Iridion II

About

Iridion II is a single player arcade shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Piko Interactive and was released on April 8, 2020. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

In "Iridion II," humanity's peace is threatened when the vicious IRIDION forces return after a century, taking over all colonized systems. As a lone SHN Fighter pilot, you must travel through vast galaxies, battle over 200 enemies, and reach the IRIDION mainframe to save Earth. The game features 5 galaxies, 15 planets, and intense shoot-'em-up action.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 17 reviews

music6 positive mentions

The game features an outstanding soundtrack, considered one of the best on the Game Boy Advance.
It offers a good amount of content with 15 stages and engaging visuals, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
The nostalgic factor is strong, with many players expressing joy in revisiting this classic title from their childhood.

The port lacks modern updates, resulting in poor graphics and resolution scaling on modern displays.
Control schemes can be unintuitive, making it difficult for players to figure out how to play effectively.
The game is criticized for its high price tag, especially given its age and lack of significant improvements over the original.

music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The music in this Game Boy Advance shmup is widely praised as one of the best soundtracks on the system, with many players considering it their favorite of all time. The soundtrack enhances the overall impressive presentation of the game, and players appreciate the option to unlock a jukebox feature to enjoy the background music. Overall, the music is a standout element that significantly contributes to the game's charm and appeal.
- “An easygoing shmup for the Game Boy Advance that has a soundtrack among the best of the system, and also an impressive presentation overall.”
- “The best video game soundtrack ever.”
- “Iridion II is one of my favorite games on the GBA and has quite possibly my favorite video game soundtrack of all time.”
- “The music (oof, the music!) really detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack is still bangin’ though, but it doesn't fit the game's atmosphere.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting a lack of resolution updates and limited graphical options, resulting in a simplistic and low-quality visual experience. While the original pixel art and 3D perspective have their charm, they are seen as outdated, and the game's emulation does not enhance the visuals significantly. Overall, there is a desire for a remaster that could modernize the graphics while preserving the original's aesthetic appeal.
- “The graphics, the music (oof, the music!), the gameplay, the bosses, the planets (really cool colors :d), everything in this game is awesome and I'm glad I have this title once more :'d”
- “Fun shooting game with interesting visuals originally on the Game Boy Advance.”
- “I do have a CRT monitor to play games like this, so that goes a long way in making the visuals pop.”
- “It's advertised as having 3D graphics, but this is only a rudimentary effect, with raster images/sprites displayed over an ultra simplistic, ultra low poly 3D framework.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “It seems to do nothing but emulate the original GBA ROM, without a single improvement to the graphics or (as far as I can tell) the audio.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is generally enjoyable, featuring a variety of weapons and a unique shield mechanic, but players find the control scheme frustrating and the lack of true 3D movement limiting. While the graphics and music received mixed reviews, the overall experience is enhanced by vibrant visuals and engaging boss battles.
- “The graphics, the music (oof, the music!), the gameplay, the bosses, the planets (really cool colors :D), everything in this game is awesome and I'm glad I have this title once more :'D”
- “There's a variety of different weapons to choose from, and a unique mechanic where you can shift where the secondary shields are positioned.”
- “As a rail shooter, you can move your little ship left or right, but there's no true 3D gameplay.”
- “There's a variety of different weapons to choose from, and a weird mechanic where you can shift the position of the secondary shields.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which results in subpar performance on contemporary gaming PCs.