Ikaruga Comments by Simon Parkin

Not as high as I expected.

Nice that the game is being looked at on its own merits though and the reviewer isn't just slapping a 9 or 10 on it just because it's a supposed 'classic'.

Not sure if I can get past the orientation of the screen, how well does that work?

It isn't hyped so minus 2 points.

Is it possible to rotate the screen 90 degrees and then reorient your display? I personally use a PC monitor for my 360 gaming and it's very easy to turn it so if it's possible to get the game to tilt and fill up the whole surface area it would be awesome.

I already own this on DC and Gamecube so won't be getting it on live as well but anyone who hasn't played this should... Ikaruga and Contra III: The Alien Wars are for me the best shoot-em-ups ever made. Edit: Although I've not played Radient Silvergun. I hope they bring that out on live as far less people have played that title.

Ikaruga gets the same score as Mr. Driller. Thats beyond me.

The review was very well-written but it reads like a 9/10.

When I tested this on PartnerNet a couple of months ago I noticed some slowdowns towards the end of the trial level. Are they gone?

Why shouldn't Ikaruga and Mr Driller get the same score? They're both very good games with limited appeal. I'm one of the biggest shmup fans (and Treasure fans) going, but Ikaruga's widely over-rated in the same way as similarly "arty" games like Rez and Ico are. It's very beautiful and clever but not really all that much fun for about 94% of gamers.

Radiant Silvergun would be a much better addition to XBLA. It's rarer, designed for a horizontal display, and would benefit more from a visual polish.

(And of course, what any sane person REALLY wants is Bangai-o.)

@ Inquisitor and NegativeZero

You could in the GameCube version so I hope you can here. I'm buying this regardless later today (after work) so I'll let you know with an edit to this post.

"It's very beautiful and clever"

I think you mean "it's the clever".

It is clear from the review that clever is now a noun, and not an adjective after all.

'Cleverness' need not apply.

When is this going to be released on XBLA or is it already there? I didnt see it last night when I was on......



EDIT: Just seen the mini article saying its there today (as of Wednesday). P.S. RAD S G would be a nice addition I have to say. O BTW those of you into treasure should check out Bangai-o on DS.

I've read reviews of Mr. Driller on GameSpot where they gave it 2.5 (out of 10) and IGN gave it 2.8 so I wondered whether this was the same game EG reviewed and gave 8/10 to... I mean I can understand slight differences of opinion but not to the extent of one person saying the game is great and the other two saying it's terrible. Having tried the Mr. Driller demo, I'm with GameSpot and IGN, it's not a good game. The GameRankings average of 48% seems to confirm that too.

However, I haven't played Ikaruga before so I can't help wondering if this is another overhyped retro game that isn't as good as people make out or whether it really is good... thank goodness for trial demos, eh?

best shooter ever. I have it for my dreamcast, I have it for gamecube (even though I never got a gamecube) and now will get it for my x360.

YES!

On the subject of Mr Driller, IGN got their score totally wrong. It is a classic. Granted the fact that the online part just doesn't work (because of unplayable lag) and the graphics are a bit blurry, deserve a mention and probably should effect the score, but the core game is intact and is great (IGN gave the Dreamcast version an 8.6 or something back when it was released).

Back on the subject of Ikaruga, despite owning it on Gamecube, I'll definitely be picking it up again, it is a classic well worthy of the praise heaped upon it. Although personally I think Treasure's best shooter is Gradius V.

@Darren

Ign gave Ikaruga 90%. And i actually bought Mr. Driller because of the Eurogamer review being the only one availaible before the game was out. Big mistake. Im absolutely with gamespot and ign regarding Mr. Driller Online. The online part dont even work.

Ikaruga should be a safe buy though.

Ikaruga should be a safe buy though.

It wouldn't surprise me if the online part of Ikaruga didn't work either, to be honest.

@HSH25

I can agree with you that the core game in Mr. Driller online is very addictive and fun too. But its called Mr. Driller ONLINE.
The game is made for multiplayer - and without it its just too shallow imo. Still fun but not enough compared to the competition on xbla.

@HSH25

Im sure its fine. Ikaruga is very good in singleplayer and its not called Ikaruga Co-op special either. No other xbla game ive played has been as poorly as Mr. Driller Online eh online.

@HSH25 - That's the point though... some games *were* great "back in the day" but only the classics age well and stand up to the test of time, that's what makes them classics. Most games are superseded by better games so while you remember them as being good, quite often returning back to them years later reveals that, well, they ain't that great anymore.

I think it's too easy to get carried away by nostalgia when reviewing retro games but I find the vast majority bore me after 10 minutes but if that was my attitude to full priced games well then I'd have given up playing games by now. Yes, XBLA games are cheap at £7 but even so they're still overpriced if you don't play them for more than 10 minutes, right?

I guess my problem is that I've been playing games for 28 years and in that time games have changed dramatically, and for the better, but although I remember the old days with fondness, I've learnt that they are best remembered as they were through rose-tinted glasses because most older games don't stand the test of time very well IMO. I could play some games like Banjo-Kazooie for hours - I consider that a classic - but other like Mr. Driller bore me rigid within minutes. Generally though, I'm someone who looks to the present and future not the past for my gaming pleasures.

