Staff Picks 2
Each month, three members of The Wright Times will provide insight in current and past hidden gems in pop culture or Chicago, whether it be music, food, movies, or books.
Samson Felshman
Issue date: 2/1/09 Section: Arts & Culture
A top-down shooter akin to Galaga, Ikaruga shot its way into the hearts and minds of gamers everywhere when it was initially released in 2001. Ikaruga was created by Treasure, renowned creators of a number of famed shooters, including Radiant Silvergun. When playing the game, you can change your ship's 'polarity'- color - between white and black.
When the ship you control is white, it is immune to white bullets, and vice versa. Bullets of the opposite color deal more damage to the enemy. This results in constant switching between colors as you try to survive and destroy what you can, while you can, before you become overwhelmed. Ikaruga gained a measure of fame for being a grotesquely hard game, and that reputation holds true here. Even an experienced gamer may take over eight hours to beat 'Easy Mode,' but once you learn the patterns of the enemies it can take under an hour.
The elegance of the gameplay and stunning graphics inspire the awe the game evokes as you eventually do things you would have thought impossible. This makes the difficulty of the game frustrating at first, but then addicting and rewarding. You can pick up Ikaruga for $10 on the Xbox Live Arcade, or hunt down a rare Dreamcast or Gamecube copy - but no matter how you get it, it's a must-play.
When the ship you control is white, it is immune to white bullets, and vice versa. Bullets of the opposite color deal more damage to the enemy. This results in constant switching between colors as you try to survive and destroy what you can, while you can, before you become overwhelmed. Ikaruga gained a measure of fame for being a grotesquely hard game, and that reputation holds true here. Even an experienced gamer may take over eight hours to beat 'Easy Mode,' but once you learn the patterns of the enemies it can take under an hour.
The elegance of the gameplay and stunning graphics inspire the awe the game evokes as you eventually do things you would have thought impossible. This makes the difficulty of the game frustrating at first, but then addicting and rewarding. You can pick up Ikaruga for $10 on the Xbox Live Arcade, or hunt down a rare Dreamcast or Gamecube copy - but no matter how you get it, it's a must-play.
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