Ikaruga on Xbox Live Arcade

[Oobgarm]

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/14/ikaruga-bound-for-xbox-live-arcade/

I wouldn't be opposed to having a library of classic and neo-classic shmups on my 360. Let's hope this is just the beginning.

And hi-res makes it worth purchase regardless if you already have it on DC or GCN. :P

[heybtbm]

Another homerun for XBLA.

[Drag0nsfyre]

sweet! :D Let's not forget acheivments too. At least you'll earn something for the difficulty.

[diskoboy]

http://www.pharfruminsain.com/graphics/images/free-MrBurnsExcellent.gif

I already have the Dreamcast import, but I'll buy this again if they make it 800 points. XBLA leaderboards, online multiplayer, and achievement points seal the deal.

[c0ldb33r]

Wow, XBLA is really kicking the crap out of the Wii Shop.

Looks like I'm going to have to pick up a 360 sooner than later :)

[agbulls]

The more games that are released for XB arcade that I actually own (double dragon, burgetime, castlevania, etc.) the more I wonder about the original's potential collectibility. I love my carts and my actual copies--don't get me wrong--but it just seems like a clear devaluation of the originals.

Take Ikaruga. Who is going to value the low-rez Gamecube verion even worth owning (let alone valuing it ~ $50) if you can buy a high def version for around $15?

I can't imagine ever pulling out my cube version--ever--if this happens. Is this good or bad? I don't actually know yet...I do love HD.

[MrSmiley381]

I appear to have messed my pants in delight. I don't have a 360, but I plan to get one soon enough. Even then, I'll still track down the Cube version of the game.

[swlovinist]

The cube version will always be in demand. Why? because it is on a media disc. Sure the XBLA version will be prettier, but collectors dont care about that. A perfect example of this are Nes games. The Wii being able to play roms have not devalued Nes games at all, it has just made more collectors. New systems playing old games has been around awhile. For people who strictly play their games this is awsome. Game Collectors are a different breed and like to collect things in categories by type, genere, company, etc. As for playability, I have to say that this is cool for Xbox 360 owners who have thier system online. For the rest, I guess we will have to settle with the DC or GC version.

[slip81]

If I still had my 360 I'd seriously contemplate getting the VGA cable so I could hook the think up to my WS rotating monitor so I could play it in HD AND on the vertical orientation. . .maybe I'll get another 360 in a year or two . . .

[downfall]

If I still had my 360 I'd seriously contemplate getting the VGA cable so I could hook the think up to my WS rotating monitor so I could play it in HD AND on the vertical orientation. . .maybe I'll get another 360 in a year or two . . .

I've done that with the Gamecube Ikaruga, and it's absurd how much more entertaining the game is. This would be an immediate purchase for me if I had a 360.

[ubersaurus]

Ugh, why Ikaruga? The game wasn't that good!

I'd much rather them put out Radiant Silvergun so I wouldn't have to pay out the ass to try it.

[TurboGenesis]

Ugh, why Ikaruga? The game wasn't that good!

I'd much rather them put out Radiant Silvergun so I wouldn't have to pay out the ass to try it.

Ikaruga = overated
Granted its a decent game but by far not the best imho. I personally like Radiant Silvergun better myself.

I think the best thing will be online multiplayer? Though I never liked the ship bumping. But what if I want to play in tate and my friend doesn't? How would that work?


The more games that are released for XB arcade that I actually own (double dragon, burgetime, castlevania, etc.) the more I wonder about the original's potential collectibility. I love my carts and my actual copies--don't get me wrong--but it just seems like a clear devaluation of the originals.

Take Ikaruga. Who is going to value the low-rez Gamecube verion even worth owning (let alone valuing it ~ $50) if you can buy a high def version for around $15?

I can't imagine ever pulling out my cube version--ever--if this happens. Is this good or bad? I don't actually know yet...I do love HD.

