/=============================================\
| Ikaruga FAQ/Walkthrough |
| For Arcade, Dreamcast, and GameCube |
| Written by Balken (rnacorp@yahoo.com) |
| Version 1.01, revised on 6/24/2003 (78.8KB) |
\=============================================/
===================================
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===================================
I K A R U G A
/=============================================================================\
|------------------------------[ I.) Game Info ]------------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
[Title] Ikaruga
[Genre] Shooting (Action)
[Players] One to Two Players
[Systems] SEGA Naomi (Arcade), SEGA Dreamcast, Nintendo GameCube
[Memory] 34 blocks (Dreamcast VMU), 4 blocks (GameCube Memory Card)
[Designer] Treasure
[Publisher(s)] Treasure (Arcade), ESP (Dreamcast), Infogrames (GameCube)
[Release Data] 12/20/2001 JP (Arcade); 9/5/2002 JP (Dreamcast);
1/16/2003 JP, 4/16/2003 NA, 5/23/2003 EU (GameCube)
/=============================================================================\
|---------------------------[ II.) Copyright Info ]---------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
Ikaruga is copyright (c) 2001, 2003 Treasure, All Rights Reserved. This
document is copyright (c) 2003 Balken (Max Contreras). This document may not be
sold or included within any magazine, CD, or any sort of product of monetary
value. You may not rewrite, redistribute, or reproduce this document in any way
or form. You may freely print out a copy of this document for future reference.
Do use any information from this guide without giving proper credit. Do not
link to this document, but rather to GameFAQs or the main page of the domain
in which this is viewed on. This document may >>ONLY<< be viewed on the sites
listed below. Do not use this guide on your website without first asking
permission. Please report any offenders of the above to rnacorp@yahoo.com.
SITES AUTHORIZED TO USE THIS GUIDE
-----------------------------------
GameFAQs - http://www.gamefaqs.com (first website of publication)
NeoSeeker - http://www.neoseeker.com
My Website - http://www.geocities.com/rnacorp
/=============================================================================\
|-------------------------[ III.) Table of Contents ]-------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
I.) Game Info
II.) Copyright Info
III.) Table of Contents
IV.) Revision History
V.) Introduction
VI.) How to Play
i.) Gameplay Basics
ii.) Scoring and Chaining
iii.) Tactics
iv.) Game Modes
1.) Game Types
2.) Difficulties
VII.) Story
i.) Storyline
ii.) Characters
iii.) Stages
iv.) Enemies
1.) Hitekkai
2.) Butsutekkai
VIII.) Strategy
i.) Chapter : 01 [Ideal]
1.) Stage 1-1
2.) Stage 1-2
3.) Stage 1-3
4.) Stage 1-4
5.) Stage 1-5
ii.) Chapter : 02 [Trial]
1.) Stage 2-1
2.) Stage 2-2
3.) Stage 2-3
iii.) Chapter : 03 [Faith]
1.) Stage 3-1
2.) Stage 3-2
3.) Stage 3-3
iv.) Chapter : 04 [Reality]
1.) Stage 4-1
2.) Stage 4-2
3.) Stage 4-3
4.) Stage 4-4
v.) Final Chapter [Metempsychosis]
1.) Stage 5-1
2.) Stage 5-2
3.) Stage 5-3
IX.) Secrets
X.) Frequently Asked Questions
XI.) Miscellaneous
i.) Menus
ii.) Game Texts
1.) In-Game Text
2.) Chapter Titles
iii.) Sound Collection
1.) Soundtrack Listing
2.) Vocoder Translation
XII.) Credits
/=============================================================================\
|--------------------------[ IV.) Revision History ]--------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
Version 1.01 (6/24/2003)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Added some strategies for stages 1-4 and 1-5, and started on Chapter 02.
Still unfinished.
* Did a lot of formatting to the guide so that it displays correctly on
smaller monitors and is also printable.
* Redid many sections.
* Added some minor info such as release dates for the other GameCube versions,
a few more questions for the FAQ, some more in-game texts, etc..
* Fixed a few spelling and grammatical errors, rewrote a few parts, and
rearranged some sections.
* Tidied up the Ikaruga ASCII art.
* Still need: Any translations (especially of the Gallery 2/Sound Test screens
from the DC version) would be GREATLY appreciated. Any strategies would be
appreciated as well. Any clarifications on the story would help, too.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 1.0 (5/5/2003)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* First release of this guide.
* Strategies for Chapters 02 through 05 will be covered over the next
releases.
* Currently need: Fast-timed boss strategies, strategies for stage 1-4 and
Chapter 02, Easy/Hard mode strategies, and anything else that can be covered
in-depth. Also, if someone can make sense of what is being said in the last
lines at the end of the final boss fight (including the robot voice).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/=============================================================================\
|-----------------------------[ V.) Introduction ]----------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
Shooter fans, rejoice! Treasure, known for their awesome platformers and
shooters such as Gunstar Heroes, Bangai-O, and most of all, the godlike Radiant
Silvergun, have come again to release another awesome vertical shooter by the
title "Ikaruga"! Those whom have played Radiant Silvergun will notice several
references to it, as Ikaruga is sort a "spiritual sequel" to RS and is based
somewhat on Silhouette Mirage's system.
Ikaruga, while short, is an addictive and challenging masterpiece of
gaming that greatly encourages the player to improve their skill and come back
for more and more... and more and more and more! The game requires a lot
of memorization, as each of the five chapters will throw insane attack patterns
to try to dispose of your fighter. The beautiful graphics, dynamic soundtrack,
and addictive gameplay are sure to please any shooter fan, and the game offers
infinite replay with its innovative chaining system and endless amount of
strategy.
If you have the GameCube version, show the world your best with the new
Challenge mode that pits the gamer through all five chapters with only one coin
and gives them a password they can enter into the world NetRankings! Be
aggressive to become number one!
The goal of my guide is to simply be a collection of information about
the game, and to provide strategies to help YOU, the player, achieve a higher
score. My guide will mainly cover Normal mode, but when I finally cover all of
it, I may eventually tackle the other difficulties and modes as well. Some of
the strategies within this guide may even work for the other difficulties, too.
If you have something you would like to contribute, please do so by sending it
to rnacorp@yahoo.com (just make it clear that it's related to Ikaruga). I'll be
sure to give you credit where it is due!
With all of that out of the way, let's get started!
/=============================================================================\
|-----------------------------[ VI.) How to Play ]----------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
.=====================.
| i.) Gameplay Basics |
'====================='
*NOTE: You can learn how to play Ikaruga anytime in-game by selecting
"TUTORIAL" from the main menu.
Ikaruga is played with a joystick and two buttons (three if you're
playing a console version): Fire, Change Polarity, and Energy Release. The
controls are set up as below, and can be adjusted on the console versions:
JOYSTICK/DIRECTIONAL PAD/ANALOG STICK = Moves your ship in its respective
directions. If playing in Vertical 2 mode, the controls are rearranged to
play like a horizontal shooter. The analog stick can only be used in the
GameCube versions of Ikaruga.
BUTTON 1 = Fires the Ikaruga's machinegun. Holding onto Fire will shoot a
continuous dual stream of bullets, while tapping Fire will shoot a single
bullet per tap.
BUTTON 2 = Changes polarity. In Ikaruga, your ship has two forms: black and
white. How this plays into the game is explained below.
BUTTON 3 (BUTTON 1 + BUTTON 2 if arcade) = Executes an Energy Release attack.
Depending on how much energy is stored within the energy bar, several energy
homing missiles will fire out and cause incredible damage toward enemies
on-screen. This powerful attack can even go through obstructions.
The Ikaruga comes in two forms: black and white. By pressing Change
Polarity, the Ikaruga switches between the two forms. Enemies come in forms
of black and white as well. If your ship is white and you attack an enemy
ship that is black (a ship that is of opposite polarity), the damage will be
doubled. The same applies vice-versa. Enemies shoot bullets of their own
polarity, and in Normal/Hard difficulty, if an enemy of the same polarity is
destroyed, they will fire back several suicide bullets. If your ship touches
any bullet of opposite polarity, or crashes into an obstruction (ship or
wall), you will lose a life. The game ends when all lives are lost, but you
are given the chance to continue should you have any remaining credits.
By absorbing bullets, the Ikaruga stores them in its Energy Release
Gauge. The gauge has twelve levels, and for each level, an energy homing
missile is fired when an Energy Release attack is executed. You can only fire
up to a maximum of twelve energy homing missiles, even in Prototype mode. If an
Energy Release attack is executed, all available energy levels (except for the
levels that aren't completely full) are depleted.
