Although advertised as a 3D game, Iridion 3D uses solely 2D graphics for texture scrolling and sprites which depict explosions and enemies. The developers created the illusion of 3D by looping background textures—a graphically intensive technique for the Game Boy Advance. Graphical objects shrink or enlarge to depict position relative to the player. Level environments feature changes such as progression from day to night. Kitchen, Majesco's vice president of handhelds, wrote that "by pushing the graphics hardware of the Game Boy Advance to its technical limits, Iridion 3D provides a truly realistic 3D gaming experience." He hoped that players would be impressed by the capabilities of a game on a portable system. Linzer composed Iridion 3Ds music. Some of the music had been started before programming of the game itself. The game was Shin'en's first product to utilize the GAX Sound Engine, which allowed real-time decoding of song data in an extremely small file size; this allowed more space on the cartridge to be used for graphics. The soundtrack was released as part of an arranged collection on compact disc in 2003 and digitally in 2010. By March 2001, the GBA version of Iridion was shown in workable form. IGN saw early screens and declared that Iridion was "aiming to set the standard" of what Game Boy Advance shooters should be, pushing the platform to its limits and producing the most stunning game seen at the time for the handheld system. GameSpots Ben Stahl noted the excellent graphics and high frame rate, ending with, "At this point, Iridion 3D looks like it could be a great game for fans of the genre." The game was one of 17 titles that launched alongside the Advance. Reception Iridion 3D received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Among the launch titles for the Game Boy Advance, Iridion was often considered one of the weaker offerings. Despite the weak reviews, Linzner maintained that Iridion 3D was the best game for the Game Boy Advance without licensed characters. Iridion 3Ds graphics were often praised; reviews from The Washington Post, Popular Science, and GameSpy considered Iridion 3D a standout game for the Game Boy Advance and a showcase for the system's graphic performance. A year after its release, Extended Plays Miguel Concepcion argued that Iridion remained the best-looking game for the system. Miguel Lopez of GameSpot lauded the graphics, writing that "while it's