Ikaruga Review (XBLA) ... 9.5 out of 10
May 14, 2008 ... Review by Mike
Ikaruga is the kind of game that will divide the gaming crowd into two different categories ... those who can have fun with this game even though it is incredibly hard ... or those who think it sucks because it is incredibly hard. So the thing that we can all agree on ... this game is incredibly hard. However ... for me ... that doesn’t stop me from enjoying everything about this game.
Ikaruga is a “twitch” space shooter made by Treasure and has a gimmick where you can absorb bullets that are the same color of your ship. This aspect of the game is also the key as you have to “flip” the color your ship (either blue/white or red/black) in order to be successful in this game at all (right Derek?). Flipping is preformed by the press of a button and seems simple enough ... but this game throws a HELL of a lot of bullets at you.
There are 5 stages in this game ... with each one being about 5-10 minutes long with a terrific boss fight at the end. The stages are well designed and each have their own little “theme” that you will get used to after you play them a few times. The boss fights are the best part of this game ... and they make you have lightning fast reflexes as well as a problem solving brain-thing. This game is finely tuned to the 10th degree and it makes for a extremely fun and rewarding game experience. You beat this game ... you feel like you’ve accomplished something (Achievement Unlocked Be-otch)
Unfortunately ... just like in the previous versions of the game ... the multiplayer is pretty worthless. This is because the ships will get into each other's way and it makes a challenging game nearly impossible. Throw in any lag while playing online and it is unplayable. The good news is that the game has so much going on that the multiplayer isn't really missed by this dude. The graphics still look as good today as they did back when this game originally came out on Dreamcast in 2002 ... well better ... since they are in HD. The musical score of this game is also particularly good ... as it seems like part of the game rather than just background music.
Overall ... this game is BEYOND worth it for the $10 you’re paying for it on XBLA. I remember looking for the Gamecube version and not being able to find it for under $50 ... and then almost buying it. Luckily I heard this verison was coming like a week later and I had been chomping at the bit ever since. Ikaruga is one of the best and most challenging shooters ever made ... and anyone who is interested in the genre should not pass up this game for this price. It is AMAZING ... nuff said.
Ikaruga At A Glance |
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9.5 |
The Good |
Prefect controls. Flipping the ship adds to the tried and true formula. Level and Boss Design incredible. |
The Bad |
Very Hard. Like ... impossibly Hard. |
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Grand |
The Verdict |
Shooter Fans rejoice ... and buy this game immediately. $10 for the best best version of the game ever released. |
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