7 hours ago
‘Irem Collection Vol. 3' Review: Totally Worth It For ‘Mr. Heli'
'Mr. Heli' is a classic shmup that has been unavailable to play for a long time.
Having reviewed the first and second Irem Collection releases, the third is now here, and it finally includes the much-loved Mr. Heli.
Following the previous releases, this new collection contains Mr. Heli, Mystic Riders, and the weirdly compelling Dragon Breed.
Starting with Mystic Riders, this is a fairly straightforward side-scrolling shmup where you ride around on a broom, firing magic and using the broom for other attacks.
It was a decent shmup for its time and a lot more colorful and even cheerful compared to other Irem releases from the period.
As for Dragon Breed, it has a similar element to X Multiply's tentacles that can shield the player. In this instance, it's the dragon Bahamoot that can be used to coil around its rider, Kayus, to protect him from attacks.
'Mystic Riders' is a bright and colorful, magically themed shmup.
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Dragon Breed also has a similar art style to X-Multiply and definitely stands out as one of the more fantastical-looking Irem shmups.
Then there is the beloved Mr. Heli.
It's been a long time since we've had a home version of this arcade classic. I think the last time we saw Mr. Heli in any kind of Irem-related collection was back in 2011 for the Irem Arcade Hits release from DotEmu.
In any case, its premise is fascinating, as Mr. Heli has you somewhat explore levels and mine for jewels that then unlock upgrades for your weapons.
The pacing and feel of the game is unlike most common shmups and feels more exploratory in nature.
The game starts off suitably cheerful, but gets more involved and bleaker later on. The art style is still very vibrant, and the gameplay is really unlike anything else.
While many, myself included, rate the 1987 release of the original R-Type as being a definitive and excellent shmup, I feel that Mr. Heli, also released in the same year, often gets overlooked despite its inherent excellence.
'Dragon Breed' shares elements with 'X Multiply', as the titular dragon can shield its rider.
Mr. Heli is also a really big game. Stages are split into sections with mini bosses and tunnelling levels with some quite tricky enemies. Each stage is also wildly different from the last and do become insanely challenging later on.
To be honest, this collection is worth getting purely for Mr. Heli alone. It's an amazing and unique shmup and one that hasn't been readily available for over a decade.
The other bonus is that this collection also includes the PC Engine version of Mr. Heli, which is not only a more humane game in terms of difficulty but is also a very good port.
Much like the original PC Engine version of R-Type, it seems that this era of Irem's games lent itself very well to the PC Engine system.
As for the other goodies in this collection, each game has a handy rewind function, as well as cheats and all manner of screen filters.
Overall, this is yet another great Irem Collection, and much like the first and second releases, this third instalment is excellent. However, its star attraction is the adorable Mr. Heli, which is still just as fun to play as when I played it in the arcades as a kid.
Irem Collection Vol. 3
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S
Developer: ININ Games
Publisher: ININ Games
Released: 1st July 2025
Price: $24.99
Score: 8/10
Disclosure: ININ Games sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review.
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