.===========================.
| ii.) Scoring and Chaining |
'==========================='
You are given points if you:
* Absorb a bullet.
* Hit an enemy with a bullet.
* Destroy three ships in a row of the same polarity. (Chaining)
* Destroy a boss under the time allotted.
* Beating the game with any number of lives remaining.
For every bullet that is absorbed, 100 points is added to the score.
While you don't get an actual point bonus for destroying ships, you are given
20 points just for hitting them with a bullet. Hitting enemies that are of
opposite polarity as your ship will give twice as many points, and even do
twice as much damage. Though, you'll get the same amount of points either way,
since it takes twice as slow to destroy ships of the same polarity.
At the end of each stage is a boss, and you are given 100 seconds to
defeat it. If all 100 seconds pass, the boss retreats, and you are not rewarded
a point bonus. Stages with multiple (timed) bosses are actually a special case,
in which the destroy times of all the minibosses are added up at the end of the
chapter and multiplied by 10,000. After defeating the final boss, the total
number of lives remaining is multiplied by 500,000, and is added to your score.
After defeating a boss, you are given a Battle Report which displays your
score for the chapter, your highest chain, the boss destroy bonus (the time it
took for you to defeat the boss * 10,000), and your rank for the stage. Ranks
go from Dot Eater! (which is only obtained if you did not fire a single
bullet/energy release throughout the whole stage), to C (lowest) through S++
(highest). Depending how well you did on the chapter (score-wise), you will
either get a C(+(+)), B(+(+)), A(+(+)), or an S(+(+)). From the required S++
score on stages, each rank goes down by 200,000 points.
Chaining is done by destroying three ships in a row of the same
polarity. Chaining is a vital part of Ikaruga. Each time this is done, a
"Chain" is added to a counter and you are given a point bonus. By scoring
consecutive chains, a higher bonus is added to your score. The chain bonus
resets if a chain is interrupted. For example, after scoring 119 consecutive
chains, the chain counter resets back to zero if a ship of another polarity is
destroyed during a chain (i.e.: Black, Black, White *reset to 0*). The point
bonuses for chaining doubles after each chain. The points given are listed
below:
1 CHAIN = 100 points
2 CHAIN = 200 points
3 CHAIN = 400 points
4 CHAIN = 800 points
5 CHAIN = 1600 points
6 CHAIN = 3200 points
7 CHAIN = 6400 points
8 CHAIN = 12800 points
MAX CHAIN = 25600 points
By scoring consecutive chains after MAX CHAIN, 25600 points are added to the
score per chain thereafter.
*NOTE: On the GameCube version, you can view your chain number by pressing
the Z trigger; a little counter will appear under the chain status bar. For
Dreamcast, if you have a VMU with a digital screen, your chain number will
appear on it. The highest chain number achieved will always appear at the end
of each chapter on the Battle Report.
.===============.
| iii.) Tactics |
'==============='
BULLET EATING
--------------
In Normal and Hard difficulty modes, the enemies fire several suicide
bullets when killed. By absorbing bullets, points are added to your score,
which is why absorbing lots of bullets is essential to achieving a higher
score. If you position your ship close to the enemy fighters as you destroy
them, you can absorb all of their suicide bullets, and even their regular fire
as well.
GRAZING
--------
The Ikaruga explodes if touched by a bullet of the opposite polarity.
However, the actual part of the Ikaruga that must be touched to explode is
smaller than the ship itself. You can graze through hailstorms of bullets
allowing them to touch your wings, just as long as one doesn't touch the
actual "cockpit" (center) of the ship. The hit area is so small, you can
actually squeeze in between the boxes of Chapter 02 without dying, even though
it may look fatal. By mastering grazing, you can get Dot Eater! ranks in all
chapters without dying, especially Chapter 02.
SINGLE BULLET FIRE
-------------------
By tapping fire, instead of firing a dual stream of bullets, you will
fire a single bullet. Firing single bullets is essential to score chains that
require higher accuracy. In some parts of the game, a lot of small ships will
fly into the same position at once. At the one point that they are all "bunched
up," you can destroy them all with a single bullet; just fire at them the
second they all seem to touch at once.
DOUBLE DAMAGE
--------------
By shooting enemies of the opposite polarity, you can actually cause
twice as much damage to them. Not only do you get twice as many points for it
(in a way, as it takes twice as slower to destroy ships of the same polarity,
giving an equal amount of points either way) but it is a faster way to destroy
enemies and even bosses. In Hard mode, you'll have to be careful, because
enemies of both polarities will fire suicide bullets when killed. Don't get
caught in a hailstorm of bullets of the opposite polarity!
ENERGY RELEASE USAGE
---------------------
The Energy Release is a powerful attack that requires some skill to use
well, and even more to incorporate it into chaining. While storing up energy
to the max may seem like a good idea, a good player knows how to repeatedly
release their energy and quickly regain it back. This technique can be paired
up with bullet eating, and can even be done from a distance. An example of wise
energy release usage would be if three ships of the same polarity as your ship
came on screen and started firing at you. Being of the same polarity, absorbing
all of their bullets and releasing the energy back at them would kill all three
ships, and even leave suicide bullets for you to use on the next three ships
that appear on screen.
.=================.
| iv.) Game Modes |
'================='
.----------------.
| 1.) Game Types |
'----------------'
*Only on the GameCube version.
NORMAL GAME
------------
A Normal Game is just a standard game of Ikaruga. You play through all
five chapters and the enemies fire back bullets depending on which difficulty
is selected.
TRIAL GAME
-----------
Like a Normal Game, but only the first two chapters are played. In
Chapter 01, the player has unlimited lives. Whether the enemies fire suicide
bullets still depends on the difficulty that is set. Also, a tutorial is shown
when a Trial Game is selected.
PROTOTYPE GAME
---------------
Prototype mode is unlocked after 20 hours of gameplay, or if you beat the
game on Normal difficulty with one coin. In Prototype mode, a bullet counter
replaces the Energy Release Gauge. For every bullet absorbed, one is added on
to the counter. For every bullet fired, a bullet is depleted from the counter
(2 bullets are lost if the Fire button is held). The bullet counter maxes out
at 999 bullets. Energy Release missiles cost 10 bullets each, costing up to a
total of 120 bullets for twelve missiles. If you have 120 bullets, you will
fire all twelve homing missiles no matter what. If you run out of bullets, the
Ikaruga can only fire in a very close range until it absorbs more bullets.
TWO-PLAYER GAME
----------------
If a second controller is plugged into the console, a second player may
play simultaneously with the first as the Ginkei fighter. Two-Player mode
becomes difficult however, as chaining becomes a more confusing ordeal and the
bosses hold more armor. Also, if the Ikaruga flies into the Ginkei, it only
pushes it aside instead of colliding.
PRACTICE MODE/*CONQUEST MODE
-----------------------------
Practice mode allows you to play unlocked chapters in any of the three
difficulties. To unlock a chapter, you must beat the game at least up to the
chapter you want unlocked with only one coin (i.e.: To unlock Chapter 03 on
Normal, you must at least beat Chapter 02 on Normal without continuing).
Conquest mode is only on the GameCube version, and splits the chapters into
small stages. Conquest mode basically allows the player to play any stage in
slow motion or normal speed, or let them view a video on how to beat a certain
stage. You can view different videos of the same stage by changing the video
mode. Unlocking stages in Conquest mode is similar to Practice mode, but
difficulty does not matter. By unlocking any chapter, all stages, regardless
if reached or not, are unlocked.
(NOTE: You cannot practice Prototype mode in Conquest.)
*CHALLENGE MODE
----------------
Challenge mode is basically a Normal Game or a Prototype Game (must be
unlocked) on Normal difficulty and with default settings (3 lives, Extend Type
2). You are not allowed any continues, and at the end of the game, whether you
run out of lives or complete it, you are given a password that you can enter on
the Ikaruga NetRanking (http://www.ikaruga-atari.net) depending on your score.
.------------------.
| 2.) Difficulties |
'------------------'
EASY MODE
----------
Enemy ships do not fire suicide bullets when destroyed.
NORMAL MODE
------------
Enemy ships of the same polarity fire suicide bullets when destroyed.
HARD MODE
----------
All enemy ships fire suicide bullets when destroyed. Enemy ships of the
opposite polarity fire slightly less suicide bullets than those of the same
polarity.
