Ikaruga (Gamecube) Review

Introduction:
In an era filled with many, many complex three-dimensional graphics, one game dares not to follow the standard set by “Halo: Combat Evolved” for the Xbox and “Metroid Prime” for the Gamecube. This game also happens to be one of the most addictive games ever. The game that I’m referring to, is of course Ikaruga.

Graphics:
While the game may look pretty simplistic in screenshots, you have to see it in motion to appreciate what this game does. Ikaruga is amazing looking with all the colours all over the screen at one time. But being a top-down shooter it cannot really compete with the amazing graphics of “Metroid Prime” and “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker”.

Sound:
The sound is pretty good, basically the whizzing of “bolts” (known to normal people as bullets) and the sound of explosions. If you want music, put on a Metallica (or whatever kind of music you’re into) CD. It makes for an amazing gaming experience. This is the game’s weakest point.

Gameplay:
Ikaruga relies on one button mostly, the B button. This button on the controller is used to fire the bolts (bullets/plasma/lasers/whatever you want to call it) out of your ship. Sounds like a normal top-down shooter, right? That’s where the similarities end. The A button is used to change your polarity (switch colour from black and white) and if you’re the same polarity as the bolts the enemies are firing at you, then you can absorb them and eventually have a screen clearing auto-tracking laser system (like a smart bomb in other top-down shooters). The screen is usually filled with enemy bolts and you have to change polarities quickly just to survive. As one of my friends called this game, “THE Twitch Shooter”, because if you don’t change and are hit by the enemy fire of the opposite polarity, you’re dead.

Difficulty:
While Ikaruga is pretty short, it also has a high level of difficulty, especially when you’re trying to unlock things, over and over and over and over again. Not once while I was doing this did I ever think of putting down the controller and put in my copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker or Super Mario Sunshine. The whole gaming experience just draws you in and keeps your attention on the game.

Graphics 9.0

Gameplay 9.0

Sound 9.0

Tilt 8.0

Value 8.0