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The Miracle with Massive Gameplay

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 84 / 88
Date: March 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you'd have told me a year ago that Treasure's Ikaruga, the unofficial sequel to Radiant Silvergun, Grand Opera Master of Shooters, would make it to the States on Nintendo's Gamecube, I'd have called 1-800-LOONEYBIN personally and asked them to take you away quickly and quietly. This kind of thing just isn't supposed to happen these days, right? And least of all on the Gamecube - the seeming last place for a 2D Japanese old-school shooter.

But here it is - it's a small miracle that it's happened at all.

Treasure's opus Radiant Silvergun was released for the Sega Saturn in Japan only, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters ever created. Ikaruga was released for the Japanese Dreamcast last year (a miracle in itself whose authenticity was the matter of message-board debate for months before it finally happened). Rumors then started about a Playstation 2 and/or Xbox port. But to have it finally arrive not only for Nintendo's Gamecube, but also to be released domestically, is quite an event.

Especially when you consider that the game itself is practically as legendary as its predecessor.

Ikaruga uses a color-swapping mechanic very similar to Treasure's PSX game Silhouette Mirage. Your ship can change color from black to white with the press of a button. There are a couple reasons for this. All enemies in the game - from swarms of drones to massive multi-form bosses - are black or white as well. Like any good shooter, they flood the screen with bullets, which are also black or white. If your ship is white and is hit by a black bullet, you're dead. However, if your ship is white and is hit by a white bullet, your ship absorbs the energy, and your super weapon is charged. Also, when white, your ship fires its own white bullets, which do double damage to black-colored enemies. (The opposite goes if you have a black ship).

It may sound a little complicated, but the rules of the Ikaruga universe will quickly become ingrained in your head - mostly because it's an exceedingly difficult game which you'll need to play many times in order to finish. Add to this the fact that you get a score multiplier for each same-colored enemy you destroy in a row - most of the enemy craft approach in formation that allow the skilled player to ring up impressive chains of consecutive kills.

Non-shooter fans who want to give Ikaruga a try are in for one of the steepest challenges in modern gaming. The game may only be a handful of stages long, but shooters have always been designed for replay value rather than length. Extra continues are unlocked as you progress, but it will still take many hours of gameplay to clear Ikaruga on a single credit (generally considered the ultimate goal in shooters). Those who have played shooters in the past are also in for a unique challenge, because you'll have to learn to let bullets hit you, for one. But the payoffs are more than worth it: Ikaruga can give you quite a rush as you dance through the almost puzzle-like levels, avoiding and absorbing fire, and knocking down 40-hit chains. This kind of old-school rush has almost vanished from gaming nowadays, and Ikaruga is one of the most demanding yet rewarding games you could ask for. Beating your high score has become a largely ignored technique these days, but that's the entire focus here. You'll get quite a feeling of accomplishment, because you'll have to earn it.

Supporting the amazing gameplay are some pretty impressive visuals. Ikaruga was developed for the Dreamcast-based NAOMI arcade board, so it may be a little behind the times, but for a shooter, the graphics are marvelous. Enemy designs are inspired (although many resemble craft from Radiant Silvergun), and explosions are beautiful. A stirring orchestral soundtrack and perfect sound effects sweeten the audio, and the control is as pinpoint accurate as you could want. Ikaruga is an extremely impressive technical achievement.

Ikaruga seems almost out of place on a Nintendo console, but better that than nothing at all. And who knows - maybe this is the start of a new trend of Japanese shooters crossing the ocean. Gradius V and R-Type Final are in development, and will probably make it to the US as well. Shooters are rare enough as it is these days, and it's even rarer for one as innovative and excellent as Ikaruga to come along. Kudos to Nintendo for having the guts to release it on their system, and major thumbs-up to Infogrames for picking it up for the US.

Highly recommended - an absolute must-buy for shooter fans, and anyone else up for a serious challenge should definitely give it a try.

Fun Old School Challenge

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: April 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I really had no clue as to what Ikaruga was until recently.

I instantly fell in love with this game.

Granted, the graphics are not quite modern day, as this game is a Dreamcast port, but they certainly hold their own.

This game is a vertical shooter with massive bosses and insurmountable baddies filling your screen at one time.

This game will test your reflexes like none other! Which brings me to the best part of the game - the sheer challenge. Most games of today are beautiful, large, and quite simple to play. Ikaruga is the anti-friendly game. True, its easy to pick up, but not easy to master, and this makes the game very replayable.

The only gripe I have is that the game is relatively short.

But no matter, my friends will be crying trying to match my hire scores!

Hahah...oh and one last thing - the music is great.

Old School Fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: April 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is one of the most artistic, invigorating, and just plain addictive games to be ported to a next gen console.

Ikaruga is simply an old fashioned designed shooter where hundreds of bullets and enemies fill your screen at one time. The twist is that you can absorb the bullets of the same color that your ship happens to be.

