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Ikaruga Review for Xbox 360 (X360)

Ikaruga Review for Xbox 360 (X360)

Casual Gamers Need Not Apply

If you are a casual gamer, Ikaruga is not the title for you. Xbox Live Arcade has many titles like Hexic HD and Boogie Bunnies that will give you the fun and light pick-up-and-play experience you crave. If you are a hardcore gamer, however, and pride yourself on your insane gamerscore and how many games you’ve beat on “insane,” then Ikaruga will put you in a state of gaming bliss that you may have never even known was possible.

Ikaruga screenshot

In an age where every shooter is indistinguishable from another, Ikaruga gets back to basics. It can best be described as a Japanese third person space-shooter. But trust me, this is no Galaga. The core gameplay in Ikaruga is based on a simple concept: you can change your space-fighter’s polarity from black to white. If you are black, you will be immune to attacks from black enemies. If you are white, then you will be immune to white attacks. The polarity also works offensively as well: if you attack someone with a reverse polarity, then your attack power is doubled.

To the Ikaruga-uninitiated this may sound like a fairly uncomplicated premise. Simple, even. But let me assure you, Ikaruga is by far one of the hardest games I have ever played. The level design is so intricate and complex that each stage requires you to go through it several times and literally memorize exactly how to avoid obstacles, enemy fire, and precise moments when to change polarity. There will be several times where the screen will literally be filled with fire coming at you from both black and white ships, and it’ll be up to you to get the precise second down where you have to switch your polarity. And if you get hit once, then it’s sayonara for you.

Ikaruga screenshot

Luckily for those who have a hard time with this kind of all-or-nothing gameplay, there are a few built-in handicaps that you can give yourself. First of all, the only way to unlock new levels is to go through all the levels at once. So even if you have beaten levels 1-3 straight through, you won’t be able to unlock level four unless you survive all the way through. But the game lets you play through any of the levels that you have already beaten in a free-play style mode where you can replay for hours just trying to fully memorize all the different nuances. This is a tremendous help if you are farther along in the game because playing through the entire game just so you can hone your skills on level three would get pretty boring.

The game also allows you to give yourself extra live and reduce the criteria for earning new lives, and it even allows you some freedom by giving you a certain amount of arcade-style continue screens (the number depends on the level you’re on). And while tweaking these few elements may help you get through some of the early modes, it is fairly surprising how useless these become once you get past level 3. The gameplay becomes so intense that it doesn’t matter how many lives or continue screens you have left, it becomes all about memorization and quick reflexes.

Ikaruga screenshot

In addition to playing Ikaruga single player, you are also able to play co-op either locally or over Xbox Live. And while this is a pretty good option for those too daunted to go it alone, I feel that playing this game solo is slightly more satisfying then playing co-op. Part of Ikaruga’s charm is the way it makes you scrutinize every level in painstaking detail, and when you are able to co-op it makes it much easier to burn through levels without paying as much attention as you would if you were going alone. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I think this type of frustratingly difficult play makes Ikaruga distinctive, and as such it is a game to be savored single player.

Ikaruga screenshot

Although Ikaruga might be punishing in terms of gameplay, it is fairly easy…on the eyes, that is. The game has gotten a major facelift since its last iterations on the GameCube and Dreamcast. The game is presented in full HD up to 720p and has a wonderfully quick framerate that keeps excellent pace with the extreme speed of the action on-screen. One cool feature of the game for those who own widescreen TVs is the ability to flip your TV on its side and use a realistic arcade full screen display (as opposed to the shrunken display with the large borders that you get if you leave your TV right side up.) Although this may be a bit impractical for those who don’t have wall-mounted TVs, it is a cool option nonetheless, and if you have the ability to play it like a jumbo arcade game, then all the more power to you.

Controls in this game are exceedingly simple. You lead your ship around with the left joystick, and then you decide which buttons control your three remaining actions: fire, burst attack, and polarize. I personally found that the shoulder buttons work best for the polarize command and the A and B (or X) buttons for the two attacks. But ultimately, the choice on how to control this game is completely up to you, which is a good thing because you’ll need to be as comfortable as possible with the controls so you can focus on getting through the game.

Ikaruga might sound like a short game, metering in at a paltry five levels. But trust me, this is not some flash in the pan game. It took me almost six hours just to get through the first three levels on easy with all the handicaps listed above. It is a truly challenging game, and is probably one of the best games out on Live Arcade. It challenges the notion that all the Live Arcade games are of the casual sect, and it definitely gives the hardcore crowd something to sink their teeth into. So if you’re ready for a challenge and have 800 Microsoft points to burn, you simply can’t go wrong with Ikaruga!

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.5 Graphics
Everything looks great in 720p. The option to play with your HD-TV on its side is a great option, even if it is impractical. 4.5 Control
Very simple. There are only three commands: change polarity, fire primary weapon, and fire charge attack. You can assign these actions to any button (or combination of buttons) you want, so no complaining if you mix up the buttons! 3.7 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Level music is pretty good, but spoken dialogue (which only really happens when you’re about to face a boss) is way too fast and sounds annoying. 4.8 Play Value
There are only a handful of levels, but the difficulty is so high that you’ll have to run through them again and again in order to sufficiently beat them and move on to the next levels. Local and online co-op are great options but the best way to experience this game is solo. And trust me, you’ll be doing that for quite awhile. 4.6 Overall Rating – Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Co-op play: Multiplayer support for two-player co-op offline or over Xbox LIVE allows you to clear the levels with a friend.
  • Video replay: Record your best moves and replay them to awe your friends.
  • Arcade shoot-’em-up action: Five full classic and exciting levels are coupled with twelve new achievements to master.

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