Iridion 3D - Reception

Reception

Despite praise for its graphics and sound, Iridion 3D was received poorly by critics; the game received 53% and 57% ratings on review aggregate web sites Metacritic and Game Rankings, respectively.

The graphics were almost universally praised. Andrew Bub of GameSpy asserted that Nintendo should have used Iridion to advertise the Game Boy Advance, as it took full advantage of the system's power. A year after its release, TechTV's Miguel Concepcion argued it was still the best-looking game for the system. Miguel Lopez of GameSpot lauded the graphics, writing that "while it's ultimately all smoke and mirrors, Iridion's world is richly detailed, has remarkable depth, and is unbelievably fluid. It's often hard to tell if the game's backgrounds are composed of streaming full motion video or just some really fancy math-powered 2D bitmaps."

In contrast to praise for Iridion's graphics, its actual gameplay was generally panned. IGN's Craig Harris wrote that "Shin'en's shooter for the Game Boy Advance will impress with all its effects, but that's about it." He noted that the player is limited to shooting and dodging, making gameplay repetitive. Harris and Concepcion complained that on a small screen distances are hard to judge; the player's ship is hit by bullets that appear to be in the distance. Bub and Game Informer's Jay Fitzloff criticized the craft placement, as the player's view was often obscured by their own ship. Lopez also gave Iridion low marks, warning that "after the initial 'wow' wears off, you'll be stuck with an empty experience." Edge observed that Iridion is "a sweet number that will entertain, if only for a week or so". Allgame's Skyler Miller said Iridion 3D was nothing more than a technology demo and awarded it two out of five stars. A more positive review came from GamePro, whose reviewer summed up his experience by writing that "if you're looking for some classic shooter action on your new GBA, Iridion 3D will fit the bill nicely without blowing you away."

Positive comments were usually directed at sound; WiredLounge.com said that "The soundtrack is an instant classic, maybe even one of the best shooter scores ever." Concepcion noted that the game's mood-fitting "high energy techno" was an oddity coming from a German game company. Despite poor reviews, Shin'en's Manfred Linzner felt that Iridion 3D was the best game for the Game Boy Advance without licensed characters.