Ikaruga

"Not surprisingly, Treasure delivers yet another smash."

Ikaruga, developed by Treasure, is one of the most stunning top-down space shooters of all time. Treasure has created games for a wide array of systems, going from the Game Gear all the way to the GameCube. Treasure games, as few might know, makes some of the best space shooters known to man, so Treasure already has that base covered. Radiant Silvergun, Gradius V, and Gun Beat --- all beautiful and excellent games created by Treasure, and Ikaruga is definitely no different. For a game such as Ikaruga, I suppose Treasure games decided they didn't need all that much of a big staff. Ikaruga, you see, was created by a very small amount of people. Although, through this game, you can feel all the hard work they put into it. Because, well, you have to be a genius to get something like this working out.

Ikaruga was originally released for the Dreamcast in 2002, making it into gamer's books as one of the Dreamcast's last, and greatest, games. There wasn't much of a boom at release, but it slowly started worming it's way into the hearts of the people playing it. In 2003, Atari games addressed what they called a "frothing demand" for Ikaruga. People were demanding a remake for an all Japanese game, and easily, everyone was astounded. Atari eventually chose to release it for the GameCube, and Ikaruga made another enjoyable splash.

Visuals for a game such as this would be indeed difficult to create. In top-down shooters, people never take time to appreciate the visuals. This, however, would mostly be because of how intense the game is. Regardless, the game pulls off a beautiful style of it's own, merging different patterns and textures to end up creating a very artistic, and very appealing look. The two primary colors---or shades, rather, in this game are white and black. By using different combinations and sets of black and white, Treasure managed to make a game that ends up being beautiful in it's simplicity.

As a top-down space shooter, Treasure definitely needed to worry about how the ships looked. The ships, although small, can be identified with many details. Someone who has seizures induced by flashing lights or patterns should not play this game under any circumstances. Often times you will find your screen completely covered in action, and it could really, er, end badly for someone who is photosensitive.

With the utilization of intense synthesizer music, Treasure created some tense, creative, and very well fitted music. While you may tend not to notice the music while you're being blown away by the enemy troops, you'll definitely get some ear candy to enjoy. The music is tense, slightly techno, and very well done. The music will often times be overcome by the sound effects, which are also very well done. The sounds for everything sounded excellent. Shooting, killing, being hit, absorbing energy -- Heck, even dying sounds sweet. Although there is no soundtrack, it would definitely be really great.

If you've played a top-down space shooter before, you'll have a slight idea of how the game works. This game plays like most other classics, but with a major, and noticeable difference. In Ikaruga, your ship will contain two different polarities -- Black and white. By switching polarities, you can gain massive advantages over your enemy, and stay alive with less difficulty. Say your ship -- The Ikaruga -- had a black polarity, you would be able to absorb black bullets, and do double damage to all white enemies. Being of the white polarity would do the exact opposite. You can switch polarities at any time with a simple flick on the "A" button.

On the back of the case, it mentions something called the "Bullet Eater" technique. You see, when you have the same polarity as a bullet coming towards you, you can absorb it, and add to your "Laser Missile" meter. In this game, it's customary to dodge all known things on the screen, as all of them are hazardous. Your ship has no life meter, and one bullet will take it down. If a white bullet is coming towards you, and you have a black polarity, you will die if it hits you. So try to keep switching polarities as needed.

Hitting anything is bad. If you hit a box, you're dead. If you hit an enemy, you're dead. This is sometimes annoying, but it adds a much-needed challenge that seems to be lacking from most of today's video games. When you fill the "Laser Missile" meter I mentioned earlier, you will be able to fire a barrage of lasers from your ship, destroying nearly everything on the screen. Luckily, lots of large attacks fill your meter quickly, so be sure to use your missiles whenever they're full.

Life just isn't easy when you're the last of a freedom fighting force, huh? You're going to be dodging and swerving, and just plain scrambling to stay alive all the time. If you're playing two player with one of your friends, it might just make the whole ordeal easier, but it'll still be insanely difficult. Well, just keep your cool, and beat down the enemies in your super-strong fighter plane, the Ikaruga.

Ikaruga only has five levels, so the game is sort of short. However, the probability of completing the game your first time through is highly unlikely. This game takes large amounts of time to master, but you would feel really hardcore if you did. This game has kept me playing it for months now, and even beating the game on easy is still a feat. With the different modes you can implement, the possibilities of new ways to play the game never seem to end. You could play an entire game without shooting if you want, it would just be really hard. You could try and go the whole game without losing a credit, too. Either way -- you'll never tire of this game; it'll keep you entertained for months -- possibly years to come.

As one of the hardest, and easily most fulfilling games ever, it strikes me as really, really good. By using new mechanics never before seen in top-down space shooters, Ikaruga reaches whole new heights that games can be played at. This game has it all, great music, great visuals, and stunning gameplay. And, even after many months, it still never ceases to surprise me. The price tag isn't too steep -- I got it brand new for thirty dollars Canadian. This is one of the best GameCube games to date, and it's no surprise that it's become a silent hit all over the place. Get in on the action, it's one of the best things you'll play at any time.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/19/04