For their first few years, Irem's output was average at best. If anything it could almost be considered poor: random invader clones and poorly produced action games disappeared amongst the numerous other titles of the day. It wouldn't be until the arrival of Moon Patrol (above) that the Irem name would make any mark of its own.
As Irem's only release of 1982, Moon Patrol made a huge mark for itself: it was a sharp, fun, and addictive side-on racing game, that involved guiding a small lunar buggy across a dangerous terrain, while avoiding and gunning down a variety of flying saucers that are flying above. It was an instant hit, that was rapidly picked up by US game company Williams for distribution stateside.
1983 also proved to be a fruitful year for Irem: 10-Yard Fight and Zippy Race became cult hits in Japan, and in 1984, Spartan X made sure that Irem's name would be on the map for good.
Released as 'Kung Fu Master' in the West, Spartan X was loosely based on the Jackie Chan film of the same name - and following a hugely successful run in the arcades, went on to become a massive worldwide hit on the Famicom, converted and distributed by none less than Nintendo themselves.
The success of Spartan X was rapidly followed by Irem's clever licensing of Broderbund's Lode Runner for arcade distribution. Now well off the mark, Irem swiftly moved into home console development, becoming one of the format's leading publishers, thanks in great part to the successful conversion of their 1985 hit Spelunker. Irem were building up to a massive crescendo: 1987 and 1988 would prove to be the company's golden years, where they would release no less than 5 masterpieces in a row.