Ikaruga

"A new level of gaming!"

Think of the most challenging game you have ever played. Go on, think for a while. Now, when you have your answer, think about something at least twice as challenging. That's Ikaruga. Let me just open this up by saying that this game is NOT for everyone. If you are a casual gamer who only plays games occasionally, don't even think about buying this game. Ikaruga is for the hardcore gamer, who might be bored with the games of today and wants a true challenge.

Ikaruga is an exceptional shooter. Simply put. NOT a first person shooter, as most of today's gamers would take it to mean. Its crafted in the likes of games like Aerofighters, Axelay, Raystorm, etc. Those are all vertical scrollers (with the exception of Axelay which is both), like Ikaruga, but there are many side scrollers that are similar to this game as well: Gradius, Darius, R-Type, Phalanx, just to name a few. You are even able to switch between side and vertical scrolling, although I would reccomend as that' what it was designed to be. Developed by Treasure, creator of Gunstar Heroes and Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga is quite possibly the greatest shooter I have ever played. But enough with the background, on to the review!

STORY: 8/10

Nothing too complex, although it is original. Basically, it goes like this. A powerful man named Hourai Tenrou discovers the ''Power of the Gods'' buried deep in the earth and uses it to conquer the world along with his followers. Several resistance groups rose up, but were all brutally crushed (come on, the guy has the power of GOD). However, one young man named Shinra survived the attack. After crash landing near the village of Ikaruga (pronounced like EE-KAH-ROO-GUH), the village leader named Kazamori restored Shinra back to life. Vowing to destroy the evil Hourai, Kazamori entrusts Shinra with the fighter plane Ikaruga (named after the village, duh). Shinra is up against impossible odds, but with the help of Ikaruga's special powers, it should be no problem.

GAMEPLAY/CONTROLS: 10/10

The controls are fairly simple, as only three buttons are used. One for firing, one for switching polarites, and one for shooting homing lasers. Ikaruga has no powerup design, which is good thing in my opinion. It makes the game fair, not too hard or too easy. The main point of the game is like any other shooter, to blow up as many enemies as possible. However, Ikaruga has a twist: polarities. Each enemy has its own polarity, black or white. Your ship itself can change to either polarity at any time. While one color, you do double damage to enemies of the opposite color. If you get hit by the same color bullet, you can absorb its energy and eventually release a powerful homing missle. When I say powerful, I mean powerful. These things can blow up all enemies on the screen when at full power. The other thing that is part of this ingenious system is chaining hits for extra points. Whenever you hit three enemies of the same polarity, you get points for chaining. Eventually, these points rack up, and you get ranked at the end of each stage based on your max chain/points earned. Pretty cool, huh? Think it sounds easy? Think again. Level designs are brilliant, albeit short. The system is challenging, but that only adds to the fun facttor.

GRAPHICS: 9/10

Lets face it: there aren't many 2D/3D (what I like to call 2 and a half D) games around anymore. These graphics are sweet, how can anyone deny it? With all the modern 3D games of today, some people might not like the way Ikaruga is presented. I, however, being the old-school gamer that I am, loved them! Everything is clean and crisp, especially with an S-Video cable. Backgrounds and enemy ship designs couldn't get any better, they fit in perfect with the story. Since this was originally a Dreamcast game, you may experience some slowdown every once in a while, but not enough to take away from the gameplay. Overall, the graphics are some of the best I have ever seen for a shooter.

SOUND: 9/10

Simply put: Excellent. Couldn't fit the game any better. Sound effects are wonderful, and the music is captivating as well. You won't much notice the music however, as you'll be too focused on the gameplay.

REPLAY VALUE: 10/10

This is the reason I bought this game. I had heard all the hype about the replay, and now I beleive it. Ikaruga's intense gameplay system keeps you coming back for more and more...trying to beat your highest score. Although the game is only a short 5 levels long, its 5 levels of some of the greatest sh'mup action ever. The web-ranking system is an added plus, too. Don't be fooled by the appearance, because once you've played, you won't stop for a while.

RENT OR BUY?

If you are a fan of shooters, or even remotely interested, buy! Besides, I don't know of anywhere that you can rent this game, unfortunately. The bottom line is this: if you don't like a challenge, leave Ikaruga alone and pick up an easier game like Darius Twin or Gradius. If you think you are ready for some of the best high flying, bullet launching action you've ever seen, go buy yourself a copy. Oh, and one more thing: if you're going to buy, do it now! There are limited quantities of Ikaruga being sold.

OVERALL: 10/10

I give Ikaruga a 10 because I simply can't get away from it. It will blow you away. It's simply one of the best shooters on the market, and its the only one that I know of that you can still buy new. The graphics, sound, and intuitive gameplay all combine to make one heck of a great action shooter. Go pick up a copy and see for yourself.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/12/03, Updated 05/12/03