From the skies above the Pacific Ocean to an alien landscape, you are the hope of Earth.

Iridion 3D, a Game Boy Advance release from Majesco Sales, Inc., and Shinen, is a flight combat arcade simulation that combines elements of Japanese-style animation with the basic – and somewhat simplistic – elements of flight sims.

You have been chosen to fly the experimental SHN-Fighter against a deadly force of intergalactic Iridion star fighters that have been unleashed upon the universe and are heading straight for Earth.

Ok, so the Iridion forces have already been here. After all, you are stealing one of the fighters from one of its reconnaissance units. The first order of business is to get out of the base where you stole the ship. To do that, you’ll have to fly down a disposal tunnel, avoiding debris, pulsar-emitter ships and Class A fighters. If you are good, or lucky, or both, you will burst free into the skies over the Pacific Ocean where you will engage in a dog fight. There are seven levels in all, the last taking place on the planet Iridion Prime. Each level has a boss at its end, which must be conquered if you wish to move on.

Like the arcade-style action, the controls in this game are very simplistic. The D-pad controls the flight of the ship, the A button is the trigger for your weapons. That’s it.

While the fighter will continually move forward, there are some built-in flaws in the program that will enable you to get through some scenarios. For example: in the first level, if you hit the down, or back, direction on the D-pad, the fighter will sit on the bottom of the screen and the debris will never reach your ship. It will disappear before impact. Of course, you don’t score many points by finding the spots on the monitor where your ship is safe from harm.

Graphically the game is nicely rendered. There is a nice array of environments, and the action is nonstop. The sound is adequate for this style of game.

Iridion 3D brings nothing new to the arcade flight’n fight simulation. It works well, and will provide hours of distraction. It is rated for Everyone.

Install: N/A

Gameplay: 6.5.
This is a standard up-and-down, side-to-side style of arcade action game. The level gameboards are repetitious.

Graphics: 7.5.
The game combines touches of Japanese anime-style artwork with three-dimensional effects. The variety of environments is nice.

Sound: 6.5.
The music is the overwhelming effect in this game. The underlying effects don’t offer anything new to the genre.

Difficulty: 7.5.
While the controls are simplistic, it is challenging to survive the levels.

Concept: 6.5.
The game takes a stock theme, and compounds it with stock scenarios for a game that lacks originality.

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: 7.
Despite some flaws, the game is entertaining – which is the prime objective. It certainly will not set the high-water mark in the genre, but it does have solid graphics and is easy for anyone to pick up and play.