17-Jun-2003 It's rare for a GBA game to attract a crowd at CVG. But Iridion II is like some sort of Pied Piper. Its funky sci-fi tunes lure in small gaggles of spectators, gobsmacked at the pint-sized shooter's PSone-quality visuals.
Better looking than the Star Fox-styled original of two years back, the visuals aren't the only improvement. Along with a new isometric top-down 3D viewpoint, developer Shin'en has altered the gameplay so that it now feels like the sort of shoot 'em up that'll turn your brain to mush if you play it for too long. In a good way. It's utterly chaotic and riddled with brilliant little airborne puzzles.
Changing The Way You Play As in Ikaruga on GC, Iridion II forces you to weave through blizzards of bullets, requiring every ounce of concentration that you can squeeze out of your jellified mind. Which makes for a gripping GBA experience in itself. But, what's so refreshing and alluring about Shine'en's shooter are the cool scenarios and smart enemies that populate all 15 stages.
Every level in the game is quirkily themed, and this strong-arms you into playing them in slightly different ways. For example, one level is riddled with mazes and barriers of timed proximity mines. In order to negotiate the dangerous landscape you have to first fly near the bombs to trigger their timers, and then rapidly retreat to let them explode to clear a path. All the while weaving through labyrinths of enemy fire and taking out mental enemies. These include train-sized mechanical worms that stick to any surface, weird speedy dragons with multiple body sections that can only be destroyed by accurately blasting their tails, and bizarre spacecrafts which leave perilous trails of ice behind them.
CVG accepts that top-down shoot 'em ups are niche, so this isn't going to be a must-have title for all GBA owners. But if you're seriously into the likes of Gradius, R-Type and Ikaruga, Iridion II offers an explosive portable experience you'd be bonkers to miss.
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