/=============================================================================\
|-------------------------------[ VII.) Story ]-------------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
.===============.
| i.) Storyline |
'==============='
Several years ago in the small island nation of Hourai, one of the most
powerful men of the nation, Hourai Tenrou, discovered the Ubusunagami Okinokai
- the Power of the Gods. This energy emanated from an object he dug up from
deep within the earth and gave him powers of unimaginable strength. Soon after,
Tenrou and his followers, who called themselves the "Divine Ones," began to
conquer other nations one by one. They considered themselves "The Chosen
People," and carried out their conquests in "the name of peace."
Meanwhile, a freedom federation called Tenkaku emerged to challenge the
Hourai. Using fighter planes called Hitekkai, they fought with the hope of
freeing the world from the Hourai's conquests -- but all their efforts were in
vain. They lost battle after battle and were eventually almost completely
eradicated. Miraculously, however, one young man survived. His name was Shinra.
Refusing to accept defeat, Shinra set off again for Hourai to wage
another battle. He was shot down and crashed into a remote village called
Ikaruga, inhabited by a group of aged people who had been sent into exile there
by Hourai's conquests.
Kazamori, the village leader, and the other inhabitants pulled Shinra
from the wreckage of his plane and nursed him back to health. Shinra regained
his strength and announced that he was determined to continue the battle
against Hourai. The villagers entrusted him with a fighter plane that they had
built themselves, called the Ikaruga.
.=================.
| ii.) Characters |
'================='
SHINRA
-------
The protagonist of the game that lives to never regret. As a member of a
resistance group called Tenkaku, he fought against the nation of Hourai. During
one battle, all of Tenkaku was whiped out by Hourai's forces, leaving Shinra
the only remaining Tenkaku member left. He was later shot down by Kagari during
another battle, but he managed to take her ship out as well. They both crash-
landed near the village of Ikaruga, where the village elder Kazamori nursed
them back to health. Determined to destroy Hourai's forces alone, he announced
to the village that he will never give up the fight. The villagers of Ikaruga
gave him their ship, also named the "Ikaruga", to help him in his fight.
KAGARI
-------
A Hourai assassin sent to kill Shinra. She also crash-landed near Ikaruga
during her battle with Shinra and was rescued by him. Due to her nobility, she
wanted to commit suicide because of her loss. However, through the many days
she lived in Ikaruga, she recovered from that state of mind. She then joined
Shinra in his fight against Hourai to see the freedom that he speaks of.
KAZAMORI
---------
When Hourai Tenrou claimed the Power of the Gods, he had exiled many of
the intellectuals living within Hourai. Kazamori was one of them. Kazamori went
on to become the leader of the village of Ikaruga.
AMANAI
-------
An engineering genius, he too was exiled from Hourai and went on to live
in Ikaruga. He was the man created the fighter plane known as the "Ikaruga,"
which is capable of firing and absorbing both positive and negative energies.
SHINKAI
-------
Although not much is known about him, he is another engineer that is
also the leader of Shinkai village. He helped Amanai with the creation of the
"Ikaruga."
HOURAI TENROU
--------------
The power-hungry villain of the game that rules the nation of Hourai.
After digging up the Ubusunagami Okinokai (the Power of the Gods, also known
as the Stone-Like), he went on to conquer many nations in Japan. All resistance
to Hourai was obliterated, except for one man...
THE IKARUGA FIGHTER PLANE (Shinra's Fighter) - Player 1
--------------------------------------------------------
The Ikaruga was designed by the former engineering genius Amanai, with
the help of Kazamori and the leader of Shinkai Village. It was kept in a secret
underground hiding place beneath the village and moved to the surface for
battle by means of a transportation device called the "Sword of Acala." It is
the first fighter built that integrates the two energy polarities, black and
white, and is capable of successfully switching between the two.
THE GINKEI FIGHTER PLANE (Kagari's Fighter) - Player 2
-------------------------------------------------------
Kagari -- once a Hourai assassin assigned to kill Shinra -- was
ultimately shot down and rescued by Shinra himself. After this twist of fate
Kagari joined Shinra in the fight against the Hourai. The Ginkei was originally
a Hourai fighter with excellent performance, however it presented problems in
mass production. As a result, only a few experimental models were made.
Kagari liked the design of the Ginkei fighter and once the Fighter Plane
Service Department decided to scrap this model, she was able to get her hands
on one. Then, after moving to the village of Ikaruga, she had Amanai upgrade
it to the same specifications as the Ikaruga fighter.
.=============.
| ii.) Stages |
'============='
Chapter : 01 [Ideal]
---------------------
Hourai, fearing Ikaruga whom rivaled the Butsutekkai of Asami in the test
flight, lays siege to the transfer equipment known as the "Sword of Acala".
Shinra and his fellows decide to sally forth and retaliate.
Chapter : 02 [Trial]
---------------------
The Country of Agi, which used to oppose Hourai, has been defeated and is
now under their control. Shinra and his fellows make a surprise attack on an
unfinished underground military installation in order to recapture the Country
of Agi.
Chapter : 03 [Faith]
---------------------
The military situation is very uncertain. Shinra and his fellows manage
to infiltrate the "Country of Hourai," so as to avoid perishing in an attrition
war. They reach the border and see a fortified artificial ravine.
Chapter : 04 [Reality]
-----------------------
Crossing the ravine, Shinra sees large troops lead by Military Commander
Kira, heading towards the gigantic and overpowering Butsutekkai "Misago."
Tennai comes to the strategy that they assault it in a fierce melee and
destroy the several weaknesses of the enemy.
Final Chapter [Metempsychosis]
-------------------------------
Perhaps Shinra himself is aware that his days are numbered. "I have never
accomplished anything properly. But this time, may God hear my prayer once and
for all." Shinra breaks into the underground mainstay of the Country of Hourai
and confronts Hourai Tenrou. Original words are repeated in vain. Meanwhile,
Shinra hears the voice of a spiritual being he encountered in his dreams.
Shinra exerts all his remaining strength to defeat Hourai and sees...
.===============.
| iii.) Enemies |
'==============='
This section gives a brief description of Ikaruga's enemy aircraft (also
known as "Hitekkai/Flying Iron Mass") and some of their attack patterns. All
enemies come in colors of black and white, just like the Ikaruga. Should you
touch bullets off the opposite polarity, you will lose a ship. The bosses at
the end of each stage are known as "Butsutekkai/Buddhist Iron Mass," and their
attack patterns are covered in the Strategy section. An interesting fact about
the enemies is that they are all named after different birds. Below each ship's
description is the number of suicide bullets they release when destroyed.
.--------------.
| 1.) HITEKKAI |
'--------------'
UTATSUGUMI
-----------
These small prawn-looking ships are hardly dangerous. Depending on the
gameplay mode, they only fly in one direction (or are even stationary) and
shoot a single bullet in your general direction. They are the first ships you
destroy in Chapter 01.
Releases 5 bullets.
TORATSUGUMI
------------
These small ships appear at the beginning of Chapter 01 after the four
waves of Utatsugumi. They are small little pod-like ships that usually show up
in large groups, and do not fire bullets at all.
Releases 5 bullets.
RENJAKU
--------
After blasting off away from the Sword of Acala (after the chapter screen
appears), several waves of Renjaku will fly in by groups of three. These bat-
like fighters are one of the basic enemies you'll be facing all throughout
the game.
Releases 7 bullets.
TORAFUZUKU
-----------
These medium-sized hovercrafts have different types of attack patterns.
Sometimes, they will be armed with a heavy laser unit, sometimes they fire
spreadfire bullets.
Releases 50 bullets.
AJISASHI
---------
These trailer-shaped hovercrafts only appear at the end of Chapter 01.
Attached to them are several turrets on each side. The turrets can only shoot
in the direction they're pointed in (left and right).
Releases 50 bullets. Turrets release 5 bullets.
ISUKA
------
At the beginning of Chapter 02, there are suicidal fighters scattered all
about the city. While generally careless, they can also fire single bullets in
random directions. These fighters can fill up the screen with things to dodge,
so be careful when there is a large group of them on-screen.
Releases 5 bullets.
MISOSAZAI
----------
Similar to the Torafuzuku, these are floating satellites that are only
armed with heavy laser beams. These too are seen throughout various parts of
Chapter 02.
Releases 10 bullets.
BLOCKS
-------
In the middle of Chapter 02, you'll be destroying a bunch of moving
blocks. There are also red blocks, which cannot be destroyed. Some even have
little indestructible gun-pods and spin, shooting a a long trail of single
bullets.
