| Iron Soldier 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Eclipse Software Design |
| Publisher(s) | Telegames |
| Producer(s) | John Skruch Sean Patten Tal Funke-Bilu Ted Tahquechi |
| Programmer(s) | Marc Rosocha Michael Bittner |
| Artist(s) | András Kavalecz Bleick Bleicken Daniel Hericks |
| Composer(s) | Joachim Gierveld Mario Knezović |
| Series | Iron Soldier |
| Platform(s) | Atari Jaguar CD Atari Jaguar |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Mech simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Iron Soldier 2 is a 1997 mech simulation video game developed by Eclipse Software Design and published by Telegames for the Atari Jaguar CD and Atari Jaguar. It is the second entry in the Iron Soldier series. Set after the first game, the player takes part in an elite defense force piloting a robot to protect the United Republic and stop PENTA, a rival to the Iron Fist Corporation seeking to occupy its former territory. The player is tasked with various objectives while fighting enemies in multiple missions.
Following the release of Iron Soldier, Atari sought out developers to make killer apps for Jaguar CD and requested a sequel to the game. Eclipse made Iron Soldier 2 as a cartridge-sized game to fit into the Jaguar's memory and avoid loading times. The team applied large-scale texture mapping by exploiting the Jaguar's color palette memory without losing performance. In 1996, Atari merged with JTS and production of the Jaguar ceased, resulting in the game not being released despite being finished until it was eventually picked up by Telegames.
Iron Soldier 2 received generally favorable reception from critics, with praise for the improved graphics and techno soundtrack. Some critics felt that the gameplay was more evolutionary and did not offer enough to be a sequel, while most highlighted the increased difficulty and criticism was directed at the repetitive objectives and lack of additional missions. It was followed by Iron Soldier 3 (2000). Retrospective commentary in the years following its release have hailed it as one of the best titles for the Jaguar.