Developer: Treasure Publisher: Atari Released: April 14, 2003 Genre: Shooter
I’ve always admired developer Treasure’s ability to inject new mechanics into well-worn genres. Guardian Heroes was the natural evolution of the beat em up with its branching paths and multiple endings. Silhouette Mirage added a light/dark mechanic that was tricky at first but incredibly fun to play around with once you got the hang of it. But even with that pedigree I’m still surprised at just how innovative Ikaruga is. And it is built on an idea so simple you’ll wonder why no one tried it first. Ikaruga is one of my favorite shooters of all time and one of the best shooters ever made, period.
Ikaruga is an anomaly within the shooter genre as it features no power-ups or extra weapons. The game relies solely on its polarity switching mechanic. Luckily it is a simple yet brilliant system that is strong enough to carry the entire game. At the press of a button you can switch between black and white polarity. All bullets in the game come in either shade. Bullets of the same color can be absorbed to power your homing fire while the opposite polarity will outright kill you. The system extends to the enemies and damage you deal as well. Attacking with the opposite polarity yields devastating results and is key to dealing with bosses in a timely fashion. Switching is key to mastering Ikaruga as it is in every fabric of the game and the game rewards that put in the time.
Even the best gameplay system means nothing without good level design to exploit. In this regard Ikaruga is a cut above the majority of shooters. The way the black/white mechanic permeates every area of the game has to be applauded. From generic enemies to massive cannons that funnel energy, lingering in one shade is not an option since it leaves you vulnerable at the worst moments. It’s funny, years of playing shooters has taught us to avoid bullets at all costs. Yet Ikaruga encourages you to actively seek them out. The game devolves in to bullet hell madness but unlike those titles that feature a minute safe zone here you make your own. Each level almost becomes a puzzle you have to maneuver. Yet in spite of how complicated it may seem it always seems manageable.
It wouldn’t be a Treasure game without ridiculous boss battles. Ikaruga is their most restrained with just five but they are no less complex than their very best. Each boss is a litmus test to see just how much you have mastered Ikaruga’s mechanics. They seem impossible at first, blanketing the screen in a spray of color coded bullets that seem impossible to navigate. But they telegraph all of their moves in advance. But knowing what is coming and how to react are two different skill sets. Each encounter is memorable and a fitting conclusion to each stage, even if you’ll probably use up a credit to pass them.
Despite its simplicity Ikaruga some depth for those that want it. Killing enemies in groups of three awards a chain. Chains remain even when you switch colors and are the key to earning high score multipliers. Enemy waves are laid out so that with skill it is possible to keep a chain going for most of a level. Seeing it in motion is pretty incredible. Unfortunately unless you like to play for high scores it isn’t really worth it. The only reward for high chains is points and the requirements to earn extra lives are too steep.
Ikaruga is not an easy game by any stretch yet in spite of that it is still fair. The majority of your deaths will come from stray bullets you were not paying attention to. Even during its most bullet riddled moments you can still see the way out. There are times where the game speeds up and becomes an obstacle course that is unfair, most notably stage three. But these moments are few. I can honestly say in most cases when you die you’ll see exactly how and where you screwed up. It will still take a while to see the end of this one, but luckily the game is so fun I imagine most won’t mind replaying it over and over to do so.
The Dreamcast version of Ikaruga was the first port with the GameCube edition coming a year later. This version has a few extra modes that really help ease new players into the game. Trial Mode gives you infinite lives but is only the first two stages. The real meat of this version is Conquest Mode. This mode allows you to watch an expert player run through a section of the game. From there you can do the same, in slow motion or full speed. Even though there are better videos of Ikaruga on youtube today this is still an indispensable tool to help learn the finer points of the game. Unfortunately this version is incredibly rare and expensive.
In Closing
Forget being one of my favorite games in the genre. In my opinion Ikaruga is one of the greatest shooters of all time. Fun mechanics & top notch production values combine to make this one great package. However you play Ikaruga it is one hell of a ride.