Purist prefer these games to be in their original arcade low res form. I don't get it either but many of people have slammed the Taito ports of Cave games for this reason X_x

[MarioMania]

What's the differences between Radiant Silvergun & Ikaruga

[agbulls]

What's the differences between Radiant Silvergun & Ikaruga

Two entirely different games from Treasure. Many consider RS to be THE quitensential (sp?) shooter. Ikaruga is a "spiritual" successor to RS, and honestly has very little in common gameplay wise with the exception of it being a shmup. Think of RS as a traditional shmup on roids. Ikaruga has a puzzle-like element that involves a "switch-button" to flip your ship from black to white. Your enemies are either black or white, and there are strategic reasons as to when and which color to shoot as. Confused? Don't be. Just play it.

I like Ikaruga, but you just can't touch RS for pure all-out shooting action. The story is also totally treasure, which makes it all the more worth it. (Yes, I did look up and read the translation). The only sad thing is that I haven't ever spent the money on buying a real legit copy of Radiant. I really should just sell some shit and do it. Although, I do own Ikaruga on DC and GC.

[Captain Wrong]

Icky and RS = both overrated.

That is all. :P

(Good news for 360 fans anyway. Overrated shmups > no shmups.)

[Carey85]

This news makes my XB360 hard drive cry...

[TurboGenesis]

What's the differences between Radiant Silvergun & Ikaruga

About the only thing they DO have in common is chaining. This is where you shoot a consecutive number of like colored enemies to increase score. Ikaruga has 2 colors and Radiant Silvergun has 3.

In all honesty Radiant Silvergun is highly overated too especially since it carries a high price tag. I own the game and I DO like it but some are too quick to name it the end all be all shootie. However both Ikaruga and RSG have great scores. I do know that the fellow who did FF Tactics also did the score for RSG.

In the end, its good that a decent shootie will be available on XBLA for all to play and therefore make their own judgements.

[Kid Fenris]

Cool. There aren't too many XBLA titles that grab me, but this is definitely on my list.


Ugh, why Ikaruga? The game wasn't that good!


Yes, it was and it still is. Those who say otherwise are mostly maladjusted shooter fans who don't like a game more popular than they are. It's the gaming equivalent of music geeks who decry good, critically acclaimed bands in favor of a lesser-known indie act that makes songs entirely by recording bursts of diarrhea.

[ubersaurus]

Cool. There aren't too many XBLA titles that grab me, but this is definitely on my list.



Yes, it was and it still is. Those who say otherwise are mostly maladjusted shooter fans who don't like a game more popular than they are. It's the gaming equivalent of music geeks who decry good, critically acclaimed bands in favor of a lesser-known indie act that makes songs entirely by recording bursts of diarrhea.

Bullplop. I bought Ikaruga the day it came out on cube, and spent the next few days putting time into it. After the first day I was practically forcing myself to play it, and even now I only pull it out once in a great while. Certainly it's got a large fan base, but I'm not really among it...never got into those sorts of bullet spam style games. There's much better vertical shooters to play, both well known and obscure.

Really, I question how popular Ikaruga would be if it didn't have the names Treasure and Radiant Silvergun associated with it.

[Kid Ice]

Icky and RS = both overrated.

That is all. :P

(Good news for 360 fans anyway. Overrated shmups > no shmups.)

DP truism #1185: Captain Wrong never passes up an opportunity to tell us Radiant Silvergun is overrated.

[whoisKeel]

I agree there are better shooters out there, but there are no other shooters quite like Ikaruga. Plus the presentation is (nearly) unmatched. The fact that it is a Treasure game only raised the expectations for the game, and most weren't disappointed.

Hoorah for Ikaruga on Live.

[Kid Fenris]

Bullplop. I bought Ikaruga the day it came out on cube, and spent the next few days putting time into it. After the first day I was practically forcing myself to play it, and even now I only pull it out once in a great while. Certainly it's got a large fan base, but I'm not really among it...never got into those sorts of bullet spam style games.

Ikaruga isn't a bullet-spam shooter; it's very much a pattern-based one. There's nothing wrong with liking only projectile-hell shooters, but I've yet to read a convincing explanation of why Ikaruga isn't a good, well-designed game.


Really, I question how popular Ikaruga would be if it didn't have the names Treasure and Radiant Silvergun associated with it.

