams.

GunForce’s five stages are rather ingeniously constructed from a limited sprite pool. But well-animated explosions and hulking helicopters disguise the simple backdrops. However, the large character sprites coupled with buoyant jumping means that boss battles can feel frustrating. Expectedly, the Super Nintendo and Super Famicom ports sacrifice elements like game tempo and graphical fidelity. But what’s amazing is how effective the home versions adaptations are at replicating the arcade experience.

A Superior Sequel

Undoubtedly, GunForce II (aka Geo Storm) is the true highlight of this compilation. Irem’s swansong largely mends the missteps of the original GunForce. Not only is your jump noticeably less buoyant, but now protagonist Max (along with optional partner Lei) can carry two weapons. Expectedly, dual wielding feels agreeably powerful. And with your ammo dispersing at two different angles, trouncing enemy barrages feels gratifying. The weapon-powerups, which let you harness lasers and flamethrowers are cool, too. Just make sure you’re not using turn-fire with the latter, which can disrupt your destructive power.

The rather robotic aesthetic of the original game is replaced with a more organic look. The hulking machines you’ll battle will unquestionably remind you of Metal Slug, in form and color. Here, groups of cheerleaders resemble the raggedy POWs, who are still obvious to the obliteration right in front them. But GunForce II’s biggest improvement is the inclusion of set-pieces. From gunning down a legion of manic bikers to a giant enemy mech capable of summoning a Ferris wheel-sized ring of projectiles, the game feels like a highlight reel.

Tanks, Trains, and Enemy Aircraft

Rounding out the package is Irem’s 1990 vertically scrolling shoot ‘em up, Air Duel. Before taking flight in each of the game’s seven stages, you’ll get to select between a jet and a helicopter. The former has a piercing forward-firing shot while the latter allows you to angle your slightly weaker shots. Both aircraft are augmented by a supply of rolling bombs and by collecting floating power-ups. Survival requires constant moment, as foes are precise and their projectiles are exceedingly fast.

Annihilating enemy vehicles that look right out of the Metal Slug-verse is definitely contenting, but the difficulty curve grows prohibitively steep. The first two stages are manageable shoot ‘em up apprentices, but things rapidly intensify from there. As such, Air Duel can feel a bit dispiriting, and I’d expect even seasoned STG addicts to hit an impasse by the fifth or six boss.

Collection? Yes. Commemoration? Not Even Close

Irem Collection Volume 2’s emulation is satisfactory, offering perks like the ability to rewind play, apply different shaders, and choose from different wallpapers. But oddly, making any kind of adjustment requires holding the start button, potentially disrupting play. Additionally, Volume 2 makes the same lapse as its predecessor and doesn’t provide much information about its games.

Beyond basic data about regions and hardware platforms, you’ll find no supplemental material to provide any additional context. There’s no box art, instructions, photos, or insights from any of the original developers. The menus don’t even specify the date of each release. Irem Collection Volume 2 feels like a museum with solid but scant exhibitions and little attempt at curation. It’s difficult not to wish that Digital Eclipse, the developer behind Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story was in charge.

Irem Collection Volume 2 was played on Switch with review code provided by the publisher.