Iridion II (Game Boy Advance) Review

If there is one thing that you can predict when it comes to space shooters it is that the storyline will most likely be rather half-baked and will be completely forgotten about within seconds of the blasting action commencing. Guess what? That is exactly the case with Iridion II as well! "More than a hundred years have passed since Earth was attacked by the vicious Iridion forces." Predictability ensues, "Legend tells of a single brave SHN Fighter pilot who found his way to destroy the evil Iridion mainframe. After this glorious victory...peace and freedom came back to mankind. The Iridion menace was history...Until now!"

Did anyone not see that coming? Anyway, the Iridion forces suddenly re-emerge and take control of all the systems the human race decided to populate upon the Iridion demise and thus mass galactic havoc rapidly follows as Planet Earth is so far away that help would not arrive in time. Coincidentally, though, there is one ship floating around nearby that just happens to be powerful enough to combat the Iridion once more...and you are the pilot! What are the chances of that?!

Getting over the amazingly clichéd story very hastily you dive into the game and suddenly notice something superb – these graphics are by far some of the best on the Game Boy Advance! Locked away in this hidden gem of a game reside bold, 3D cut-scene stills, a rich colour palette, stunning weapon effects, pleasing 2D cartoon-esque characters that drive the story (*ugh*) along and a smooth-scrolling top-down viewpoint with your craft seemingly flying deep into your GBA as if your screen was outer-space itself, and everything comes without the age-old problem of slowdown!

Shin’en has clearly been hard at work on the technical side of the GBA, piecing together something so tasty that many long-standing Third Parties would probably blush at the site of it. You begin with a very Tron-like virtual training session and as your ship travels forward slowly, you will be able to understand just how solid everything looks. Now whilst the action may not be anywhere near as fast as Treasure’s amazing Ikaruga, once enough enemies start flying around on-screen, throwing all they have got at you, you will truly realise that for Iridion II to keep up this standard of graphics, with so much action, all at a more than fair pace without slowing down is a major achievement on the part of the development team!

Being key players in the development of music tools for the Game Boy Advance, it was almost a given that Shin’en would produce a worthy musical array in any games it created. This was certainly true of the first game and actually proved to be the main highlight of what was honestly a title not worth wasting your money on. For the sequel, Shin’en has upped the stakes somewhat, bringing more of its stylised German funk, techno and heavy beats along for the ride and ensuring that gamers get the most out of their stereo earphones. The various tunes that drive the main game are by far some of the best found on the GBA and prove that even without stereo, that little speaker people criticise so much can actually work wonders! And, clearly showing their musical talent once more, the team has included a mixer on the main. Just boot-up the game and you will spot four options on the main screen that allow you to create your own theme! Superb indeed...

Those that have become used to the likes of Treasure’s Ikaruga and the Gradius series from Konami will feel right at home with Iridion II. The action, whilst fast and frantic is more than fair to the player, rather than being the complete easy option taken by the developer, throwing ridiculous amounts of enemies your way. You have to overcome what turn out to be rather puzzle-like journeys through the fifteen specialised stages, each of which proves to be both frustrating and highly rewarding at the same time. Thankfully, throughout the larger levels you will come across little yellow circles that are definite lifesavers – they are indeed mid-level save points that allow you to return to that particular spot should you meet an untimely death.

Should you manage to actually succeed and reach the end of a level, you are shown an overview statistics screen complete with the number of shots you unleashed, your ranking for that level, the time it took to complete it, how accurate you were overall and a total score. These small synopses prove to be quite helpful as they let you gauge how your play is improving as you progress through the space adventure and allow you to compare yourself against other players around the world!

In terms of actual gameplay, Gradius was the obvious influence, especially to the upgradeable weapons system whereby you kill certain enemies and they leave behind icons that, when collected, light up a meter in the top-right of the play area. This meter is your weapons meter, with each block representing a different firing technique. The idea is that you can build up more power-ups to further your choice of extra firepower. A clever little notion conjured up many, many years ago, but one that still works like a charm in this day and age.

The enemies themselves do not pose too much of a threat when you commence the game. However, this lulls you into a false sense of security and all of a sudden you will be hit by a swarm of odd looking space creatures that fire all sorts of lasers at you, causing you enormous grief as you desperately try to manoeuvre out of trouble. Shin'en must be commended on creating such a well-round game that can be enjoyed months after you have seen the final credits roll as it is just so much fun to play in small bursts...

How many levels do you require from a space shooter? Well, let us put this into perspective before you pile your answers upon us! Treasure's seminal Ikaruga only has five levels and nobody complained about that since there was enough invention and pure thrills lodged into each one to make them immensely enjoyable again and again. Now this is definitely not the case with Iridion II as there are fifteen massive stages, fifteen special missions, thirty-two boss enemies and over two hundred general enemies to overcome. Then there is the fact that the puzzle element and the extras to be found keep its engine running for far longer than you would ever guess.

Not only is there a mammoth amount of levels compared to Ikaruga, but also an unlockable Arcade Mode, Challenge Mode, gallery, jukebox and various other hidden treats to be uncovered the more you play. Shin'en has done a wonderful job of pouring as much enjoyment into this sequel as is humanly possible and the simple fact that pilot wannabes can choose from an initial three difficulty settings and compare their high scores with others across the Internet super highway is worthy enough of extending the game's lifespan. This is definitely a prime package that will last far longer than its current budget price-tag would lead you to believe.