Releases 5 bullets.
GENERATORS
-----------
Also in Chapter 02 are pipe-like structures that slowly generate endless
amounts of Toratsugumi. There's no real point in destroying these, as they are
best kept intact to generate the Toratsugumi for chains.
Releases 10 bullets.
BARRICADES
-----------
Near the end of Chapter 02, these are the little rectangular objects that
are blocking the area with the many spinning blocks and the destructable blocks
in the middle.
Releases 5 bullets.
TOKI
-----
Toki are basically large, fast, heavy-gunning aircrafts. They shoot their
machineguns straightforward, but they only shoot half as fast as the Ikaruga's
machinegun. They may have tougher armor than other fighters, but they're pretty
easy to take down. They are usually seen in Chapters 03 and 04. There is also
an alternate version of Toki that fires large homing projectiles at your ship.
Releases 20 bullets.
SHIGI
------
The mid-boss of Chapter 03. At first, this machine may seem difficult to
take out, but once its attack pattern is learned, it will be easy to destroy.
It is armed with four laser beams: two of each polarity, and also fires single
bullets in very long streams. To defeat it, absorb its beams then retaliate
with multiple Energy Releases until it dies, while dodging/absorbing the single
bullets it fires.
Each of the five parts release 25 bullets.
CHOUGENBOU
-----------
The hulking white aircrafts that fly out and spew thousands of bullets
onto the screen during Chapter 05. They have a ton of armor and when destroyed,
they let loose a few chains of white Utatsugumi.
Releases 120 bullets.
.-----------------.
| 2.) BUTSUTEKKAI |
'-----------------'
EBOSHIDORI
-----------
The boss of Chapter 01. It looks like a giant white hovermech armed with
a huge white sword and a black shield, with several satellites that look like
cylinders floating to its sides. The boss battle takes on three forms: the
sword, the shield, and Eboshidori itself.
BUPPOUSOU
----------
The boss of Chapter 02. This boss looks like a giant round craft, with
one half white and the other half black. At the front of it are two red hatches
which must be shot at to expose its weak point. Shigi sort of resembles a this
boss, except smaller, busted up, and with the Stone-Like's glyphs around it.
UZURA
------
The boss of Chapter 03, and the one I like to call the "Carousel from
Hell." The boss is a huge ring with many turrets, each of the opposite color.
Inside the ring is a core that unleashes powerful laser-beams when several
turrets are destroyed. The weakpoint of the boss are the turrets.
MISAGO
-------
The whole point of Chapter 04 is to to destroy a giant flying station-
like Butsutekkai, part by part. The final part is the core, which is vulnerable
to black polarity attacks. However, it is surrounded by several doors which
must be shot at to be opened up.
TAGERI
-------
The first boss of Chapter 05 comes in three forms: the first form is a
giant monstrosity with four heads (two white, two black) that shoots a whole
grid of lasers of both polarities. The second form is only two heads, but fires
a couple of snake-like lasers that chase your ship. The third form looks a lot
like the Yin/Yang symbol with arms and a head, and fires energy homing missiles
at you while rapidly switching between white and black.
/=============================================================================\
|-----------------------------[ VIII.) Strategy ]-----------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
Alas, the meat of the guide! In this part of the guide, I will go in-
depth to explain each chapter and stage. In each of the chapters, I will refer
to the enemies (Hitekkkai) by their Japanese names, so refer to the Enemies
section above if you do not know which enemies I'm talking about. Also, I've
taken the time to map out each stage. While it may not be as helpful as full-
blown drawn diagrams (which I might consider making later), I hope to have
given somewhat of an idea to those who read my guide.
In the actual game, all ships come in squadrons of three, so in each
diagram, I marked down the ships in terms of their quantity and whether they
were (b)lack or (w)hite (i.e.: 3w means three white ships appear, 1b means one
black ship appears, etc.). On the left of the stage diagram is a chart showing
how many chains should have been scored up to that point of the stage, and
following the strategy is a Chain Checkpoint that states how many chains one
should have by the end of the stage. If some chains do not show up, you may
have to work faster to get them to appear. If a Chain number on the diagram
has a hyphen, it means chains # through #. If it has a comma, it means that an
energy release was used that very moment that chain was scored, and then racked
up several more chains. A decimal means that there wasn't an even amount of
ships, or that a single ship was remaining.
Some of these strategies can be applied to other game modes. My
strategies are merely descriptions of what could be done to get all the chains;
hopefully you can visualize it and attempt it in the real game. After all,
easier said than done! Even though pulling off these strategies may be a bit
difficult, practice makes perfect! As the game says, "Rome wasn't built in a
day!" If you have access to the Ikaruga Appreciate DVD, you'll have a much
better visualization of the strategy that needs to be applied to conquer this
game. Then again, if you have the Ikaruga Appreciate DVD, what are you doing
in this section? ;D
.==========================.
| i.) Chapter : 01 [Ideal] |
'=========================='
.---------------.
| 1.) Stage 1-1 |
'---------------'
STAGE DIAGRAM
Chain xxxxxxEND OF 1-1xxxxxx
| |
22 | 3b |
21 | 3w |
| |
14,15-20 |3w 3b|
13 |3w 3b|
12 |3w 3b|
11 |3w 3b|
10 |3w 3b|
9 |3w 3b|
| |
7-8 | 6b |
5-6 | 6w |
3-4 | 6b |
1-2 | 6w |
| |
oooooP1ooooooooP2ooooo
STRATEGY
---------
As soon as you blast off from the Sword of Acala, you are attacked row-
by-row by four rows of Utatsugumi, each with six ships. Simply blast them into
oblivion as their respective color and absorb their bullets. After that, two
waves of six rows of Toratsugumi (3 per row) will fly out; left side (white)
flying to the right, right side (black) flying to the left. As black, quickly
fly to the right and shoot all the black fighters and absorb all of their
bullets, then switch to white and fly downward, releasing energy at about the
third or first row, shooting any remaining white fighters and absorbing their
bullets. After that, two groups of three Toratsugumi will fly from the right
and left (white, then black) depending on if you defeated the previous fighters
fast enough. Destroy them as their respective colors and absorb their bullets.
Number of chains (this stage): 22 Chain
CHAIN CHECKPOINT: MAX 22 Chain
.---------------.
| 2.) Stage 1-2 |
'---------------'
STAGE DIAGRAM
Chain xxxxxxEND OF 1-2xxxxxx
| |
39 | 3b |
38 | 3w |
| |
35-37 | 1b 1b |
| 1b 1b |
| 1b1b 1b |
34 | 1w |
| 1b |
| 1w |
| 1b |
| 1w |
| |
33 | 1w |
| 1w |
| 1w |
| |
31-32 | 2b 1w 1b 2w |
| |
30 | 3b |
29 | 3w |
28 | 3b |
27 | 3w |
26 | 3b |
25 | 3b |
24 | 3w |
23 | 3w |
| |
oooooSTART OF 1-2ooooo
STRATEGY
---------
After the chapter screen appears, you'll blast off away from the Sword
of Acala and right above a small fleet of Hourai Renjaku fighters and a
couple of Hourai Torafuzuku hovercrafts. They'll all fly off 3 by 3, old-
school Galaga style! First, a couple of groups of white Renjaku will fly off.
When they all appear on screen, as white, shoot and destroy the first three
Renjaku then use an energy release on the other three, absorbing all bullets.
Switch to black. Two groups of black Renjaku will fly onto the screen. Shoot
and destroy the first three black Renjaku, ullets, then use an energy release on the
other three and switch to white. Three white Renjaku will fly onto the screen,
so shoot them and absorb their bullets, then quickly change polarity and
release the energy on the three black Renjaku fighters that appear next,
absorbing their bullets afterward.
A group of three white Renjaku fighters will appear on screen along
with three black. As white, destroy the three white fighters, absorb their
suicide bullets, and switch to black. As black, fly in front of the three black
Renjaku and absorb their gunfire, then release energy and absorb their suicide
bullets. A mixed up group of three black and three white Renjaku fighters
(arranged from left to right: black, black, white, black, white, white) will
fly onto the screen. As white, take out the three white fighters, absorb
their bullets, and switch to black. Absorb the black Renjaku gunfire and use
an energy release, absorbing their suicide bullets afterwards.
