Iridion II

Fast-forward to the present time and you'll find that the developers have done just that.  Iridion II is on store shelves, and it retails for $20 less than the original game did when it was released.  Do not, however, mistake this for a "budget" title.  It's cheap, which I'm sure no one will complain about.  But the gameplay is absolutely, positively, some of the best 2D shooting action you will ever find on the GBA.

Wait a minute – 2D?  What happened to the 3D-ish gameplay of the first Iridion?  For some reason or other, the developers decided to abandon that perspective in favor of an angled top-down view.  The sequel has cooler backgrounds and more detailed ships than the original, but it is entirely a 2D game.  If Ikaruga were developed for the GBA it would probably be a lot like Iridion II.

Aside from the pretty graphics, Iridion II has one thing that will immediately catch your attention: its gameplay.  This is as refined as a 2D shooter comes.  Enemies have unique swarm patterns and cannot be killed by one measly laser blast.  There are some more classic enemy formations that'll bring back memories of Galaga, but defeating them is still far from being a walk in the park.  Even more impressive is the boss battles, which I must say, are some of the most unique I have ever experienced.  Not just in shooters, but in any game.

One of the bosses has a circular shape with three paddles on its side.  The majority of the boss's body is immune to attacks; hitting only his weak spot (a small area that is not shielded) will lead to his destruction.  Most of the time, however, his weak spot is pointed away from your ship.  The only way to hit the boss is by shooting the paddles to make the boss spin around until his weak spot is in the right position.  This makes it extremely difficult to defeat the boss without using a bomb.  (Bombs shoot circular laser blasts all over the area, hitting nearly everything in its path.)  Couple that with the boss's attack patterns (it follows your ship!) and you've got yourself one tough enemy to beat.

Among the game's 16 levels you'll find a number of various planets and spaceports.  In addition to avoiding enemy attacks, you'll have to avoid being crushed in between an obstacle as it scrolls across the screen.  Avoiding this type of death is part of the game's challenge.  If you're too busy avoid obstacles, you're likely to get shot.  But if you don't avoid the obstacles, you won't make it to the end of the level.  One-shot deaths, however, do not occur in Iridion II.  Your ship is now equipped with a life bar (which can be refilled by flying over specific check points).  On the game's easiest level difficulty, most experienced players will beat the game very quickly.  On the harder difficulties, players will be more challenged, but the game is never as frustrating as the 2D shooters of the early and mid-90s.

A new challenge mode is unlocked once the game has been completed.  It includes a series of boss battles – and you only have one chance to defeat them!  No continues, and no extra lives are available.  Just as before, Iridion II uses a password save system, so you'll have to enter a password every time you turn on the game if you want to access the challenge mode again.  An arcade mode is also unlocked after beating the game, allowing you to replay any level that you want.

It may be over fast, but Iridion II's gameplay is good enough to keep you coming back again and again.  The new weapon types and weapon upgrades are awesome.  Each one has its own strengths, making them all worth using.  From laser beams that ricochet off of anything they hit, to small pellets that lock-on and follow the enemies wherever they go, Iridion II's weapons are anything but ordinary.  At $19.99 (regular price for most retailers), this game couldn't be a better buy.

Gameplay: 8.5
I haven't had this much fun with a shooter in a long time.  Fans of Ikaruga will be glad to know that there is finally a comparable title available for the Game Boy Advance.  With so much shooting action packed into one inexpensive cartridge, it would be a huge mistake to overlook Iridion II.

Graphics: 9
One word describes this game's graphics: gorgeous.  This sequel may not be in the third dimension, but it looks even better than the first Iridion.  Iridion II is an amazing game with high replay value, and the visuals are some of the best ever seen on the GBA.

Sound: 8.8
I don't know who the sound guys were, but they deserve tons of credit for making this game sound as well as it does.  The soundtrack is not only great, but it actually sounds good on the GBA!  It's hard to create high-quality sound on a cartridge-based system, but somehow they pulled it off.

Difficulty: Medium
Compared to Einhander (a super-frustrating shooter from Square), Iridion II may seem a bit easy.  Try it on one of the harder difficulties though and you'll see that it's a pretty challenging game.  The challenge mode adds even more "challenge" to the experience.

Concept: 8
Take a near-3D game and make its sequel in the second dimension.  Sounds strange, doesn't it?  Obviously the developers knew what they were doing, since this turned out to be a really incredible game.

Overall: 8.5
This is the quintessential time-killing game.  Got a car trip coming up, or a long, boring afternoon at an aunt's house?  Maybe you've got a business trip to Chicago and would like a great game to play on the way there or in between meetings.  Whatever your reason for needing to pass time, there isn't a better way to do it than playing through Iridion II.  It's long enough to keep you entertained for a while, but short enough to prevent you from forgetting all about that important luncheon you absolutely must go to.  Even without the need to kill time though, Iridion II is a must-buy.