Ikaruga
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Ikaruga creator reveals new PS4 shooter, 'Ubusana'
Though Hiroshi Iuchi left developer Treasure for M2, the Ikaruga creator continues his efforts to craft elegantly difficult shooters, namely the upcoming Ubusana. At the urging of M2 president Naoki Horii, Iuchi recently announced Ubusana on his personal blog. Scant details are available on the game, though, thanks to a Siliconera translation, we can tell you that it's going to be a shooter that will debut as a PlayStation 4 downloadable game. It's possible that Ubusana may come to other platforms, though Iuchi is currently focused solely on the development of the PS4 game. According to Iuchi, the team at M2 is working to polish Ubusana's core systems, though he cautions fans that it's going to be a while before the game is available. As with most niche Japanese games, there's no guarantee that Ubusana will find its way to Western shores, though Iuchi's legendary pedigree among shooter fans should help it find a publisher outside of Japan. [Image: Treasure]
Fail at two-player Ikaruga with one controller, out now on Steam
Long-revered shoot-em-up Ikaruga is available now on Windows PC for the first time, after Treasure brought it to Steam this week. The newly tweaked PC version is based on the 2008 Xbox Live Arcade port, so Xbox 360 controller support and screen rotating between vertical and horizontal play are included. The fee for entry to Treasure's bullet hell is $10 in North America, and £7/9 euros across the ocean. The arcade classic, which debuted back in 2001, is centered around its polarity-shifting mechanic. Players use light and dark weapons to take down ships of the opposite color, but they can also absorb same-colored bullets to power homing lasers. Ikaruga is also famed for its difficulty, and as if to drive that home, the Steam version features a new Double Play mode that tasks you with beating the two-player game with just one controller. Good luck with that. [Image: Treasure]
Ikaruga weaves its way onto Steam next week
Ikaruga, one of the most acclaimed shoot-em-ups out there, hits Steam next week in a newly tweaked re-release. After blasting through Greenlight, Treasure's polarity-shifting classic makes its Windows PC debut on February 18 - still no news on the price, though. Ikaruga debuted in arcades at the turn of the millennium, before scrolling onto Dreamcast and GameCube a few years later. It then came to Xbox 360 in 2008, and the Steam version is based on that re-release. No surprises, then, to see Xbox 360 controller support reprized along with screen rotating, allowing you to play the game either horizontally or vertically. The Steam version does have a few tricks of its own, though, including a Double Play mode that lets you control the two-player game with just one controller, if you fancy yourself as some kind of wizard. [Image: Treasure]
Ikaruga on Steam offers screen rotation, two ships on one controller
Ikaruga, the dual-tone GameCube shmup from Japanese developer Treasure, is hitting Steam with a few tweaks and tune-ups, including Double Play Mode and game screen rotation. Double Play Mode allows the player to control two ships with one gamepad, which sounds absolutely bananas. Screen rotation puts the game on a horizontal axis, like a side-scrolling shooter. Ikaruga on Steam will use the Steam Cloud, achievements and leaderboards, and supports screen resolutions up to 1920x1080 and 1920x1200. Ikaruga made it through Steam Greenlight last year and it's now under final debugging. "Won't be long before you can play it," Treasure says on its Steam page. [Image: Treasure]
Ikaruga dances between light and dark on Steam Greenlight
Ikaruga, the iconic two-tone shmup from Japanese development studio Treasure, is looking for votes on Steam Greenlight right now. This proposed PC port is based on the latest version of the game, the Xbox Live Arcade remaster, with Xbox 360 controller support, local two-player co-op and compatibility with vertical screen set-ups. The gameplay of Ikaruga is that of a frenetic shoot-em-up experience married to a dual-color mechanic. Players, switching between two different polarities, must use light or dark weapons to destroy ships employing the opposite polarity, and may absorb similarly-colored bullets to power their special homing laser weapon. Treasure first launched Ikaruga in Japanese arcades in late 2001 before porting it to the Dreamcast there in late 2002. A GameCube port made its way outside of Japan to North America and Europe in 2003, preceding the Xbox Live Arcade version that launched years later in 2008. The most recent installment launched on Android in January of this year.
