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This thread has been linked to the game 'Ikaruga'.
Got this today, felt like doing a mini review.
This game really is a touch of genius. You probably know it's a classic 2D scrolling shoot 'em up, and that instead of having the usual selection of power-ups, you can switch between being white or black. And I must say that it's probably the best decision made in a game for years.The enemy ships are either white or black, and depending on what polarity you are affects what happens:
Same polarity:
Their shots can't hurt you.
You absorb their fire with the bulliet eater technique, which powers up your homing missiles.
When you destroy them they fire 4/5 shots at you.
Different polarity:
Their shots will destroy you.
You inflict double damage on them.
You earn double points for destroying them.
When you destroy them they don't fire any shots (unless you're playing on Hard)
But what makes it so great is that there are advantages to both ways. If you change to the same polarity as them you will be safer, and you can power up your lethal homing cluster missiles attack, but then again you can destroy them quicker and get a higher score by being brave and making yourself vulberable.
Also you can build up your chain combos and earn huge amounts of points by destroying 3+ ships of the same polarity. Naturally, you will be faced with ships and fire of each polarity at the same time for most of the game. The strategy element therefore is remarkable, and getting anywhere will require quick thinking and quicker reflexes. Another thing that struck me was that unlike the Monkeys Balls games, it has never once left me feeling frustrated, and I've never felt like the game was being unfair or irritating at anytime.
The graphics are pretty much what you'd expect, at some points I thought it could have done with some improved back grounds, but then when you think of the amount of ships and bulliets on the screen at one time, it's acceptable. Besides, if you actually want to be half good at you won't have time to admire the background anyway.
There's a few game modes, the normal story mode, trial mode (which is just the first 2 chapters, with unlimited lives for the first chapter), practice mode (choose a level to practice), Conquest; where you can choose a stage of a level and work on your technique, you can choose the difficulty and also if you want to play in slow motion for refinement. And of course, there's the 2 player co-op which I havne't tried yet.
There are also 4 modes you can unlock (I don't know what they are yet). They require things like beating Trial Mode on normal with one credit (continue), and beating the story on normal with one credit (which would only take...say..a year). But they can also be unlocked in a SSBM way, the first of the four will be unlocked after 5 hours of play time, the second 10 hours and then 15 and 20 hours for the others.
Lastly, there is a challenge mode, with is the story mode on normal, you are given one credit and you have to get the highest score possible. You will also get given a code, which I'm guessing is your score in some form of encryption; you can enter it on the website to enter your score in the world rankings. The top 5 for each category win a prize when it ends (July 31st).
Summary:
+ Classic retro action
+ Quick thinking
+ On the fly strategy
+ Hours and hours of game play
+ Extremely addictive
+ Very challenging
+ Enter world rankings
+ 2 Player co-op
- Slow down when a boss explodes, although it doesn't really matter because it's the end of the chapter.
- Doesn't give you cash for a high score.
- ..er..that's it.
And one final thing. I've spent ages playing it today, and I made it into the world rankings! Yep, for a whole glorious 15 minutes I was ranked as the 100th best player in the world at Ikaruga. I've been knocked off now, but I took a screenshot as a memento:
www.geocities.com/whitestripes15/ikaruga.JPG
This game really is a touch of genius. You probably know it's a classic 2D scrolling shoot 'em up, and that instead of having the usual selection of power-ups, you can switch between being white or black. And I must say that it's probably the best decision made in a game for years.The enemy ships are either white or black, and depending on what polarity you are affects what happens:
Same polarity:
Their shots can't hurt you.
You absorb their fire with the bulliet eater technique, which powers up your homing missiles.
When you destroy them they fire 4/5 shots at you.
Different polarity:
Their shots will destroy you.
You inflict double damage on them.
You earn double points for destroying them.
When you destroy them they don't fire any shots (unless you're playing on Hard)
But what makes it so great is that there are advantages to both ways. If you change to the same polarity as them you will be safer, and you can power up your lethal homing cluster missiles attack, but then again you can destroy them quicker and get a higher score by being brave and making yourself vulberable.
Also you can build up your chain combos and earn huge amounts of points by destroying 3+ ships of the same polarity. Naturally, you will be faced with ships and fire of each polarity at the same time for most of the game. The strategy element therefore is remarkable, and getting anywhere will require quick thinking and quicker reflexes. Another thing that struck me was that unlike the Monkeys Balls games, it has never once left me feeling frustrated, and I've never felt like the game was being unfair or irritating at anytime.
The graphics are pretty much what you'd expect, at some points I thought it could have done with some improved back grounds, but then when you think of the amount of ships and bulliets on the screen at one time, it's acceptable. Besides, if you actually want to be half good at you won't have time to admire the background anyway.
There's a few game modes, the normal story mode, trial mode (which is just the first 2 chapters, with unlimited lives for the first chapter), practice mode (choose a level to practice), Conquest; where you can choose a stage of a level and work on your technique, you can choose the difficulty and also if you want to play in slow motion for refinement. And of course, there's the 2 player co-op which I havne't tried yet.
There are also 4 modes you can unlock (I don't know what they are yet). They require things like beating Trial Mode on normal with one credit (continue), and beating the story on normal with one credit (which would only take...say..a year). But they can also be unlocked in a SSBM way, the first of the four will be unlocked after 5 hours of play time, the second 10 hours and then 15 and 20 hours for the others.
Lastly, there is a challenge mode, with is the story mode on normal, you are given one credit and you have to get the highest score possible. You will also get given a code, which I'm guessing is your score in some form of encryption; you can enter it on the website to enter your score in the world rankings. The top 5 for each category win a prize when it ends (July 31st).