The levels are pretty short, and there are not too many to begin with (five total). However, they are not a walk in the park! Most games today are expansive, beautiful, filled with depth, but ultimately too easy. Ikaruga is the opposite of most of today's games. Yes, the graphics are outstanding considering its a Dreamcast port, but at the same time, they are not spectacular.

So why, do you ask, do I come back for more? Why did I buy this game? The sheer challenge keeps me coming back for more! Each level brings about a new challenge, and the boss fights are memorable ones at that - only the first boss will go down without much of a fret. The unique thing is that you can actually beat a level without destroying the boss, but you will not get the tremendous points bonus if you avoid doing so.

Despite the wonderful challenge and gameplay, Ikaruga is not for everyone. Most probably expect a grand, sprawling story within their games, but you wont find one here. The frenetic, fast paced levels are not for everyone. The game will test your reflexes like none other..., so I would advise having extra controllers on hand for the ones you damage...

The absolute thrill of the high score system and bragging to your friends is worth it.

Lastly, the music alone is captivating and hardly ever becomes monotonous despite how many times you'll be playing each level over and over again. The music expertly captures the feeling of each moment in the game.

Buy this game if you are interested in a steep challenge and replayability over a twenty hour game that is hard to pick up once you beat it.

in gamespot's lovely words

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: April 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Though I'm still waiting for mine to arrive by mail, but I'll help by quoting Tyler Winegarner/Associate Producer, GameSpot Live :

"Try to recall, if you will, one of your most treasured childhood memories. The more distant you grow from that day, the more precious and wonderful that memory becomes in your mind. Those who have been dedicated fans of scrolling shooters may find an experience in Ikaruga similar to that of savoring a past memory. It wraps up the experiences had in so many other shooters before it but presents itself in such an elegant, such a pure and joyful manner that it truly becomes greater than the sum of its parts."

This is the greatest traditional shooter I've ever played.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: April 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Ikaruga is one of those very rare action games, that despite it's insane difficulty, absolutely never frustrates you. The game is always fair, and as you play you constantly improve and feel better about your performance. There are five levels, and I can only get to the middle of level three after playing the game for about 9 hours. It's so well designed you will find yourself playing for high scores... something you probably haven't done since Pac-Man or Asteroids. If you have ever enjoyed a traditional shooter (like R-Type, Gradius, or Einhander) then you will most likely love this game and play it for months and months. And when you finally stop playing the game for thirty minutes every day, six months to a year from now, still unable to beat level four you will wish the game no ill will.... amazing.

WOW! Finally a reason to own a Gamecube!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: April 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I've owned a Gamecube for over a year now, and even though I get easily bored or stuck on a certain game, I'm always out there looking for the next "cool" game.

For a while though, I didn't think Nintendo was ever going to make a cool game for their Gamecube system. So far the only games that were fun to play were EA sports games.

Then, came Ikaruga. I've only been playing this game for a couple of days (since I just received it this week and I hadn't had a chance to play it), but wow! What a sweet game. If you're longing for the old-school style of play reminiscent of the old Galaga and Galaxian games, then this one's for you.

Nevermind that the graphics are out of this world, and the sound is unbelievable, but the gameplay itself is completely worth the $.... The gameplay is simple and straightforward, which makes playing the game, not trying to figure out how to play the game, the focus of your actions.

The replayability of the game isn't great (5 worlds, 18 levels), but that's not the point. The point is challenging your friends to beat your high score, or trying to finish a level without continuing, just like the way it used to be. I highly suggest you go out and get this game. The price is totally worth it, and if you want a "new" style of game to play with or share with your kids, this is the one.

Radiant Silvergun 2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Top-down and side-scrolling shooters are an acquired taste. They don't rely on complex stories, variety of gameplay, or complex controls. They give you pretty much one kind of gameplay (destroy everything and don't die) and stick with it. But when you stop and think about it, these games are really gameplay in its purest form. Like breakout, light cycles, or tetris, they're a game of reflexes. One false move and you're dead. Or as a friend of mine said while watching me play Ikaruga through a level litterally swarming with blue and red firepower, "How are you doing this without dying?!?"

Ikaruga is a long-awaited game. It's a Treasure game, and they don't make a lot of games. And when they do, they usually have a limited release. Their gamous Saturn import Radiant Silvergun was long considered the greatest shooter ever made by many. Ikaruga is a sequel of sorts to that game. How does it stack up?

A friend of mine who plays shooters like there's no tomorrow told me after zillions of play hours on Ikaruga that he had played Radiant Silvergun and in his opinion Ikaruga absolutely demolishes it. Now whether or not this is true I don't know. What I do know is that Ikaruga is one heck of a game. This same friend told me that in his opinion Ikaruga is the hardest shooter he has ever played.

Ikaruga is a short game, having only five levels. But the levels are pure genius. Just trying not to die will undoubtedly be an exercise in futility for you the first few times you play this game. But as you figure out the patterns of enemies, and memorize the dangers...you start to see the enemies before they appear (dodge bullets before they are fired if you will). And that, my friends, is a great feeling. You keep coming back for more, because every time you play you get better. And just in case you start to get cocky about not dying, there's always the combo system (what, you never tried to rack up combos?!?). Every time you destroy three enemies of the same color, you get a combo bonus, keep doing this and the combo bonus will get higher and higher till it reaches maximum. Of course if you destroy an enemy out of sequence the bonus is lost. Trying to do this while everyone is trying to kill you is difficult to say the least.

