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"Ikaruga"

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This thread has been linked to the game 'Ikaruga'.
Sat 19/04/03 at 22:41
Regular
Posts: 787
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
Page:
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:31
Regular
"bit of a brain"
Posts: 18,933
You do know a lot about games, even if our tastes don't quite mesh, I'll give you that.

And your status as forum importer will be somewhat missed, I am sure.
Although I don't doubt your constantly harsh tones won't be missed.
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:28
Regular
Posts: 11,875
But that has nothing to do with me, it was to an innocent.


Whether you think I insult people too much or not, I only do it when someone says or does something stupid.

Okay, sometimes it's harsh when it's such a small thing, I can admit that.


Anyway, seeing as this is pretty much resolved I really will bagger off now, and just post a few every so often.
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:26
Regular
"bit of a brain"
Posts: 18,933
Yeah that was quite amusing at the time.
Sorry for any inconvenience it caused to your american friend. But it was a bravenet forum, and it was all deleted wuite quickly.

It was worth it, although I realise it was quite selfish. But don't you preach to me about how you shouldn't insult people in the name of your own enjoyment.
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:25
Regular
"Jog on, sunshine"
Posts: 8,979
You can't be deadly serious all the time.


You, yourself WS, have shown this. the whole *pins* thing is an example of this.

Amidst any argument there will be, 9 times out of 10, a funny comment.
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:23
Regular
Posts: 11,875
No, you spend far more time writing crap, but it's dropped recently.

And please tell me why you and your minions felt the need to spam the guestbook of that site, it has absolutely nothing to do with me.
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:21
Regular
"bit of a brain"
Posts: 18,933
I agree with you that I spend a lot of my time not being totally serious, but I spend just as much time helping people out with their problems and writing serious replies as I do telling people that "u luv horse" or "captain stupid has come to rescue you all".
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:19
Regular
Posts: 11,875
hmm

While that's true, about Mafia at least, that was before you started all your wenchmobile crap.


I've seen your older posts when you were thegerrid, and it was better then.
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:19
Regular
"bit of a brain"
Posts: 18,933
Whitestripes DX wrote:
> And of course, you realise that writing gerrid sounds more like gerrid
> than djerrid does, yes?

People have nicknames.
Mine are:
gerrid
djerrud.

Djerrud is the phonetic spelling of my actual name, which people often pronounce incorrectly.
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:17
Regular
"bit of a brain"
Posts: 18,933
WS you remember the time when you were talking to me about your room. Or the times we talked about Mafia.
Or all the times your 'alter ego' talked to me.

I was perfectly 'normal' then.
Sun 15/06/03 at 00:17
Regular
Posts: 11,875
And of course, you realise that writing gerrid sounds more like gerrid than djerrid does, yes?
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