Ikaruga gets Japanese release date

By Robert Purchese Published 28 March, 2008

Live Arcade revamp down for April.

Microsoft plans to release Ikaruga for the Japanese Xbox Live Arcade on 9th April.

Confirmation comes from the official regional Xbox website, confirming the price at 800 Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60).

The platform holder is yet to announce a US or European date, but has been contacted for comment.

Ikaruga is vertical shooter originally developed by a quartet of brain-boxes for arcades in 2001. It went on to gain wider appeal through a limited run on the Dreamcast before appearing on the GameCube in 2003.

Central to its charm is the option to swap between black and white bullets. If you change to black then you absorb any incoming hostile black fire, but will explode if hit by a stray white bullet. And visa versa.

The Live Arcade port will have HD graphics and fit widescreen resolutions, as well as online co-operative play, replay mode and the usual leaderboards and Achievements.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (12) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Rash' #1 4 years ago

    Nobody cares, apparently!

  • Cadence #2 4 years ago

    Perhaps the thought of Ikaruga just fills people with so much fear they dare not comment.

  • Bagpuss #3 4 years ago

    a 9/10 from Eurogamer will change that....

  • oupe #4 4 years ago

    The Live Arcade port will have HD graphics and fit widescreen resolutions

    I hope not like that Omega whatever game where the actual gameplay takes about 10% of your screen.

    Ikaruga FTW!

  • f00b_inc #5 4 years ago

    I loved this game on the Dreamcast :)

  • espibara #6 4 years ago

    Whats happened to Raiden Fighters Aces the video of it is up on xbox live but no release date yet whats going on? Its already out in Japan but nothing is indicated for teh UK

  • espibara #7 4 years ago

    We now need

    Under defeat, under defeat, under defeat, under defeat, under defeat, under defeat, under defeat, under defeat, under defeat, under defeat, under defeat.

    and I want it NOW.

    Come on G-Rev lets have it.

  • Rash' #8 4 years ago

    Anyone seen the DVD of this game? Those players are sick! Honestly, the things they do on this game are unexplainable!

  • wellzy4eva #9 4 years ago

    Any news about if it will still be insanely bordered? and if you can still flip the screen?

  • dripping_brain #10 4 years ago

    I can only assume that "will...fit widescreen resolutions" must mean that you can still flip the screen, otherwise everythings going to look very very fat in the game as it's not really meant for widescreen vdu's. Flipping the screen was a nice option, but given that the average telly at the time (and I'm sure it's not much different now) would collapse under its own weight if you balanced it on one end the only option really was to try and lie on the floor looking at the TV sidey-ways. Just play it with borders!

  • SomaticSense #11 4 years ago

    Is there any reason as to why it's coming out so soon in Japan, and nowhere else has a release date?

    We can scratch any excuses over it being due to distribution, as it's a download, and it isn't a heavily text-based RPG either, so it isn't due to translation either. And don't tell me it's 'because 'it's Japanese, so they get it earlier', as we get shafted over UK developed/published games more often than not.

  • tinners #12 4 years ago

    i'll comment - how much longer?? this has been on partnernet for ages and its ready to go! :(

    love this game and its impossibly hard ways :)
    Edited by 1 at 31/03/08 @ 09:48