Switch to white, and take out the three white Renjaku fighters that
appear one by one, absorbing their gunfire and suicide bullets. Three more
white Renjaku fighters will appear on screen, accompanied with nine black
Renjaku fighters. Switch to black, destroy a few of the black Renjaku fighters,
absorb their bullets, and use an energy release to destroy the rest on-screen,
absorbing their bullets as well. If you were fast enough, there are two more
chains you can get. Simply destroy the three white Renjaku fighters as white,
absorb their bullets and switch to black. Release your energy on at the last
three Renjaku fighters, and absorb their bullets.
Number of Chains (this stage): 17 Chain
CHAIN CHECKPOINT: MAX 39 Chain
.---------------.
| 3.) Stage 1-3 |
'---------------'
STAGE DIAGRAM
Chain xxxxxxEND OF 1-3xxxxxx
| |
74 | 1b 2b |
73 | 1b 2b |
72 | 2b 1b |
71 | 2w 1w |
70 | 2w 1w |
69 | 2b 1b |
68 | 1b 2b |
67 | 1w 2w |
66 | 1w 2w |
65 | 1b 2b |
64 | 2w 1w |
63 | 2b 1b |
62 | 2w 1w |
61 | 2b 1b |
60 | 1b 2b |
59 | 1w 2w |
58 | 1b 2b |
57 | 1w 2w |
| |
55-56 | 3b 3w |
| |
53-54 | 3b 3w |
52 | 3w |
51 | 3b |
50 | 3w |
| |
42-49 | 2b2w 4b4w4b4w 2b2w |
| |
41 | 3b |
40 | 3w |
| |
oooooSTART OF 1-3ooooo
STRATEGY
---------
On this stage, you'll have to work fast in order to get all the chains.
Start by turning white and taking out the three Toratsugumi that fly from the
top-right. Turn black and repeat with the Toratsugumi that come out the
opposite side. A large group of Utatsugumi will come on screen arranged in
columns like: two black, two white, four black, four white, four black, four
white, two black, two white. As black, carefully take out the first column of
four Toratsugumi on the left and take out the column of two black ones left of
it. Proceed to take out all white ships on screen, saving the remaining black
ships for last. Three rows of Toratsugumi (white, black, white in that order)
will fly out from the top-right, top-left, and top-right of the screen. Take
them out as their respective colors.
Here is where you'll really need to work fast. Two Torafuzuku (black and
white) paired with two Utatsugumi each will appear. The Torafuzuku are hard to
take out, so as white, shoot the black Torafuzuku and its Utatsugumi until it
dies, then use your energy release on the white Torafuzuku and absorb as many
of its bullets as you can. Don't forget to kill its Utatsugumi! As soon as the
next black Torafuzuku appears, use your energy release (hopefully not killing
it) and switch to black to finish it off along with its Utatsugumi. Absorb its
bullets, then energy release on the white Torafuzuku and finish it off along
with its Utatsugumi.
The rest of the chains for this stage depends on if you defeated the
previous parts fast enough. From the top-right and top-left of the screen are
groups of Toratsugumi that will fly out one by one into the middle of the
screen, but will always be fly into a group of the same color. It's not too
hard to take them out, so simply shoot at the middle of each chain and continue
doing so until they are all destroyed. To get the last few chains, you must
have done everything up from the Torafuzuku chains insanely fast, while
"advancing" while killing the Torats (sweeping left and right in destroying
Torats, keeping the screen almost "clean" from them).
Number of Chains (this stage): 35 Chain
CHAIN CHECKPOINT: MAX 74 Chain
.---------------.
| 4.) Stage 1-4 |
'---------------'
STAGE DIAGRAM
Chain xxxxxxEND OF 1-4xxxxxx
| |
130-134 |3w 3b 3w 3b 3w |
125-129 | 3w 3b 3w 3b 3w|
120-124 |3w 3b 3w 3b 3w |
115-119 | 3b 3w 3b 3w 3b|
111-114 |3b 3w 3b 3w 3b |
107-110 | 3b 3w 3b 3w 3b|
| |
101.6,106 | 2w |
101 | 2b |
100 | 2w |
| 2b |
| 2w |
| 2b |
| 2w 13w |
99 | 2b |
94,95-98.3 | 2w |
93 | 2b |
| 2w |
| 2b |
| 2w |
| 2b 13b |
| |
87-89,90-92| 9b 9w |
83,84-86 | 1b1w |
| 1w1b |
| 1b1w |
82 | 1w1b |
| 1b1w |
| 1w1b |
81 | 1b1w |
| 1w1b |
| 1b1w |
77-80 | 3w |
| 3b 3b |
| 3w |
| |
76 | 1w |
| |
| 1w 1w |
75 | 1b 1b 1b |
| |
oooooP1ooooooooP2ooooo
STRATEGY
---------
At the start of this stage, a row of three black Renjaku will approach
your ship, firing black bullets downward. As white, destroy the three ships
while evading the bullets, and destroy the two white Renjaku that soon follow
while absorbing theirs. Next a white Torafuzuku will rise up. Assuming you have
full energy (which you should have by now), as white, make sure you're close
to the Torafuzuku and release your energy, absorbing the suicide bullets it
releases. Next, a ring of Utatsugumi will fly onto the screen and surround
you. Staying white, position your ship to the top-right of the circle and start
firing your machinegun when you see the start of a chain fly in front of you.
Keep holding onto fire untill the whole ring flies into your fire, destroying
them. Any suicide bullets will all fly into your ship if you're close enough.
Next, a line of Toratsugumi will fly down the middle of the screen. The
way the two colors of Toratsugumi are arranged are in a zig-zag fashion. As
white, use single-bullet fire to take out the white Toratsugumi, moving in a
zig-zagged fashion. When you destroy the last white Toratsugumi, assuming you
have near-full energy (which you should have received from that Torats and the
enemies before it), release it to destroy all the black Torats. You have to
move quickly though, because two Ajisashi (trains) will move onto the screen
and mess up the homing shot.
This next part is what will make or break your chain/S++ rank. You must
move fast and bring swift destruction to these next chains in order to get the
ones at the end. After destroying the previous chains of Toratsugumi, quickly
move to the bottom-left corner of the screen. As white, destroy the little
turrets on the black Ajisashi, and then start firing on the train itself. Right
before it explodes, change to black and finish it off, absorbing the suicide
bullets it releases. Still as black, destroy the little turrets on the white
Ajisashi and start wearing down its armor. Before finishing it off, switch to
white and absorb the suicide bullets it releases.
From here on, it only gets harder. Depending on how fast the previous
part was done, you'll either get a black Ajisashi to come out alone, or both a
white and a black Ajisashi at once. Having them both come out at the same time
makes your situation more difficult, so don't rush when destroying the first
two Aji. The current situation should look like this: a lone black Aji with
twelve turrets is on the right side of the screen, advancing slowly upward
while two columns of Torats (alternating white and black in rows) in the middle
of the screen are flying downward while moving outward then inward. What you
want to do is to fly up to the Torats and use two single-bullets to destroy
four of the black ones. When you see the white ones open up again and the black
Torats behind it move into each other, use one more single bullet to take them
out as well. With the black Aji moving in on you, quickly switch to white and
destroy the three pairs of white Torats and use a homing shot on the black Aji.
Hammer on the black Aji as white, and before it dies, switch to black to absorb
the suicide bullets.
Don't worry; it's almost over! If you've done the previous correctly, you
should have one black dot in your chain counter. Destroy the next two black
Torats that come onto the screen, and a white Ajisashi will come onto the
screen, about the same place as the black one did.
Number of Chains (this stage): 64 Chain
CHAIN CHECKPOINT: MAX 134 Chain
.---------------.
| 5.) Stage 1-5 |
'---------------'
E B O S H I D O R I
ATTACK PATTERN
---------------
PHASE ONE: 100 sec. - 80 sec.
Eboshidori holds its sword forward and moves left to right, firing white
bullets in a tri-shot sort of way. There are also a couple of black satellites
on both sides of it shooting many black bullets in random directions.
PHASE TWO: 80 sec. - 55 sec.
Eboshidori puts its shield in front of itself and fires hundreds of black
bullets all over the place while moving left to right. There are also a couple
of white satellites on both sides of it shooting many white bullets in random
directions.
PHASE THREE: 55 sec. - 0 sec.
Eboshidori throws four grenades that explode after a few seconds. It
then throws another four grenades of the opposite polarity. It throws grenades,
alternating in polarity a few times, then starts firing large white homing
projectiles. It then repeats the pattern. There are also a couple of satellites
on both sides of it shooting both black and white bullets in random directions.
