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ikaruga
review entry |
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This may surprise a lot of people, but the old-school shooter genre isn't dead just yet. With Treasure's release of Ikaruga for the Nintendo GameCube this April, they have proven that this type of game can still stand up next to the fully 3D behemoths of today.
After receiving immense critical praise when they initially released Ikaruga in Japan for the dying Dreamcast, Treasure decided to port the game to Nintendo's new system, again to significant praise, but also with the outcry from the American press for a release on this side of the Pacific. Well, they've answered the calls and we can't be happier.
Ikaruga embodies all that made all the old 16-bit shooters like Gradius so great: non-stop action, insane difficulty, pattern memorization, great 2-player support, and the fun factor to make it all a blast to play.
This isn't to say that Ikaruga is just some sort of cookie-cutter rehash of games that have come and gone. The things that truly make it stand out is the new twists to the genre that it throws in, things like the full 3D models and the switching between the light and dark forms of your ship.
This duality of your ship is what makes up the meat of the game. Every enemy in the game comes in one of these two flavors, white or black, and the concept is simple enough; if your ship is white, the black shots kill you but the white ones are absorbed and vice versa. All the shots your ship absorbs serve to fill a meter on the left side of the screen. At any time with the push of the button you can deplete this meter, releasing a salvo of extra-powerful homing missiles. No doubt you can picture the strategy that quickly develops, trying to switch back and forth between forms to escape death and power yourself up. Attacking oppositely colored ships, though more dangerous, destroys them faster allowing you to move out of the way of danger more quickly requiring you to decide on the fly what is the best form for the situation you are presently in.
Though the premise behind the gameplay seems simple enough, it won't take more than a few minutes of playing before you realize how complex and frantic things really get. This is what draws the player in, the adrenaline rush and the addictive quality that accompanies this seemingly simplistic game.
Also serving to eat up every free minute you have is the challenge mode. This is where you are given three measly lives and no continues and are simply supposed to score as many points as you can before you use up all your lives, which you will in no time. You're not merely playing against some set list of high scores though. When you finish you are given a 12-character password and a web address. After registering a username you are allowed to enter your password and then your score is ranked against everyone else's in the world. The fight to not just maintain your position on the list but to move up will quickly replace your desire to simply complete the game, and you will probably spend most of your time honing your skills in the challenge and conquest (practice) modes.
In addition to the single player campaigns, Treasure has included full 2-player support in the main game. (Sorry, no 2-player challenge mode.) The second player is given a slightly different ship, same abilities, and you team up to complete the same campaign that's featured for those going it alone. While you can freely shoot through each others' ships you cannot overlap, this causes for some shoving matches in the later levels when the quarters get a little close. The addition of a second player without an increase in difficulty detracts a little from the mystique of the game but there's plenty of challenge and it's a blast to have someone else by your side firing away with you.
The main thing, besides the difficulty, that could turn many casual gamers away from Ikaruga is the graphics. While all the ships and enemies are modeled in full three dimensional glory, the game is presented from the traditional top-down perspective giving it an essentially 2D presentation. In today's arena of free-roaming 3D environments, 2D games are continually overlooked as ancient by many gamers before they take the time to see what these games truly have to offer. Two dimensional games are still valid in today's games and Ikaruga proves it, but the question is if they're still valid from a retail perspective.
The great things about the graphics in this game though far outweigh any personal distaste that some gamers may have for the flat perspective. Despite the constant chaos of oncoming enemy ships, their fire, their explosive deaths, and the ensuing scattering of fire, the frame rate never hiccups. The one exception to this is after you destroy a boss, the game slows down to a snail's pace. This seems to be an intentional effect used to be dramatic but doesn't look as crisp as it should, giving the feel that it's an accident. This definitely does not affect gameplay in any way though.
Unfortunately, the game doesn't stack up quite as well in the audio department. While the sound is far from bad, it's just not up to par with the rest of the game. The background music is fitting with the style of the game, is fairly catchy, and blends into the background well. For the most part, you will probably rarely notice the music, which is a good thing because you'll need your attention directed at what's going on onscreen.
The sound effects are perfect. They're crisp, clean explosions and such accompanying the insane action that's taking place. They get a little redundant after a while though, needing a little bit of variety after much playing time.
Overall, Ikaruga is one of those great games that are greater than the sum of their parts. Though not too long, nor having the flashiest graphics, nor the best sound, nor the draw of a compelling storyline, the frantic and addictive gameplay pulls you in and doesn't let go. If you are looking for a change from the overly easy games that seem to be saturating the market today, Ikaruga is a breath of fresh air providing an experience that is guaranteed to leave you begging for mercy the first time through. The sense of accomplishment that comes with any significant progress makes it all worthwhile though. If you don't like your games to give you a challenge and would rather just sit back and cruise through a game, look elsewhere. I highly recommend Ikaruga to anyone though. You owe it to yourself to at least give it a try.
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Rich G. - GameCubicle Reader |
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