Ikaruga is not for everyone. There's no point in being unrealistic here. It's for that rare breed of gamer who isn't afraid of inhuman challenge, who spends days practicing their routines, who will do anything to beat his last high score. If that describes you...well, chances are you've already imported the Dreamcast version. But no matter. Treasure's latest separates itself from other shooters with its odd color system—your ship can flip between black and white hues, and all enemies and bullets are similarly monochrome. If a bullet is the same color as your ship, you can absorb it and use the energy to fire homing lasers; if it's not, then you die on contact. Simple, really. The trick is in the chains—the only way to reach massive scores in Ikaruga is to shoot enemies of like color in groups of three, nimbly switching shades to keep the chain going in crowded warfare. Even if you're not into this sort of thing, you can't deny that Ikaruga is an audiovisual work of art. The 3D backdrops are beautifully rendered, the enemies animate seamlessly as they run their hypnotic patterns, and the music is a majestic tribute to 20 years of shooter soundtracks. Despite this, everything runs at 60 frames per second, and the graphics never clash with each other—if you get shot, you have no one to blame but yourself. It's tough, but it's never unfairly tough, and that's why it's perfect for hardcore gamers. If you can afford the time needed to master this, your efforts will be generously rewarded.
Ikaruga comes from the same team as the ill-fated Radiant Silvergun on the Saturn, which some have claimed to be “the greatest shooter of all time”. With that kind of heritage, it should be expected to have some impressi... Read Full Review
Chances are, you fall into one of two categories. Either you imported the Dreamcast release of Ikaruga last year and are already hopelessly addicted, or you’ve never heard of it before. For those of you who fit into the ... Read Full Review
