The real fun comes not in completing Ikaruga, but by the player challenging themselves to get higher scores and learn the additional difficulties. This, when paired with the option of infinite continues, allows for even the most unskilled of players to get through the game. The easiest doesn’t feature any return fire from foes, while the hardest is a constant barrage of obstacles and bullets for the player to avoid. In total, there are three separate difficulty options to choose from. In this way, Ikaruga’s short length is a benefit rather than a hindrance. The high level of difficulty and different possible play styles (such as beating the game without ever firing a shot) makes it so players are constantly learning more about the in-game systems as they replay the game. This isn’t a game to merely be enjoyed due to history or nostalgia, but a mastercraft of game design that will forever be a delight to come back to. Still, it’s hard to be upset when the core gameplay has still held up so well. Some additional documentation on how the game came to be would’ve been appropriate, and it feels like a missed opportunity. There’s a gallery with some rough sketches and cool pieces to look at, but it doesn’t feel like Treasure’s legacy is truly celebrated. It’s an intense gameplay loop, but one that is a joy to master.Ĭonsidering the 15th anniversary of Ikaruga’s original release just recently passed, it’s a bit disappointing that the latest port wasn’t more of a love letter to the original. It makes some of the early stages (especially on the lower difficulties) overly easy, but it quickly becomes a masterfully designed dynamic that constantly has the player focusing on several things at once. There are two different types of ships and bullets in the game and the player can absorb damage by switching to its corresponding color. While many shooters are difficult to go back to due to their reliance on being designed around eating player’s coins, this more modernised take has aged gracefully due to its innovations.Īs previously mentioned, Ikaruga incorporates some puzzle elements that make this just as much about the player’s strategies as their reflexes. As a SHMUP, Ikaruga proved divisive upon release due to its puzzle elements, but it’s these same dynamics that make it age so much better than many of its contemporaries. It’s been over 15 years since Treasure released its spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun.
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