STRATEGY
---------
Start the boss fight as black, and never stop firing. Assuming you have
very little energy in your meter (about 3 levels?), as soon as you see your
bullets doing damage, you may as well release it, destroying the sword quickly.
TARGET BOSS DEFEAT TIME: 74+ seconds
S++ SCORE REQUIREMENT (this stage): 3,400,000 points
.===========================.
| ii.) Chapter 02 : [Trial] |
'==========================='
.---------------.
| 1.) Stage 2-1 |
'---------------'
STAGE DIAGRAM
Chain xxxxxxEND OF 2-1xxxxxx
| DIAGRAM PENDING |
oooooP1ooooooooP2ooooo
STRATEGY
---------
STRATEGY PENDING
Number of chains (this stage): 44 Chain
CHAIN CHECKPOINT: MAX 44 Chain
.---------------.
| 2.) Stage 2-2 |
'---------------'
STAGE DIAGRAM
Chain xxxxxxEND OF 2-2xxxxxx
| DIAGRAM PENDING |
oooooP1ooooooooP2ooooo
STRATEGY
---------
STRATEGY PENDING
Number of chains (this stage): 158(?) Chain
CHAIN CHECKPOINT: MAX 202(?) Chain
.---------------.
| 3.) Stage 2-3 |
'---------------'
B U P P O U S O U
ATTACK PATTERN
---------------
100 sec. - 93 sec.
Buppousou fires slow black and white bullets at your general direction. It will
always shoot these bullets during the other forms.
93 sec. - 85 sec.
Buppousou shifts its arms forward (left = white, right = black) and fires four
waves of bullets. White, then black, then white, then black again.
85 sec. - 75 sec.
Buppousou then fires hundreds of small bullets from its arms, alternating fire
from the left (white) and right (black).
75 sec. - 70 sec.
Buppousou shifts its arms backward and returns to its neutral form, firing the
slow black and white bullets.
70 sec. - 55 sec.
Buppousou starts shifting its other two arms (still, left = white and right =
black) which fire four parallel lines of bullets diagonally down, with you in
between them. White, then black, then white, then black again. Then, both.
55 sec. - 47. sec.
Buppousou returns back to its neutral position, and the attack pattern repeats
itself until the timer hits zero, with same time differences between phases.
STRATEGY
---------
TARGET BOSS DEFEAT TIME: 82+ seconds
S++ SCORE REQUIREMENT (this stage): 5,000,000 points
.============================.
| iii.) Chapter 03 : [Faith] |
'============================'
.---------------.
| 1.) Stage 3-1 |
'---------------'
TO BE COMPLETED IN LATER VERSIONS.
/=============================================================================\
|-------------------------------[ IX.) Secrets ]------------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
To unlock the time-locked secrets, you must spend the given amount of
time actually playing the game. You cannot just simply pause the game and leave
it on for several hours; the game clock only counts the accumulated time of
actual gameplay.
ADDITIONAL CREDITS
-------------------
When you first start playing the game, you only have three credits. For
every hour that you play, you are given an additional credit. After seven full
hours have been accumulated, Free Play is unlocked, allowing unlimited credits.
DOT EATER! RANK
----------------
You can actually complete the whole game without firing a single bullet.
If you beat a chapter without firing a SINGLE shot, you will be awarded the Dot
Eater! rank.
CHAIN COUNTER
--------------
On the Dreamcast version, if you have a VMU with a digital screen plugged
into your controller, it will display your current chain counter as you play.
If you are playing the GameCube version, press the Z trigger and your chain
counter will show up under your chain status.
UNLOCKING PRACTICE/CONQUEST MODE CHAPTERS
------------------------------------------
To unlock chapters in Practice and Conquest modes, on the respective
difficulty (difficulty doesn't matter for Conquest), you must play the game up
to the chapter you want unlocked with one credit. For example, to unlock
Chapter 03 on Normal difficulty, you must play at least up to Chapter 3 (as
in, completing Chapter 2) without continuing.
EXTRA CONQUEST MODE DEMOS
--------------------------
In Conquest mode, you can view demos showing different ways to beat the
same stage, depending on which video mode you have the game set to.
GALLERY 1 (APPENDIX 1)
-----------------------
To unlock Gallery 1 in the Extras/Appendix menu, either clock a total of
five hours, or complete a trial game without continuing. Gallery 1 includes
seventeen pictures of character and concept artwork.
GALLERY 2 (APPENDIX 2)
-----------------------
To unlock Gallery 2 in the Extras/Appendix menu, either clock a total of
ten hours, or complete a Normal Game on any difficulty. Multiple credits may be
used. Gallery 2 includes six (five if not JP-version) storyboard slides with
background info on the characters of Ikaruga. However, the text on the slides
was cut from the non-Japanese versions.
SOUND TEST (APPENDIX 3)
------------------------
To unlock the Sound Test in the Extras/Appendix menu, either clock a
total of fifteen hours, or complete a Normal Game on Easy difficulty without
continuing. The Sound Test has ten slides for each of the tracks, and includes
information on each stage's storyline. However, the text on the slides was cut
from the non-Japanese versions.
PROTOTYPE MODE (APPENDIX 4)
----------------------------
To unlock Prototype Mode (Mode Select) in the Extras/Appendix menu,
either clock a total of twenty hours, or complete a Normal Game on Normal
difficulty without continuing.
IKARUGA WALLPAPER
------------------
On the Arcade and Dreamcast Ikaruga GD-ROMs, there are Ikaruga wallpaper
images. To view them, simply insert the disc into your computer's CD-ROM.
HIGH SCORE LIST SETTINGS
-------------------------
To view the settings set for the high scores, press L or R at the high
score screen.
CLEAR PAUSE MENU
-----------------
To see behind the Pause Menu, press both Y and X at the same time.
SCREEN SAVER
-------------
Not really a secret, but every few minutes when the game has not been
touched, the screen will become darker, saving your television from having the
image burned onto the screen. Ikaruga cares. ^_^
/=============================================================================\
|----------------------[ X.) Frequently Asked Questions ]---------------------|
\=============================================================================/
Q: "What does 'Ikaruga' mean? How is it pronounced?"
A: It is pronounced Ee-kah-roo-gah. The Japanese kanji for Ikaruga means
"mottled" and "dove" separately, but when compounded, they actually refer to
the Masked Grosbeak, which is a finch rather than a dove. Ikaruga is also a
small town in Japan, located in the Nara province.
(http://www.town.ikaruga.nara.jp/)
Q: "How many levels are in this game? I heard there's eighteen levels."
A: The game is split up into five chapters. Each chapter is about five minutes
long plus minute-and-a-half long boss fights, bringing the time to complete the
game to about a half-hour. In the GameCube version, the Conquest mode splits
each chapter into several stages, bringing the total stage count to eighteen.
Q: "One of the opening screens says 'Project RS-2.' Is this really Radiant
Silvergun 2?"
A: Ikaruga is not so much "sequel" as it as a "spiritual sequel." In Radiant
Silvergun, the final boss was a large yellow polygonal gem (The Stone-Like),
which is also the final boss of Ikaruga. In both games, the Stone-Like is a
stone of godly power, so Ikaruga might take place some time after/before/in an
alternate universe from Radiant Silvergun.
Q: "What is 'TATE?'/Why can't I play this game fullscreen?/Would turning my TV
on its side damage it?"
A: TATE (which means "vertical" in Japanese) is a way of playing the game
fullscreen by flipping the picture 90 degrees. In the many years of arcade
gaming, this is how most vertical-scrolling shooters have been played, as the
screen was always taller than regular screens. If you are playing on a CRT
television, you might hurt it if you start playing the game immediately after
flipping it over. If you have a huge-screen TV, I would DEFINITELY not
recommend flipping period. To be safe, you should turn off your television,
put it on its left side for fifteen minutes, and then turn it on. Repeat when
you are going to flip it back over. If you are playing the game with a VGA
box, most computer monitors have an option called degaussing. If your monitor
has degaussing, you can simply flip and degauss and have no fears of damaging
your monitor!
Q: "What is the robot voice saying?/What do the quotes and the chapter titles
in the JP version mean?"
A: Check the Game Texts and Vocoder Translation sections in the Miscellaneous
section of this guide.
Q: "I just beat the game, though I continued a couple of times. Why aren't all
the chapters unlocked in Practice mode?"
A: As stated several times in this guide, to unlock chapters in Practice mode,
on the respective difficulty, you must play the game up to the chapter you
want unlocked with one credit. For example, to unlock Chapter 05 on Normal
difficulty, you must play up to that chapter >>>without continuing<<<. The same
applies to Conquest mode, except Conquest mode levels can be unlocked on any
difficulty.
