Iridion II

Iridion returns, losing the 3D and gaining a deeper understanding of what makes shooters fun. And some more weapons.

Iridion 3D, the prettiest of the GBA launch library (really more of a graphics demo than a game), has returned?and without the 3D, even. The original featured a Space Harrier?style behind-the-ship view that looked pretty but made it impossible to accurately gauge shots; fortunately, the developers at Shin'en have realized their faults and replaced it with a 2D semi-overhead perspective that makes Iridion II play far more like your typical shooter.

Indeed, the new Iridion's feature list is filled almost entirely with items that should have been in Iridion 3D. There are more weapon types, and you now have a pair of dual satellite options that double as shields?perfect for bosses who unleash Japanese shooter-like bullet showers at you. The difficulty's a little more reasonable, too?anyone can get far in the easiest mode, but the hardest one will drive you bonkers (although the GBA screen's mostly at fault for that).

While all the aforementioned features make Iridion incredibly unoriginal, they also make the game finally worth playing for more than the visuals. The music is boppy if a little unmemorable, and the graphics are very impressive?the rendered backgrounds have returned, but the game itself takes place on a pseudo-3D layer above them, creating an impressive sense of depth. Its gameplay has nothing on Gradius (bullets have a distressing habit of blending into the backdrops), but Iridion II is still far more competent than the original. If you?re a genre fan, it?s worth at least a shot.

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