Notice I haven't touches on the way the game looks or sounds yet? I'm saving the best for last. The orchestrated music in this game is perhaps the best in any modern shooter. Not since Thunder Force, Raiden, and Gradius have I heard such cool music in a shooter. And the sound effects? I've never heard a more satisfying crunch when enemies explode. I have never heard a cooler menu confirmation sound. And the sound bosses make when they explode....

Speaking of bosses exploding, this game has possibly the nicest graphics of any shooter ever. Everyone who says the graphics are lousy is clearly either blind or playing this game on a bad television. I actually bought a new TV when I got this game and was amazed by how good it looked (imagine that, a game that requires upgrading your television to experience its full majesty). The glow effects on enemies are gorgeous. And when the bosses explode the whole screen is filled with an explosion that so bright and beautiful that mere words fail to describe it.

As I said before, this game is short, and this game is hard. But it has TONS of replay value (especially if you're going to play it in two player mode). If you love shooters, BUY IT NOW! If you love great games, BUY IT NOW! If you're just got some money to spend on a game....you guessed it. BUY IT NOW!

Ikaruga=Aesthetic Experience!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: April 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is an "old-school" style space shooter. It also has some of the most elegant and beautiful gameplay I've ever seen. The graphics and sound are very good, but the gameplay is really what makes this stand out.

Before buying it, I heard this game spoken of as the "thinking man's" shooter. Some have compared the subtle strategic aspects of the game to chess or go. If you're interested in seeing what one of the best and most addictive games ever plays like, I'd suggest buying this. BTW, its HARD.

I am hopelessly addicted

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 14
Date: May 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Let me start off by saying that I've never been a fan of the overhead space shooter genre. However, I have been a fan of games developed by Treasure, such as Silhouette Mirage or Bangai-O. With Treasure's reputation in mind and the somewhat lower price mark influencing my decision as well, I decided to pick up Ikaruga somewhat on a whim.

I have become hopelessly addicted. My view of life around me for the past two weeks has been that everything not pertaining to my Gamecube is simply a hindrance to my Ikaruga game playing time. Even now, I feel that I am sacrificing my Ikaruga time by writing this review.

Ikaruga's gameplay has an interesting gimmick based on color and polarity. There are two different colors of laser fire in this game, each of which correspond to a certain polarity: white and black. You can change the polarity, or color, of your ship at any time during game play between white and black by pressing the A button. When your ship is white, you can absorb white shots. When your ship is black, you can absorb black shots. If a shot of the opposite color/polarity hits you, then you die. You'll oftentimes find yourself navigating a sea of white and black fire, constantly having to switch back and forth while destroying enemies around you in order to maintain your life.

Ikaruga is one of the hardest games that I've played in a long while, but also one of the most rewarding. There are only five stages; an experienced gamer could probably beat the game in about 20 minutes. However, you will not be that good at the game until you know each level like the back of your hand. Expect to invest several hours to claim even the mildest degree of mastery over a given level (e.g. getting through the level). However, this game was certainly developed with replay value in mind, even after playing the same levels over and over, hour upon hour, they never get old.

By continuously playing the game, you begin to notice patterns in the enemy fire, or when, where, and how many enemies appear on-screen at any given time. At that point you form strategies, you begin to see visual patterns in enemy fire and you begin to see easy ways to dodge it, and you find ways to kill each enemy more efficiently while expending less lives. You notice your own skill increase each time you play, and there are few things more rewarding than slowly getting better at, and eventually defeating, such a game as Ikaruga.

Graphically, the combination of the black and white fire along with tons of on-screen enemies creates a presense that is as visually mesmerizing as it is visually overwhelming. The music and controls are simple and effective; it's clear that Treasure spent a lot of time, care, and planning into this game.

Get this game while you can. Treasure developed software is notorious for having limited appeal, and thus, limited releases.

Get This Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 7
Date: May 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is one of the best games for gamecube ever made!I recommend that if you get a gamecube GET THIS GAME!First of all,the gameplay is like graidus or raiden, an over head flying game. Theres only one difference-the game play is ten times better!This is not one of those games that you get a bunch of weapons, it stayes simple but its still good.You have polaritys to switch between.In english:black bullets kill white ships faster, and visa versa.when you absorb their bullits (by being the same color), you charge up to release energy in homing lasers. But enough about the game(which is, by the way, EXTREMILY hard),the garphics are the best out of any arcad game you can find!The backround is in 3D, and it is always moving.Its like your really flying a plane.The explosions are spactacular!When you destory bosses, they fall apart, then explode.The explosions fill up the whole screen with pies of the boss!My personal faviorite is the second boss, when his arm cannons fall off, and then finally he explodes!If you have no idea what im talking about GET THIS GAME!PS, you can post your high scores online!

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