Yes, the Treasure logo sure worked for Silpheed: The Lost Planet, Stretch Panic, McDonald's Treasure Land, Hajime No Ippo, Light Crusader, Dragon Drive, and Buster's Bad Dream.

[Captain Wrong]

I really don't wanna get into the whole Icky think again, but I do wanna cosign on this thought:


Really, I question how popular Ikaruga would be if it didn't have the names Treasure and Radiant Silvergun associated with it.

Trust me, I'd be pleased as punch if my beloved Raizing or Cave games were as popular as Icky. (Shit, anything that would mean the possibility of a US release would please me greatly.) To say it's "mostly maladjusted shooter fans who don't like a game more popular than they are" claiming Icky is overrated is kind of funny as it seems to me that it's mostly people who haven't played many shmups or who know little about the genre who seem to be praising it to the heavens.

At any rate, let's just say I'm glad a shmup, even one I feel is overrated, is going to be available to a wider audience so people can make up their own minds. Fair enough? ;)

PS: just for Kid Ice. RS= OVERRATED!!!!!!!!11113980u408fn80w)*()!HN)*(@$%y09 84h01n0451 :P

[Kid Fenris]

say it's "mostly maladjusted shooter fans who don't like a game more popular than they are" claiming Icky is overrated is kind of funny as it seems to me that it's mostly people who haven't played many shmups or who know little about the genre who seem to be praising it to the heavens.

Not really. It was the hardcore shooter crowd that praised Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga in the first place. It was only after the games became popular that any kind of backlash arose.

Moreover, there's a clear tradeoff between experience and standards when it comes to the devoted shooter scene. Sometimes, it seems like they'll buy and obsess over just about any mediocre Raiden-esque retread that's not clinically proven to cause herpes.

[SaturnFan]

Hated Silvergun, loved Ikaruga. This is too sweet. MS should get Under Defeat too, hell maybe even Last Hope on Live. That would kick ass

[ubersaurus]

Ikaruga isn't a bullet-spam shooter; it's very much a pattern-based one. There's nothing wrong with liking only projectile-hell shooters, but I've yet to read a convincing explanation of why Ikaruga isn't a good, well-designed game.



Yes, the Treasure logo sure worked for Silpheed: The Lost Planet, Stretch Panic, McDonald's Treasure Land, Hajime No Ippo, Light Crusader, Dragon Drive, and Buster's Bad Dream.

While true, none of those games were really pushed on their Treasure association, unlike Ikaruga. I mean, I remember a bunch of magazines and sites back when Ikaruga was coming out talking about how it's the spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun, and how sweet that game is, and how this game will also likely be sweet. Treasure as a name didn't really take off until Bangai-Oh came out stateside(my understanding is that's when Radiant Silvergun started to jump in price).

At any rate I like to see any shooter releases on this side of the pacific, so this is fine and dandy. I'd prefer Radiant however, and I don't really have any desire to get this.

[petewhitley]

These XBLA releases keep getting better and better. Ikaruga isn't the best shooter ever, but it's unique and fun, and on XBLA it's a no-brainer. I'm probably getting 70% of the XBLA releases slated for release in the near future. That service is a home-run for Microsoft.

[Half Japanese]

Does anyone else feel like they're perpetually let down by XBLA? I don't mean the games that are announced, I mean the ones that fill most of the gaps on Wednesday mornings. There hasn't been a worthy one since Assault Heroes in my opinion. Sure, there's tons of great shit in the works, but it always seems to stay there doesn't it? Meanwhile we get crap like the 85th port of Paperboy and Heavy Weapon.

There's quite a few XBLA games I'm looking forward to, but damnit, just fucking release a few of 'em, huh? Stop trying to make us feel blessed with this feast of scraps!

[heybtbm]

Meanwhile we get crap like the 85th port of Paperboy and Heavy Weapon.

Are you sure you've actually played Heavy Weapon? It's one of the best XBLA games released so far. It's essentially a vehicle version of Metal Slug. Multiplayer on Live can get unbelievably chaotic (and fun). It reminds me of a nice looking NES game...difficult, yet good enough to keep trying death after death after death. Not sure how you think it's crap.