Q: "How do I unlock extras?"
A: Refer to the "Secrets" section of the guide for information on the extras.
Q: "The GameCube controls are too sluggish! Playing in the Horizontal video
mode sucks! How can I play this game like it was meant to be played in the
arcades?"
A: By purchasing the Dreamcast version. ;) Seriously though, if the
Horizontal video modes are not to your liking, I would suggest purchasing a
VGA box for your system. Dreamcast VGA boxes are relatively cheap, and can be
found easily. I bought mine off of eBay for $16, shipping included. GameCube
VGA boxes, on the other hand, can cost anywhere from $30 to $40; maybe less if
you are lucky. With a VGA box, all the detail that you miss in Horizontal mode
is seen, and the difference is simply stunning.
If you are having troubles with the GameCube controller, and are finding
yourself switching between the analog stick and the directional pad, I would
suggest ordering an arcade stick/gamepad off the internet. The Hori Digital pad
is a good pick among Ikaruga players, and is shaped similarly to a Super NES
controller. They can be picked up at many import stores. If you possess the
knowledge, you can build your own, as in the long run, they are generally
cheaper and more durable than many of the arcade sticks found on the internet.
Converters are a also good pick if you want to use a gamepad or controller from
another console.
Q: "What are the differences between the three versions of the game?"
A: Most obviously, the Dreamcast version was only released in Japan, while
the Gamecube version is a domestic release. The difference between the console
and arcade versions is that the arcade version only played with two buttons:
Fire and Change Polarity. To execute an Energy Release shot, you would press
both buttons at once. The Dreamcast version is an arcade-perfect home port, and
offers a few secrets. The GameCube version is essentially an English port of
the Dreamcast version, but with a new video mode (Horizontal 3), and a couple
of new gameplay modes: Conquest and Challenge. The port may seem a bit rushed
to some, as Infogrames barely took the time to translate any of the texts in
the game and has thus removed them (Example: The chapter screens before
blasting off). Also, finding a VGA box/arcade stick for the 'Cube will be quite
difficult, and may detract from the game if you're the kind of person who needs
the arcade-perfect experience. Minor things have also been removed from the
GameCube version, like the joystick and buttons diagram shown in the tutorial,
and Chapter 01's music plays a bit late, thus causing the upbeat part of the
music track to play AFTER the thrusters activate. Slowdown seems to have been
slightly toned down in the GCN release as well, losing the dramatic explosion
effect after defeating a boss. In my opinion, the Dreamcast version would've
been the best of them all had it have had the NetRanking Challenge mode, but
for now, stick with the GameCube version.
Q: "What is this Ikaruga Appreciate DVD I hear so much about?"
A: Recently, Treasure released a DVD with gameplay videos of one of the top
Ikaruga players in the world. The DVD contains footage of each chapter on each
difficulty being mastered by the masters, and from what I've heard, you can
also change the video setting as well. This hot item is becoming rare real
fast, but if you have the cash (now going for about $50 USD), you can pick
it up from import shops like Lik-Sang (http://www.lik-sang.com), VideoGameDepot
(http://www.videogamedepot.com), or NCSX (http://www.ncsx.com) to name a few.
to name a couple..
Q: "Where can I submit my Challenge mode scores/passwords?"
A: You can submit them here: http://www.ikaruga-atari.net. To do so, however,
you will need to create your own account with them. Challenge mode supports
Normal and Prototype modes. If you want to see what place you are sorting by
region, age, or gender, or other categories, use the Japanese ranking page at:
http://www.ikaruga-atari.net/ranking.php.
/=============================================================================\
|----------------------------[ XI.) Miscellaneous ]---------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
This section contains in-game texts and some translations, and also
menu descriptions and soundtrack listings. Just about everything that wouldn't
fit in anywhere else in the guide.
.===========.
| i.) Menus |
'==========='
The main menu of Ikaruga is set up as shown below. At the title screen,
Start brings up the menu. Use the A button to confirm selections and B to
cancel. To unlock chapters in the Practice and Conquests modes, you must beat
the game at least up to the particular stage on one coin. For Conquest mode,
difficulty does not matter.
New to the GameCube version are the Conquest and Challenge modes.
Conquest allows the player to play any part of a chapter in normal or slow
motion, and also lets them view a video on how to beat the stage. In Conquest
mode, you can view different ways to beat the stage by changing the video mode
under Options/Config.
Challenge mode starts a one-credit Normal game with default settings (3
lives, extend Type 2) and gives the player a password to use in the World
NetRanking (http://www.ikaruga-atari.net) depending on their score.
(* = GameCube only, () = default setting)
START GAME = Start a Normal or Trial game.
PRACTICE = You can select a stage to practice.
EASY/NORMAL/HARD Chapter # = Select a stage for practice.
EXIT = Go back to the screen before this one.
*CONQUEST = Train and refine your battle techniques.
Chapter #-# = Select a stage for conquest or training.
DEMO PLAY = A demo of gameplay will start.
SLOW PLAY = Practice at a slower speed.
NORMAL PLAY = Practice at normal speed.
NEXT = Go to the next menu screen.
PREV = Go back to the screen before this one.
EXIT = Go back to the screen before this one.
*CHALLENGE = Start a 1P web-ranking game.
ARCADE = Arcade mode.
PROTOTYPE = Prototype mode.
EXIT = Go back to the screen before this one.
RANKING = Allows the player to view or clear all saved high scores.
VIEW RANKING = Allows the player to view all saved high scores.
CLEAR RANKING = Allows the player to clear all saved high scores.
EXIT = Closes the menu and returns to the main menu.
OPTIONS/CONFIG = Allows the player to adjust game, control, video, and sound
settings.
MONITOR TYPE (HORIZONTAL 1)/2/3/VERTICAL 1/2 = Changes the video modes to
display Ikaruga. Horizontal mode includes letterboxes while the Vertical modes
are fullscreen. In Vertical 2 mode, the movement controls are rearranged to
play like a horizontal shooter.
SOUND (STEREO)/MONO = Select whether your television's sound is
stereo or mono.
DIFFICULTY (USER SELECT)/EASY/NORMAL/HARD = User Select brings up a
screen that lets you select which difficulty.
TRIAL GAME (ON)/OFF = If Trial Game is on, a second screen (or first if
User Select is off) will let you select whether you want to play a Normal
Game
or a Trial Game.
EXTEND TYPE 1/(2)/3 = Type 1 rewards the player with an extra life
with every 2 million points. Type 2 rewards the player with an extra life at 3
million points, then every 5 million points thereafter. Type 3 rewards the
player with an extra life at 6 million, then every 15 million points
thereafter.
PLAYER LIVES 1/2/(3)/4/5 = Sets the amount of lives the player starts the
game with.
CONTROLLER SETTINGS = Allows the player to adjust the controller settings.
FIRE OFF/A/B/R/X/Y/L = Set which button you want to use for
Fire.
CHANGE POLARITY OFF/A/B/R/X/Y/L = Set which button you want to use for
Change Polarity.
RELEASE POWER OFF/A/B/R/X/Y/L = Set which button you want to use for
Release Power.
FIRE+CHANGE (ON)/OFF = If disabled, pressing Fire and Change
Polarity at once will execute an Energy Release.
Rumble Feature/VIBRATION ON/OFF = Choose whether you want the
vibration feature enabled or not.
EXIT = Closes the menu and returns to the Options menu.
RESTORE DEFAULTS = Restores default settings.
EXIT = Closes the menu and returns to the main menu.
TUTORIAL = Shows the player a tutorial on how to play the game.
EXTRAS*/APPENDIX = A secrets menu with time/skill-unlocked options.
GALLERY 1 = Shows an art gallery.
GALLERY 2 = Shows a storyboard gallery.
SOUND TEST = Shows a stage background gallery, and also allows the player
to listen to the music tracks.
GAME MODE (NAOMI)/PROTOTYPE = Allows the player to choose between Naomi or
Prototype mode for the Start Game mode.
EXIT = Closes the menu and returns to the main menu.
SAVE/LOAD = Save or load their game file from a Dreamcast VMU (34 blocks) or
Game
Cube Memory Card (4 blocks).
AUTO SAVE ON/(OFF) = If on, the game automatically saves whenever a new score
is reached or if an option is unlocked.
LOAD = Loads a file from a VMU/Memory Card.