8/10 is about 492 points too low for Ikaruga, you heretics. But I do suppose, for the mortals adressed by this site, the score is about right and indeed, many will "find its undiluted focus too much to bear". What the otherwise good review seems not to point out consequently is that Ikaruga - to my mind - is more of a puzzle game with schmup mechanics than vice-versa, which, I'd assume, is why hardcore schmup fans often underrate it.

And by the sounds of it, the HD graphics, playback mode, online co-op and leaderboards elevate it from the realm of perfect to that of divine.

Now if only MS would publish DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou Black Label...

This is a 10/10 for me and an instant purchase, even though I already own GC version.

Looking forward to challenging the leaderboards.

What the otherwise good review seems not to point out consequently is that Ikaruga - to my mind - is more of a puzzle game with schmup mechanics than vice-versa

From the review: "it transforms what would otherwise be a short, sharp, orthodox vertical shooter into an elaborate twitch puzzle"

>best shooter ever

Err.... I still think Radiant Silvergun tops this. Now bring that to XBLA instead of paying 250 euro for it.

I 'heart' Treasure. My favourite developer.
+1 on needing Bangai-o.
Then i can finally sell my dreamcast and not miss anything.

That's the best image for an article ever.

Now, if the leaderboards aren't just the top 100 players (like Triggerheart), then this is a definite purchase for me (as soon as I get my Xbox back!) Please say everyone is on the leaderboards so I can compare with friends!

@Rev. Stuart Campbell
(And of course, what any sane person REALLY wants is Bangai-o.)

I dispute this. Most sane people have trouble dealing with Bangai-o, mostly due to the story.

Now that you mention it though, I really want that.

So it's space invaders with a twist then?

Is the word 'clever' a noun? "Herein lies the game's clever: every encounter...."

Good that Dan's always around to prove me wrong.

The key word in my above post is consequently. The review continues to treat Ikaruga as first and foremost a "shoot-'em-up with a good idea" whereas in my opinion it's a good idea with a schmup.

No split screen co op? Bit disappointed about that, will still buy it tonight though i reckon.

Quint2020: Eh? There's no splitscreen co-op because it's same screen co-op, surely? It does have local multiplayer!

It does have local co op? Ok great, never played this game despite being a huge Dreamcast fan and buying games well after SEGA had supposedly withdrawn support for the machine, for one reason or another though i never picked Ikaruga up, that will change tonight =].

The whole "It offers Xbox Live co op" with no mention of any kind of local co op kind of threw me.

Ten - I've been playing the 360 version on partnernet for months and it's ace. This and RezHD are the best Live Arcade has to offer.

It even supports WS tate mode.

Spot on review.

Nice to see the art style get a mention - really blew me away when I first played this on the GC.

Speaking of dedication to the game and perfecting a strategy, check this out.

Rev, stay away from ICO, mmkay :)

me likes those "arty games".

You can rotate the screen.

The scotish invaded Lisbon, btw.

Quais escoceses?

So do real men play this with an arcade stick? I was never happy with either the analogue stick or d-pad on the Gamecube version, and the Xbox's d-pad is hardly any better ...

"Quais escoceses? "
The ones who are going to loose bad next thursday.

@Miguel

Im pretty sure you wont be buying this. Im i right or im i right.

Fact. Radient Silvergun will never make it to XBLA.

I will be buying, I have no doubts about that. The question is, when will I have time to play it. Rez is still holding in line, but it's already purchased.

There's slowdown when the first boss explodes but as I've said before, that's there by design.

It's great, but am I missing the option to rotate the controls aswell as the screen...?

@Miguel

One of the best things about xbla games is that it doesnt take ages to complete them. You need to play them many times to get the achievements but you can always squeeze in and hour now and then inbetween the huge retail games and still enjoy it.
I havent played Rez more than maybe 3-4 hours but i enjoyed those hours alot more than hours spent on many retail games.

I have the same problem though - too many games i want to play and complete - too little time to do it.

Such florid drivel. Someone's been appreciating themselves too much. Anyway sounds like a good game.

'I could play some games like Banjo-Kazooie for hours - I consider that a classic - but other like Mr. Driller bore me rigid within minutes.'

With me its totally the other way around...although Banjo was never any good (Rare never made a good platform game either in 2D or 3D as far as I'm concerned).

'Radiant Silvergun will never come to XBLA'
Um, why not? If this sells you can bet your bollocks to a barndance it will. why the hell would the original makers not want to make money? the chance of playing a game that's rarer than rocking horse shit on E Bay will be a big draw and it will sell real well, so I'd expect to see it sooner rather than later.

Lads, get this it's really great. I had it for the cube, not even a big fan of shooters but got it and loved it. It's really pure and makes me feel warm and fluffy every time I play it. Two player mode is good, I also think it's perfectly suited to just firing up for a quick blast. The finest compliment I can pay is that I'm debating buying it even though my Wii (and the cube disk) sits next door to my XBOX, just because it will be great to play in between COD4 and because I want to support it.