Ikaruga

The polarity system elegantly solves one of the main challenges of constructing a good curtain/bullet hell shooter: how do you maximize the amount of projectiles on the screen while still having it possible (if not easy) for the player to dodge them? The answer: there are two different "polarities" of projectile, and if your craft matches the polarity of one it doesn't damage you; instead, it charges your super meter. If you're encountering more projectiles of the opposite polarity, just switch the polarity of your craft! It's a beautiful keystone mechanic and it makes this one of the greatest shooters of all time

Absolute banger game, from the soundtrack to the artstyle to everything. Unfortunately it is impossible to have fun trying to learn the levels cause the developers though it would be very smart to start the whole game from the beginning when you die, not the chapter, the whole game. Haven't seen reddit behaviour like this in a long time, but what can you expect from an ancient arcade port. Speaking of ports, the game severely drops the frame rate in some areas (explosions mainly). It's a same cause i couldn't find a mod or some other way to make this game enjoyable. Don't support games that make decisions like this, it's diabolical this game has overwhelmingly positive.

Ikaruga still holds up. It's hard in a way that makes you want to be better at the game. I can only hope that more of Treasure's library makes its way to PC. Gunstar Heroes with online co-op would be a dream come true.

Ikaruga is, what I believe to be, the best shoot em up game of all time. The polarity system is unique and the difficulty rewarding, but where the game really shines is when you get into scoring. Trying to look for every possible chain just to make that number go up is an experience like no other, and it's only then when you will understand the sheer depth of how precisely designed this game really is. A 10/10 perfect game.

Masterclass in game design. Not a single mechanic in Ikaruga feels out of place or lacking, and I don't think there is anything that could be added to improve it even further either without making it feel bloated - it's quite literally a perfect videogame. You can switch colors to avoid enemy projectiles of the same color and power up by absorbing them instead, while doing more damage to the enemy ships of the opposite color. If you are feeling fancy, you can destroy enemies that share the same color in chains of 3 to increase your score. That's it, that's the entire game. It might sound very bare-bones when put like that, but in practice the developers managed to do incredibly fun things with just these mechanics alone. When you first start playing, your main goal is simply to survive the absolute hell that's happening on screen, and even that feels nigh impossible at first. However, as difficult as just surviving is, the true mastery actually lies within the chaining mechanic. In order to maximize your score and not break the same-color chain you will have to perform maneuvers that make the game orders of magnitudes more difficult. This offers an insanely high skill ceiling for those who wish to master the game beyond just clearing it without dying. Despite everything I've said earlier, and despite how overwhelming the game looks at a first glance, I urge you to try Ikaruga anyway, even if you haven't played any shoot-'em-up games before and it seems too daunting and difficult. It has accessibility options that make it possible to see this game through and have a lot of fun with it, even if you can't beat it "legitimately". Also, the soundtrack in this game is crazy good, if nothing else, at least give that a listen.

Classic game I remember playing for the first time on Gamecube, difficulty pushes into obscene, brain melting realms of madness. One of the great shmups. But seriously, I mean it, difficulty beyond reason.

I have to preface this review by stating that my experience with shmup games is very limited. I have played quite a few legendary games of the 8-bit and 16-bit era, but always with cheats, be it either with unlimited coins or rewinds. This makes me a total noob, that barely understands the genre, but definitely enjoys the frenetic soundtracks, flashy graphics and heart-pumping gameplay. Ikaruga is a weird one. It does not follow the typical shmup recipe. It introduces a colour-based invulnerability system, based on which your ship can absorb all damage from bullets of the same colour of your shield. A dedicated shield colour-switching button makes you feel like a space-ninja, blending with bullets when the switches are performed correctly. Ikaruga does not shy away from spamming you with enormous patterns of bullets. It simultaneously manages to overwhelm you and satisfy you with its patterns. The controls are very tight which is the most important aspect of an arcade game of such difficulty. Despite the coolness of the shield mechanic, the awesome bosses and the fitting soundtrack, I felt that something was missing. At first, I found the game far too difficult to enjoy with its normal rules. Yeah, I know, "git gud". Fortunately, turning on infinite continues, allowed me to not only see the entirety of the game, but also created some room for experimentation and light-heartedness, without the stress of going back to the beginning after just 3 minuscule mistakes. That's when I realized that apart from the combo meter that allows you to shoot some homing-missiles, there are no upgrades or alternative weapons. This makes each run less interesting. The whole addicting nature of the game solely depends on its difficulty, combined with the satisfaction of overcoming a previously impossible hurdle. Even though I enjoy difficult games very much, Ikaruga was far beyond my skill level and would never finish without infinite continues. I think that if I had "seriously" play some easier shmup games and then re-visit Ikaruga, I will enjoy it more. I cannot shake off the thought that there are better shmups out there though, and you actually lose nothing by skipping this one, except for having played such an arcade legend. Its price is fair, but unfortunately it felt like a 6/10 to me, which feels wrong for such a legend.

Highly Recommended. 9/10* One of the best shoot em ups, hard as f, incredible good looking graphics, good art design, cool music, and precise controls. Great swap mechanic, one color does damage, the other does not. The game is really short, but mastering will take time, goes really cheap on sale, has achievements and steam cards, its a must.

awesome! <3 found this game after searching for a game similar to the intro of NieR: Automata