Irem Collection Vol.1 review: a cult shooter bundle that could go further

When it comes to retro shooters Irem Collection Vol.1 ticks a lot of boxes; it packs in three games in a mix of platform types that cover some of the best retro consoles of the era, from original arcade to NES and PC Engine CD-ROM² releases. A mix of ways to play, including a rewind mode and cheats that add to the package, but this collection can't escape the limited nature of these retro games.

Having changed the rules of game design with R-Type, Irem earned legendary status in the mid-to-late 1980s. When it comes to shooters there really aren't too many developers that changed how we play quite like this Japanese studio did at the time. Which is why Irem Collection Vol.1 is so enticing, as it contains the developer's often-overlooked shooters Image Fight, sequel Image Fight 2 and the HR Giger inspired X-Multiply.

The reason some will love this collection of retro games is also very likely why many will get take one look and shrug with disinterest; it's a collection of me-too shooters from a period when even masters of the genre found it hard to stand out from a chasing pack of R-Type clones. Also, all three games are very, very hard. 

Irem Collection Vol.1 review: Image Fight 1 & 2

I died seconds into the screen scrolling. Image Fight is tough, and I can see why Japanese arcade goers loved this one in the late '80s. Unlike many vertical shooters of the era that had one eye on more coins and one on a console port, or indeed were designed for console, which can lead to a looseness, Image Fight wants you to sweat. This is a tough shooter that demands you memorise and test its patterns and inch up the screen, die and repeat.

In some ways Image Fight shares its DNA with R-Type, turning the horizontal gameplay vertical and in doing so influencing many devs to come; I can see Image Fight in Amiga's SWIV and Xenon 2. Like R-Type, your little ship can scoop up pods, one for either side and a third to the rear. These come in two colours, blue to shoot up the screen and orange to fire inverted, offering some neat tactical choices. Further additional weapon types, from homing rockets to spreading circular lasers, help… a little.

Did I mention Image Fight is a tough game? It wants you to work hard for its pleasure, and fans of frustratingly hard retro games will really get a kick from this shooter; you're going to need to be pixel-perfect in nosing to enemies, dodging bullet patterns and navigating chicanes of enemies. The various different console editions fare a little easier, with the NES version perhaps the most accessible of all.

Sequel Image Fight 2 is more approachable too, possibly due to being released on the PC Engine CD-ROM². With its (long) animated cutscenes, booming electronic music (by Takashi Hiyamuta and Hiroshi Kimura) and full speech this game also offers a glimpse into the game design trends of the time - the arrival of CD-ROMs enabled devs to experiment. While much of this is surface noise, I do love the addition of speech cues to signal which weapon has been collected.

It's worth noting, the anime cutscenes haven't been translated or dubbed. Purists will love this, but I have no idea what's going on; there's a crazy love story happening, maybe between a top gun hot shot and the boss' daughter, or with his spaceship, it's hard to tell. I just sit back and enjoy the '80s anime vibe.

Later stages of Image Fight 2 get crazy as the invading forces throw everything at you, including asteroids and a maze that needs to be shot through - you need to physically blow a path to the boss. I was a little disappointed to find some slow down here, the screen did stutter when it was alive with enemies, bullets, lasers, asteroids, and more.

Irem Collection Vol.1 review: X-Multiply

Of the three games X-Multiply is the most accessible. This horizontal shooter takes the R-Type template and splashes on some goo with HR Giger-like alien creatures, stages that resemble the innards of acid-dripping corpses and, well… just weird designs. There's a reason, of course, as the plot sends your X-002 ship into the body of a person who has been invaded by the alien queen - it's Inner Space meets Species, and if you get that reference you'll enjoy X-Multiply.

The R-Type orbs are replaced by two laser-firing pods attached to your ship by tentacles that move in relation to the ship; moving left squeezes the tentacle-pods to the front and vice versa. It's a nice idea that builds on R-Type. Power-ups attach to the ship and its pods for extra power, as well as acting as a shield from enemy shots - there's room to experiment.

The tentacle-pod idea is really X-Multiply's only big contribution and it can wear thin. The stages are good and the body horror concept is fun, though the stylised HR Giger-ness of everything looks more dated than contemporaries that shot for an art style of their own - Darius still looks fresh, for example. Being the more accessible of the three also means it has less of a rewarding challenge.

Irem Collection Vol.1 review: should I buy it?

These are three titles that build on established game designs rather than introduce completely new ideas, which means they really do feel like three games for purists. Of the three Image Fight does add to the genre in its own way, and retro gamers will enjoy the challenge it offers and playing through the mixed platform releases.

There are some good gameplay enhancements added by ININ Games to bring these retro games up to speed in 2024, such as save states and a much-appreciated rewind function to avoid deaths (so many deaths). There are plenty of configuration options for each game, including screen filters. A cheats mode is good value too, offering either invincibility or infinite lives, which is a great way to practise.

Could there be more? Yes, of course. Image Fight 2 could have used a cutscene translation, and manuals or a deep dive into concept art archives would have been welcome, particularly for X Multiply as that art team were having fun. (Some extras do come with Strictly Limited's Irem Collection Vol.1 Collector's Edition, including a Visual Compendium.)

If you want more Irem retro games, I'd recommend picking up the new Evercade EXP as this comes with the Irem Arcade 1 Collection, which features R-Type amongst its hits. Read my Evercade EXP review for more on this retro handheld.

Overall the Irem Collection Vol.1 is a solid package of cult status retro games that will bring a hit of nostalgia to some, test the patience and skills of others, but won't really impress if you're not already invested in the Irem legacy.