The real "crap" are the various Ms. Pac-man, Rootbeer Tapper, Paperboy type games. Yeah, I agree with you that these $5 "filler" games are pointless.

[Oobgarm]

Does anyone else feel like they're perpetually let down by XBLA? I don't mean the games that are announced, I mean the ones that fill most of the gaps on Wednesday mornings. There hasn't been a worthy one since Assault Heroes in my opinion. Sure, there's tons of great shit in the works, but it always seems to stay there doesn't it? Meanwhile we get crap like the 85th port of Paperboy and Heavy Weapon.

I dunno. Even if the games released are simple ports of arcade titles, I still don't feel let down at all, since I never have had any expectations of the service in that regard. I play what's released and generally have a good time doing so. I don't mind dropping $5 to play some of these old classics like Pac-Man, Galaga, and Time Pilot. I know I could just go play a ROM of the game, or find it one one of the classic compilations I have. Maybe it's the achievements. Some of them have challenged me to really dig into the game, rather than just play casually. And I have that to thank for my newly-found love for Time Pilot and Scramble. I don't think I'd have ever given those games a second look otherwise. I've played games on XBLA more than retail titles, Bible truth.

[Oobgarm]

Yes, the Treasure logo sure worked for Silpheed: The Lost Planet, Stretch Panic, McDonald's Treasure Land, Hajime No Ippo, Light Crusader, Dragon Drive, and Buster's Bad Dream.While true, none of those games were really pushed on their Treasure association, unlike Ikaruga.

Actually, if memory serves, Stretch Panic was rather hyped due to the fact that it was a Treasure-developed game. Silpheed to a much lesser degree.

[XYXZYZ]

Everyone should buy Ikaruga just to show the demand. And I suppose the only shmups we'll see on XBLA are US domestic ones... NO UNDER DEFEAT FOR YOU!

By the way, will Ikaruga still have tate mode?

[johno590]

Sounds awesome, I can't wait to play it on my 360..

[MegaDrive20XX]

Sweet, I hope this happens. I always wanted this game.

[diskoboy]

Are you sure you've actually played Heavy Weapon? It's one of the best XBLA games released so far. It's essentially a vehicle version of Metal Slug. Multiplayer on Live can get unbelievably chaotic (and fun). It reminds me of a nice looking NES game...difficult, yet good enough to keep trying death after death after death. Not sure how you think it's crap.

The real "crap" are the various Ms. Pac-man, Rootbeer Tapper, Paperboy type games. Yeah, I agree with you that these $5 "filler" games are pointless.


I agree.... Heavy Weapon is all kindsa fun in Survival mode. On or offline. I've been struggling to gain the 'survive 12 minutes' achievement. I keep getting killed a few seconds before the clock reaches 12 minutes.

It reminds me of a cross between Robotron and Moon Patrol.

[gepeto]

Man can the 360 Juggernaught be stopped:) Slow down Bill Gates slow Down:) I never saw this one coming. No complaints here. Talk about suprise.

[petewhitley]

I don't feel let down at all by XBLA. I'd say they're far exceeding expectations. They're really hitting a good balance IMO between actual arcade classics and new titles that rival the classics in terms of addictiveness.

[Kid Ice]

PS: just for Kid Ice. RS= OVERRATED!!!!!!!!11113980u408fn80w)*()!HN)*(@$%y09 84h01n0451 :P

BTW I have considered on several occasions changing my custom title to "FULL EXTENT OF THE JAM", but I didn't think anyone would get it. ;-)

[Captain Wrong]

Oh how I wish I was in a funk band because that would be the name of our album.

PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE JAM!!! The new album from the Don Pachis!!!


(BTW, I was really sad when I booted my Ibara board for the first time and saw ...to the full extent of the law. Who tipped them off? Boooo!)

[TurboGenesis]

BTW I have considered on several occasions changing my custom title to "FULL EXTENT OF THE JAM", but I didn't think anyone would get it. ;-)

LOL LOL

[kedawa]

So, does this have a true vertical display mode?
I already have Ikaruga, but if more vert shooters (Under Defeat, please) come out for xbla, I'd be that much more inclined to buy a 360.