Irem, a pioneer in the arcade gaming industry since the 1980s, is teaming up with ININ Games and Tozai Games to bring some of their most popular and highly requested arcade titles to modern gaming platforms, including Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation, and Microsoft Xbox. Many of these classic action games, such as R-TYPE, Air Duel, and Hammerin’ Harry, have never been released on modern consoles or even on physical media.
The upcoming releases, featuring the unrivaled quality that Irem is known for, are a treat for both retro enthusiasts and casual gamers seeking new or previously unknown gaming adventures. The rich history of Irem as a studio and their iconic games that shaped the industry make these releases especially appealing to collectors of video games and players interested in video game history and culture. Strictly Limited Games will publish several Limited and Collector’s Editions for the upcoming volumes of the Irem Collection.
Volume 1 of the Irem Collection is an updated homage to the Japanese-exclusive ‘Arcade Gears’ series (released in the 1990s on Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation) and features three legendary shoot ’em up games: Image Fight, Image Fight II, and X-Multiply.
Image Fight, a vertical scrolling shoot ’em up released in 1988, was highly successful in Japan and is still regarded as one of the best shmups ever made. The upcoming volume will include the arcade version, as well as the PC Engine/TurboGrafx and NES versions from 1990.
Following the success of Image Fight, Image Fight II was released in Japan in 1992 but never made it to the West, except for a Wii Virtual Console release. The game boasts an outstanding story, with visual scenes reminiscent of animes specifically designed for the PC-Engine SUPER CD-ROM version.
X-Multiply, a side-scrolling shooter released in 1989 for arcades (M72), combines science fiction and biological elements in a unique and visually striking game. Players control a miniaturized ship injected into a human body, using tentacles attached to the ship to fight alien parasites.
Strictly Limited Games will exclusively publish the Limited and Collector’s Editions of the Irem Collection, featuring the games, their matchless Original Soundtracks, and physical collectibles, such as a premium Collector Box, a Visual Compendium, a Collector Coin, and Retro Print materials.
The limited physical editions of Irem Collection’s Volume 1 will be available for pre-order starting April 30th, 2023, exclusively on StrictlyLimitedGames.com.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
