| Introduction
The original Iridion was the first game I reviewed
for EAGB some years ago and although visually stunning,
it was criticized by many for simply being a technical
demo as opposed to a fully playable game. It was also
incredibly difficult and I'm not sure I knew of anyone
who actually completed it without cheating a little,
thanks to the leaked cheat codes.
The developers obviously knew that they had a good
idea on their hands that suffered from bad implementation
and since the release of the original, Shin'en have
become better known for supplying music to other GBA
titles. Sequels can produce one of two things though
and if the developers have listened to the criticisms
regarding the original, we could have a truly exciting
and innovative title on our hands.
GamePlay
One of the first things the developers have addressed
is to offer three 'realistic' difficulty settings. Anyone
who played the original will recall just how difficult
it was to get past the third or forth world. Once you've
selected this and your ship's laser patterns, it's straight
into battle.
Initially only the Story Mode is accessible to play
with the Challenge Mode becoming available as you unlock
levels. There is a plot but let's face it, when was
a shooting game in need of a story line? It's just a
case of destroying everything you can and then outwitting
the end of level boss before they find your weakness.
What makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable
is the number of enemies you'll encounter, making every
section feel new and interesting with little in the
way of repetition.
Once you've completed a level you're given a code
and even though we'd always rather have a battery back-up,
it is dual purpose, so as well as allowing you to rejoin
the game where you left off, you also have the chance
to enter the world wide Internet ranking.
Control
The control system is a joy as not only is it responsive
but the developers have added a whole tutorial section
too, meaning that even a reasonably intelligent monkey
could play it (no offence to monkeys). This is presented
as a VR mission and is much like the training section
in the original Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation,
with dialogue boxes popping up explaining movement and
control. Nothing can harm you here as a handy computer
takes you through just about everything you'll need
to know for the duration of the game at a very leisurely
pace. You'll still require a set of lightning speed
reactions though but there's really nothing that the
tutorial can tell you about acquiring or developing
that particular skill.
Graphics
This latest outing for Iridion is stunning and although
the visuals look absolutely incredible, they're not
true 3D. Initially, they look like they are, but they're
not. Instead, the developers have again applied some
ingenious use of FMV in order to create the various
level backgrounds. Add to this some floating props and
the end result looks more like a full blown arcade game
rather than a simple cart running on the humble GBA.
It also differs from the original because now the
whole game is viewed from a more aerial view rather
than from directly behind, which gives you some more
warning about what's to come. In addition, there's an
animated intro as opposed to the static cut screens
that accompanied the original and it all adds up to
one of the best looking GBA titles you're likely to
see this year.
Sound & Music
The soundtrack is absolutely stunning but as Shin'en
have been behind the music for some of the greatest
GBA titles, it isn't that surprising. The music utilizes
the GAX sound engine which lets the developers create
some truly memorable backing for each level, so if there
was ever a need to crank your GBA volume up and invest
in some headphones, then this is it! You can also edit
some soundtracks yourself from the main menu by altering
different channels, which really is something everyone
should have a stab at as you can get some surprising
results. The sound effects are well above average too,
but with a soundtrack that rivals some of the better
arcade units, you'll hardly notice.
Final Comments
As a shoot'em up fan I had high hopes for this game
and I can tell you now that I wasn't disappointed. The
developers have clearly given their second outing their
undivided attention. Everything you'd want is here and
more. This has to be one of the most addictive titles
I've played on the GBA for quite some time.
Unlike most shooters. Iridion 2 also has considerable
replay value, thanks largely to the online score table
which means you will keep trying to beat your personal
best in order to topple the high scorer from the other
side of the globe whom you've never even met. As far
as sequels go, this is one of the best you're likely
to come across and if the first outing was more simply
trying out a range of shoot'em up ideas, then this is
where they've all come together. This is an essential
purchase for fans of the genre and for anyone with a
thirst for arcade action.
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