Irem Collection Vol. 3: Three Enhanced Retro Shoot ’em Ups Arrive on Xbox

Woah, okay, so here’s a wild ride through the arcade time machine. Irem Collection Volume 3 is like, suddenly here, and it’s packed with three upgraded, fantastical shoot ’em ups. You know, just in case your life was missing some good old 80s and 90s arcade chaos.

First off, ININ, Tozai Games, and Irem teamed up for this nostalgia bomb. Ah, the 80s – big hair, bigger arcades. This collection’s got Mr. Heli from 1987. Picture a helicopter with legs – yeah, legs – zooming around in a whimsical world of utter madness. It’s kind of a cult classic, cute and tricky as heck. Then there’s Mystic Riders, which hit the scene in ‘92. It’s all about witches, broomsticks, and boomerang magic – absolute vibe. And Dragon Breed? Dragons. Breathing fire. Enough said. Okay, maybe not enough, but you get it.

This era of shooters was brutal, let’s be real. These games practically ate quarters for breakfast, leaving wallets skinny and kids wide-eyed. Nostalgia’s great and all, but these old games were not built for the faint of heart.

But wait, there’s hope for those who weren’t tormented by arcade cabinets back then. New gameplay options are packed in to soften the blow and make things feel, I dunno, less like you’re tossing quarters into a void. Modern consoles let you remap controls – which is fancy talk for making the game play how you want. It’s like redesigning an arcade game with a homey touch.

But here’s more – there’s adjustable difficulty ‘cause let’s face it, sometimes life’s hard enough. Extra lives are there for the taking. And, oh, the beauty of autofire – save your thumbs the workout. Let’s not forget about quick saves and rewinds, like, rewinding your mistakes in real-time (let’s pretend life has that feature too).

They even threw in display filters for that retro feel. Think vintage screens showing off pixel explosions in glorious aged style, or change it up with varied color palettes if you’re feeling adventurous. Global leaderboards? Got ’em. It’s like competing with the entire world from your couch – no pressure or anything.

So, here it is, folks. Irem Collection Volume 3 on Xbox One and Series X|S. The arcades of yesteryear with a shiny modern twist. If you missed the first two volumes, they’re up for grabs too. Dive in, lose yourself in an arcade dreamscape, and if nothing else, enjoy the sweet chaos of it all.