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ikaruga
review entry |
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Presentation
Ikaruga is quite an achievement in this category. To start off, the box art is really quite amazing. This game sports some of the greatest artwork so far this generation of games (or last generation if you consider this is a Dreamcast game), and the box art flaunts that openly. Unfortunately, the all too famous
"Our frothing demand for this game increases" quote made by IGN lies on the cover too. It definitely hurts the overall effect of the box art, but it still is quite exquisite.
In a more general category than the box art, the entire style of the game is amazing. It's very hard to describe the game design style that Treasure was able to implement with this title in words, but if you played it, you would understand. From the general graphical style of an apocalyptic world, to the design of the enemy ships, all is top-notch work. Amazing job, Treasure.
Graphics
As many of you know, Ikaruga was one of the amazing games that made an appearance on Dreamcast, unfortunately, only in Japan. The GameCube version of the shooter is, more or less, a direct port graphically. However, it is far from the truth to say this game slacks in that department. The frame rate is smooth and rarely slows down, the particle effects and bullets are amazing, and the backgrounds are definitely "Froth-worthy". Thank, also due to the game's nature of scrolling past environments quickly and showing close-ups of any of the on-screen ships, any texture or graphical problems that due exist are nearly impossible to see. Amazing.
Sound
Wow! What an amazing job Treasure did on sound. This game contains some of the best music ever to grace a shooter, let alone any genre of game. The soundtrack contains many swooping, epic songs that give you the feeling that you really are Earth's last chance. Exquisite.
Gameplay
Gameplay is the best aspect of Ikaruga. The system of having to switch between black and white blends seamlessly into the game's chain system. Easily one of the most strategic, yet fun shooters to ever grace any console. First Radiant Silvergun, now Ikaruga, I can't wait to see what Treasure creates next. Flawless.
Lasting Appeal
Lasting appeal is usually a problem with most shooters. However, that is far from the truth with Ikaruga. Due to the smart inclusion of the chain system, it seems as though it is always possible to get a higher score through more work in the also new training mode.
And if that's not enough, Treasure also decided to implement one of the best things to hit the shooter since
joysticks, online ranking. Thanks to the code you receive when you die or finish the game, it is possible to input your scores into Treasure's Ikaruga Net Ranking website to see how your scores stack up against the best from all around the world. This gives Ikaruga the feeling of an online game, in that you are competing against other people, while not actually being online. Fresh and new, I love it.
Rating
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Old School Gameplay Bliss
Mixes Old and New to One
Instantly Classic
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Dreamcast's Last Hurrah
Beautiful 2D - 3D
Silky Smooth Throughout
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Beautiful Style
Box art is One of the Best
True Work of Game Art
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Epic in Nature
Captivating the Player
Great effects galore
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Artistically Hard
Online Ranking - Great and New
Best Shooter Ever
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Jason B. -
GameCubicle Reader |
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