Increasing the volume
ININ and IREM are doing the lord’s work to bring back classic arcade games to modern platforms. We have already reviewed the first two volumes of the IREM collections, and both included some known and not-so-known titles. The third iteration is by far the most obscure entry to date. The games included here are lesser-known titles that were overshadowed by other games during their time. Now, they can have their 15 minutes of fame and introduce players to some titles that I guarantee a lot of people have never played. So, let’s dive into the collection and run down the games.
The overall package is fairly similar to the previous two entries. It has a set of filters to imitate CRTs and of course borders for people that prefer those. Rewind and save states are present as are leaderboards, which are par for the course for these collections. They did add some controller enhancements including rapid fire, which is a must for this collection as it is all shooters.
MSRP: $24.99
Platforms: Switch (reviewed), Xbox, PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $24.99
Alright, let’s dig into each game. First up we have Mr. Heli, also known as Battle Chopper. This is the only title in the collection that has a home version for the PC Engine in Japan. It also has both the US and Japanese arcade versions in the collection. In this title players play as a tiny helicopter as they take down enemies and collect crystals and cash. The cash can be used to upgrade to better weapons. Each stage ends in an epic boss fight. The visuals remind me of something like Fantasy Zone with cute little ships. I really enjoyed this one and it took me back to playing it on the PC Engine back in the day.
Next up we have Mystic Riders, which is another shooter with a more fantasy-inspired theme. This one is a side-scrolling shooter that includes co-op play and has players riding on their broom and using it as a boomerang to take down giant sky turtles, yes, it is epic. This game is closer to a bullet hell than Mr. Heli which means I was dying…a lot. Luckily rewind and difficulty options make this one a little more tolerable. My old skills could not keep me alive for very long.
Finally, we have Dragon Breed as we trade in our brooms for dragons. This is similar to Mystic Riders in its design but tosses in a twist. The dragon you are riding cannot be hurt and will hurt other enemies and projectiles that hit it. This adds a layer of strategy as I was constantly trying to maneuver my dragon to take all the damage. This is a lot easier said than done though as I also spent a lot of time dying. Luckily this game also has an upgrade system for both your weapons and the dragon itself. This was a great game that I had actually never played before this collection, and I will definitely be coming back for more.
IREM and ININ continue to deliver classic arcade games to modern consoles, and I am here for it. While this collection doesn’t have a marquee title to boast, the games included here are definitely fun. I enjoyed revisiting these as well as playing something I had missed when it came out. I love these old collections and hope we continue to see more of them. Bring on Volume 4 and let’s get even weirder with it.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
