Irem Arcade Hits - first impressions

[Edmond Dantes]

I finally did it, something I thought I'd never do: I bought a DLC.

So far, the thing (http://www.irem-arcade-hits.com/) doesn't seem like a mistake. All the games seem pretty solid (though I haven't played Superior Soldier because fighters and standard gamepads don't mix).

As for the whole collection, the only problems I've had thus far are:

1. The sound is a little scratchy (most noticable with R-Type Leo), though I've heard this depends on your soundcard.

2. If playing with an X-Box 360 controller, all the movement is done via the left analog stick, and there's no way to remap it to the D-Pad. For some games this is easy to get used to. Others, not so much.

All in all though, it seems like it was worth the $14.99. Here's hoping they do a Volume 2, if anything just to include the games they missed out on this time.

[Kitsune Sniper]

... you mean it's not just a program wrapped around MAME?

[Gapporin]

Still, you've got to support a publisher who brings back Raptor (http://www.raptor-game.com/) and Krypton Egg (http://www.kryptonegg.com/index.php).

[Edmond Dantes]

... you mean it's not just a program wrapped around MAME?

Nope, sure isn't.

[Smashed Brother]

This is really a no-brainer. I'm cool with the idea of supporting the original publisher/developer of these games by purchasing the compilation. On the other hand, I can play whatever damn game I want on MAME, Final Burn Alpha and a whole host of other emu's that support remappable controls, high-quality graphic filters (which look great when on my tv), online play and other neat options.

Also with these compilations, they rarely have the great arcade games that you really want to play. Where's Hook or Ninja Baseball Batman? Oh, right.... tied up in licensing. Save yourself the $15 and do a Google search.

[Edmond Dantes]

Also with these compilations, they rarely have the great arcade games that you really want to play.

Well... depending. I really wanted this collection just to have legit copies of R-Type Leo and Armed Police Unit Gallop (here called Cosmic Cop). Yeah, I still normally play them thru MAME but at least, once I get R-Type III and Final, I can say I have legal copies of every game in the R-Type series.

That every other game in this collection is pretty fun is a bonus, and to be honest there's a lot of games I would never have heard of without collections such as this. I totally never heard of Gun Force before, but those are easily some of my favorite Contra clones (and funny thing is, I actually don't like Contra all that much).

There are a lot of games I wish this collection had that it doesn't (namely X-Multiply--which I also discovered, though indirectly, due to this collection despite its non-inclusion--and Irem's arcade versions of Lode Runner, which are pretty much the best iterations of that franchise), but maybe if it gets enough support they'll include those next time.

[Gamevet]

Unless someone bought the rights to these games from the defunct Irem, this compilation is no more legit than playing them through emulation.

[Edmond Dantes]

I think the license was bought while Irem was still around.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Unless someone bought the rights to these games from the defunct Irem, this compilation is no more legit than playing them through emulation.

DotEmu does not fuck around when it comes to their games. These are legit.

http://www.irem.co.jp/

For a company that's defunct, they sure still release games all the time.

[Leo_A]

DotEmu does not fuck around when it comes to their games. These are legit.

http://www.irem.co.jp/

For a company that's defunct, they sure still release games all the time.

Irem's appeared to have been going under all this year. They've cancelled projects that were in an advanced stage, pulled much or all of their library of titles off PSN, etc.

I don't think many are optimistic that Irem will still be around a year from now, if they haven't closed their doors already.

[Edmond Dantes]

It makes me sad that I never really discovered Irem (or shmups) until earlier this year. Why do I always discover good things after they die...

Nevertheless, they had a long and illustrious history, and their games will be remembered. I, for one, will do my best to raise awareness of X-Multiply