SAVE = Saves a file to a VMU/Memory Card.
- PLAY TIME : 0h00m0s - = Displays the total amount ACTUAL gameplay time.
EXIT = Closes the menu and returns to the main menu.
EXIT = Closes the main menu and returns to the title screen.
PAUSE MENU
-----------
Continue Game = Closes the pause menu and returns to the game.
Restart (only in Practice mode) = Restart the chapter.
Adjust HUD/Console = Allows the player to adjust the Heads Up Display (screen
position) of the score/energy bars on screen.
Quit = Ends the current game and returns to the title screen.
Are you sure you really want to quit? YES/NO
.=================.
| ii.) Game Texts |
'================='
.------------------.
| 1.) In-Game Text |
'------------------'
*Found from http://www.ikaruga-atari.net and
http://www2.incl.ne.jp/~mo2/ikaruga_en/top.html.
The GameCube "Press Start" BIOS Screen:
"Don't relax now! Your goal is to clear all of the stages."
In the Arcade and Dreamcast versions, when a New Game is started, a
quote is displayed as the camera zooms in on the Sword of Acala that the
Ikaruga blasts off from. It was removed from the GameCube version.
"I don't die not to live. I don't yield if my wish is not fulfilled. I never
die with regret."
Boss alarm:
WARNING
-------------------------------
On-Marishi-Ei-Sowaka
The big enemy is approaching
at full throttle.
According to the data. It is
identified as "Butsutekkai"
-------------------------------
NO REFUGE
(NOTE: Contrary to belief, "On-Marishi-Ei-Sowaka" is written in Sanskrit, not
Japanese kanji. "On-Marishi-Ei-Sowaka" is a spell of the goddess of shimmering
air, Marishiten. The spell has the power to be able to escape any disaster.)
Game Over text:
GAME OVER
------------------------------
We'll meet again someday soon.
After beating a Trial game (NA/EU):
Mission complete.
Trial game cleared!
Congratulations, you've done well!
Looks like you've gotten the hang of it.
Try your hand at Normal Mode.
You can always return to Trial Mode.
Rome wasn't built in a day!
Keep at it, eventually you'll be able to clear the game.
Good luck!
In the Japanese version of Ikaruga, there are several lines of Japanese text
shown on-screen between the forms of the final boss fight.
Before part one of Tageri:
"I gave you life.
So that you make good progress.
But you couldn't understand?"
After destroying part one:
"Although you can't feel visible matter,
do you think that you can feel invisible matter?"
After destroying part two:
"You can understand?
You can never sever this metempsychosis eternally."
After destroying part three:
"Because of that, go through with it not to regret.
I don't die not to live. I don't yield if my wish does not fulfilled. I never
die with regret.
I could understand. Can we be set at liberty?"
At the beginning of the fight with the Stone-Like:
"You released a control device of IKARUGA. After this, you can't use a machine
gun of IKARUGA." (JP)
"Warning! You cannot fire." (NA/EU)
After destroying the Stone-Like:
"We were allowed to do that?
Yes, we were. I believe the day when we understand ourselves and live together
would come.
And then, life will be inherited in the future."
.--------------------.
| 2.) Chapter Titles |
'--------------------'
-----------------------------------
Chapter : 01
[Ideal]
Ikaruga is on an eternal
journey... They have been
expelled from this world...
what drives them in the
pursuit of hope? It is only
their backbone as a survivor.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Chapter : 02
[Trial]
The harder his will is, the
more trials he faces. You can
evade more trials or run away from
them. The true meaning of
trials is to overcome such
weakness in your heart.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Chapter : 03
[Faith]
There is nothing absolute in
this world. You may be
sometimes at a loss knowing
that this world is unreason-
able. To break the impasse,
you must hold an unshakable
belief and insight as well as a
certain amount of vitality.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Chapter : 04
[Reality]
Thus the reality reveals itself.
What did you seek........
What did you see.........
What did you hear........
What did you think.......
What did you do..........
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Final Chapter
[Metempsychosis]
A fate brings its will back
to the original place and
awakens the first conscience
engraved on the deep valley
of memory. This is what
drives Ikaruga...
-----------------------------------
.========================.
| iii.) Sound Collection |
'========================'
.------------------------.
| 1.) Soundtrack Listing |
'------------------------'
Soundtrack composed by Hiroshi Iuchi.
Ten tracks.
Track 1: Prologue - Cirrus
Track 2: Chapter 01 - Ideal
Track 3: Boss 01 - Butsutekkai
Track 4: Chapter 02 - Trial
Track 5: Boss 02 - Recapture
Track 6: Chapter 03 - Faith
Track 7: Chapter 04 - Reality
Track 8: Final Chapter - Metempsychosis
Track 9: Final Chapter - The Stone-Like
Track 10: Epilogue - Spirit Being
.-------------------------.
| 2.) Vocoder Translation |
'-------------------------'
At the title screen:
"PRESS START BUTTON"
At the Game Select screen:
"SELECT GAME MODE"
"EASY MODE"
"NORMAL MODE"
"HARD MODE"
"NORMAL GAME"
"TRIAL GAME"
"ACCEPT"
In-Game:
"ENERGY MAX" (different voice)
"MAX"
"CHAIN"
"SPLENDID"
"EXCELLENT"
"9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0"
Boss Alarm:
"WARNING. THE BIG ENEMY IS APPROACHING AT FULL THROTTLE. ACCORDING TO THE
DATA, IT IS IDENTIFIED AS BUTSUTEKKAI."
"THERE IS NO REFUGE. UNABLE TO AVOID FIRING." (Chapters 03 and 04)
Ending:
"RELEASE THE RESTRAIN DEVICE. USING THE RELEASED POWER MAY RESULT THE
POSSIBILITY OF DESTRUCTION OF THE SHIP."
"YOU DID YOUR BEST. WAS I HELPFUL TO YOU?"
"I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO YOU."
/=============================================================================\
|------------------------------[ XII.) Credits ]------------------------------|
\=============================================================================/
SOURCES
* Treasure's Official Ikaruga website -
http://www.treasure-inc.co.jp/product/ikaruga/ikaruga.html.
* Ikaruga NetRanking - http://www.ikaruga-atari.net.
* Ikaruga English Translation -
http://www2.incl.ne.jp/~mo2/ikaruga_en/top.html.
* Ikaruga Think Tank - http://www.greng.net/rankings/ikaruga/index.htm
* The GameFAQs Ikaruga Message Boards -
http://s2.cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/gentopic.asp?board=34161 (GCN),
http://s2.cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/gentopic.asp?board=33486 (DC).
* The many Treasure fansites on the web - http://www.mrmonkeyman.com/treasure/
and http://www.classicgaming.com/gunstarheroes to name a couple.
* Countless videos by skilled players, some found at Treasure's website,
http://kiken.sirkain.net/Ikareplay.html, and
http://www.insertcredit.com/reviews/ikappreciate/index.html
* Silver Translations - http://www.emuxhaven.net/~silver/
* http://members.tripod.co.jp/teppeiteppei/ikaruga.htm
* The North American GameCube Ikaruga Manual.
* The game itself.
THANKS TO
* CJayC, for hosting GameFAQs and putting my guide up.
* AstroBlue, for clearing up a couple of things in the FAQ.
* bluberry, for informing me about correct formatting.
* Tomato (Greng), for his awesome knowledge and website.
* Jugem, for his strategy compilation.
* The posters at the GameFAQs Ikaruga Message Boards, and all other Ikaruga
communities worldwide.
* SnapDragon, for showing the world that even the non-Japanese can compete
with the big boys!
SPECIAL THANKS TO
* Treasure, for "treasuring" (haha, lame play on words) me with their godly
games--nay, godly >>>experiences<<<!
* milk rocker, Snow, JayMag, civic, Veej and all the other guys down at the
plant for being awesome.
* The guys and gals down at the Fighting Games board on GameFAQs.
* All whom e-mailed me with positive feedback, and those whom consider my FAQ
helpful to them.
* Me, because I'm just that damn good!! (Well, maybe not THAT damn good...)
* And you, for reading through all this and hopefully contributing in the
not-too-distant future!
CONTACT INFO
GameFAQs Username: Balken
NetRanking Username: Balken (still improving!!)
Website: http://www.geocities.com/rnacorp
E-Mail: rnacorp@yahoo.com
AIM: LastMinuteHope
"NOTHING can kill the Grimace."
===================================
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0...
GAME OVER
------------------------------
We'll meet again someday soon.
===================================