Summary:
+ Classic retro action
+ Quick thinking
+ On the fly strategy
+ Hours and hours of game play
+ Extremely addictive
+ Very challenging
+ Enter world rankings
+ 2 Player co-op
- Slow down when a boss explodes, although it doesn't really matter because it's the end of the chapter.
- Doesn't give you cash for a high score.
- ..er..that's it.
And one final thing. I've spent ages playing it today, and I made it into the world rankings! Yep, for a whole glorious 15 minutes I was ranked as the 100th best player in the world at Ikaruga. I've been knocked off now, but I took a screenshot as a memento:
www.geocities.com/whitestripes15/ikaruga.JPG
Page:
Whitestripes DX wrote:
> What, and that's supposed to be some sort of insult?
>
> "hur hur you don't go outside during the day"
"Carpet of leaves... hur hur..."
*splurt*
> What, and that's supposed to be some sort of insult?
>
> "hur hur you don't go outside during the day"
"Carpet of leaves... hur hur..."
*splurt*
You seem to have taken the odd comment here and there, and a couple of topics about absolutely nothing (The adventures of AJ and gerrid), and turned it into some sort of religion for me and my friends. I don't really know why.
It's not very important what I do on Ukchatforums, in the larger scheme of things, to me, anyway.
Why are you so preoccupied with the idea that I constantly spout inane gibberish? Could you explain, possibly?
It's not very important what I do on Ukchatforums, in the larger scheme of things, to me, anyway.
Why are you so preoccupied with the idea that I constantly spout inane gibberish? Could you explain, possibly?
Pyon wrote:
> Whitestripes DX wrote:
> So what?
>
> I don't see you providing any reasons for all the crap you lot make
> up. Why should I?
>
> I knew that you'd make it back to 4-0 within 5 minutes.
Really?
You've avoided everything so far.
I'm asking you for your reasons as to all the crap you make, and if you don't answer, you'd be just a sbad as I apparently am.
> Whitestripes DX wrote:
> So what?
>
> I don't see you providing any reasons for all the crap you lot make
> up. Why should I?
>
> I knew that you'd make it back to 4-0 within 5 minutes.
Really?
You've avoided everything so far.
I'm asking you for your reasons as to all the crap you make, and if you don't answer, you'd be just a sbad as I apparently am.
gerrid wrote:
> Whitestripes DX wrote:
> And? Lots of people prefer night time. I'm naturally nocturnal, my
> day
> goes from about 12 noon to 4am.
>
> Hence the talk of not going outside in the daytime.
What, and that's supposed to be some sort of insult?
"hur hur you don't go outside during the day"
Yeah, real funny and clever; I can tell you've thought hard about that.
And just so you know, it's still daylight up to about 9pm in Summer, so I still spend plenty of time in it.
> Whitestripes DX wrote:
> And? Lots of people prefer night time. I'm naturally nocturnal, my
> day
> goes from about 12 noon to 4am.
>
> Hence the talk of not going outside in the daytime.
What, and that's supposed to be some sort of insult?
"hur hur you don't go outside during the day"
Yeah, real funny and clever; I can tell you've thought hard about that.
And just so you know, it's still daylight up to about 9pm in Summer, so I still spend plenty of time in it.
Whitestripes DX wrote:
> So what?
>
> I don't see you providing any reasons for all the crap you lot make
> up. Why should I?
I knew that you'd make it back to 4-0 within 5 minutes.
> So what?
>
> I don't see you providing any reasons for all the crap you lot make
> up. Why should I?
I knew that you'd make it back to 4-0 within 5 minutes.
So what?
I don't see you providing any reasons for all the crap you lot make up. Why should I?
I don't see you providing any reasons for all the crap you lot make up. Why should I?
Pyon wrote:
> and that fact that for a peroid of about 3 months you was on MSN 24
> hours a day...
That would be impossible to judge... unless there was someone also on 24 hours a day for 3 months...
> and that fact that for a peroid of about 3 months you was on MSN 24
> hours a day...
That would be impossible to judge... unless there was someone also on 24 hours a day for 3 months...
Whitestripes DX wrote:
> And? Lots of people prefer night time. I'm naturally nocturnal, my day
> goes from about 12 noon to 4am.
Hence the talk of not going outside in the daytime.
> And? Lots of people prefer night time. I'm naturally nocturnal, my day
> goes from about 12 noon to 4am.
Hence the talk of not going outside in the daytime.
You know that we'll keep mentioning your made up sister until you confront the topic, don't you, WS? Or should I say Fina?
Just so you know and can aptly avoid it again
Just so you know and can aptly avoid it again
gerrid wrote:
> Whitestripes DX wrote:
> Knowing nothing about me, you've some how made up the fact that I
> don't go outside.
>
>
> "I don't really like bright light. I prefer the darkness. I
> prefer to just stand in the field outside my house at night
> time"
>
> Although I trust anything you say about your personal life as far as I
> could throw it.
And? Lots of people prefer night time. I'm naturally nocturnal, my day goes from about 12 noon to 4am.
That does not actually mean anything you know.
> Whitestripes DX wrote:
> Knowing nothing about me, you've some how made up the fact that I
> don't go outside.
>
>
> "I don't really like bright light. I prefer the darkness. I
> prefer to just stand in the field outside my house at night
> time"
>
> Although I trust anything you say about your personal life as far as I
> could throw it.
And? Lots of people prefer night time. I'm naturally nocturnal, my day goes from about 12 noon to 4am.
That does not actually mean anything you know.
Page: