Irem Collection Volume 2 Limited Edition (Nintendo Switch)

The team that would go on to create Metal Slug cut their teeth right here, and we finally get to hold that history in our hands. The Irem Collection Volume 2 Limited Edition for Nintendo Switch bundles GunForce, GunForce II, and Air Duel into one individually numbered physical release from Strictly Limited Games, capped at just 4,000 copies worldwide. This is the only physical edition available outside of Japan.

GunForce is where the run 'n' gun formula that would define an entire genre first took shape. You're parachuting into enemy territory, doing wheelies on motorbikes while blasting helicopters out of the sky, commandeering tanks and choppers. It's 90s arcade action distilled into its purest form. GunForce II, never before released on any home console anywhere in the world, refines everything about the original. More vehicles, better animations, a killer soundtrack, all built by the exact team that would later give us Metal Slug. The DNA is unmistakable. Air Duel rounds out the trio as another arcade exclusive that never left Japan, offering vertical shmup action with a choice between jet fighter and helicopter playstyles across seven brutal stages.

Three games, two of which have never seen a worldwide console release until now. That alone makes this collection significant for anyone who cares about preserving arcade history on their shelf. The included game manual and the Strictly Limited numbering add that extra layer of authenticity we look for. For collectors who track the lineage of legendary studios, this is the missing chapter that connects Irem's arcade brilliance to one of gaming's most beloved franchises.