IKUSAAAAAAAN!

Goes incredibly hard. English translation can be a bit rough and I am pretty confident the "function" key just straight up isn't bound on keyboard, but otherwise rules. I'm more of a casual SHMUP enjoyer and the presentation, soundtrack, and general of this feel is super explosive. The FEVER mechanic is pretty simple but reveals itself to have many unique and fun applications. Some attacks and situations definitely require memorization though and will just sorta deck you immediately if you aren't prepared, especially the Okuu fight. Still, super recommended.

"hidden gem" does not begin to describe this game. ikusaaaaaaan! is, at its core, a shoot' em up power fantasy. the enemies are incredibly fast and powerful, and they fill the screen with bullets. but so are you. the soundtrack is absolutely incredible, the bullet patterns are fun to learn. the fever mechanic feels like it should trivialize everything, but instead it becomes a game about timing and resource management. the way things are synced to the music is unbelievably satisfying. the way your fever duration ramps up along with the music and the enemy difficulty throughout each level, culminating into extremely dense patterns that you end up powering through with fever. the way you only get to play the song's (and the level's) climax if you manage to fulfill the secret unlock conditions. the completely absurd over-the-top level transitions with broken english text. but mostly, the chills you get when you perfectly dodge the level's hardest pattern by timing your fever uses to the electric guitar that's absolutely SHREDDING through some of the best tracks touhou has to offer.