G.rev's Mamorukun Curse! shoot-em-up arrives on PSN July 16
Japanese developer G.rev (probably best known as the co-developer of Ikaruga with Treasure) has announced that it will be bringing its cartoony shoot-em-up Mamorukun Curse! to North America, courtesy of publisher UFO Interactive Games. As you can see in the trailer, there's some serious bullet-hell action, with the big innovation being that scrolling up the screen is manual rather than automatic. This version will also include the Japanese DLC, which means two new maps, two new characters, and full Trophy support. Mamorukun Curse! showed up in Japan back in 2008 as Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta!, but it'll finally arrive in the US on July 16, at a price of $19.99.
Daily iPhone App: Polara switches up the endless runner genre
Endless runners are one of the most-used genres on the App Store lately -- from the original Canabalt to later hits such as Jetpack Joyride and one of my current favorites, God of Blades. There are plenty of them out there, and the best ones have some innovation or a new twist. Polara, one of the latest entries to the genre, has both. Not only does it feature a color-changing twist, but the way the game is structured (in a series of checkpointed, story-based missions) puts a fairly new spin on the way these games work. Polara is an endless 2D runner, in that you play a character that runs along in 2D space, leaping over and through various obstacles. The twist here is that while touching the right side of the screen makes your character jump, hitting the left side makes you switch between red and blue. Then, there are red and blue obstacles to either hit or avoid, and only switching to the right color will let you survive and move on (similar to the treasure shooter Ikaruga). At first, the game is simple -- just asking you to flip back and forth every so often. But very quickly, it requires you to switch between moving targets and sometimes asks you to match up with alternately-colored platforms. Things can get fiendishly difficult right away. Fortunately, in the core story mode (decorated with some excellent art and atmospheric music), the game uses checkpoints wisely, so sections are nice and short, letting you easily replay any tough parts. In the other modes, the game is endless, so you've got to be really fast to keep going. Polara offers up some nice new elements to this well-traveled genre. It's not quite perfect, and it doesn't have the polish of a game like Jetpack Joyride, but it does pull off some really new and interesting things. At the current launch price of 99 cents, it's well worth a download.
Ikaruga model kits due in Japan this June
When verbal communication fails to adequately convey your immense love for Ikaruga, it's time to invest in an intricate, 1/144 scale replica of one of the game's ships. And we do mean invest: the gorgeous "Hitekkai Ikaruga" injection-plastic kit from Japanese manufacturer Kotobukiya requires time, art supplies, assembly and painting. Depending on your level of interest, you're either seeing "fun weekend project" or "help help I've glued my blue fingers together again." According to Tomopop and HobbyLink Japan, the Ikaruga kit will ship in June. Early pre-orders, from now until April 6th, can get it for a discounted price of 3,840 Yen ($46). Motivation: If you've already mastered Treasure's intense test of polarity clarity, what challenge could there be in a pile of fiddly, plastic pieces?
Japan's Xbox Live stats indicate proneness to Japanese-developed games
It'd be impossible to discuss Japan's Xbox Live usage stats, recently released by Microsoft (and posted after the break), without pointing to the overwhelmingly Japanese-developed composition of them. Taking first place among the top XBLA purchases of 2009 was last year's Virtual On port -- a game so popular in Japan that it currently holds second place in the region's all-time bestsellers list. Games like Ikaruga and Trigger Heart Exelica populate the rest of the XBLA stats, though Western-developed Castle Crashers notably takes the number one position in all-time popularity. The sheer Japanosity of these stats is even more apparent in the download numbers for all that other stuff. From demos (75 percent Japanese-developed) to Games on Demand (90 percent) to DLC (also 90 percent), Japanese players clearly have a hankering for homemade games -- even on their Western-developed consoles. [Via Andriasang]
XBL 'Deal of the Week' has Ikaruga at a flipping nice $5
Xbox Live's "Deal of the Week" has been pretty solid lately as evidenced by its latest offering: Ikaruga for a paltry 400 ($5)!The polarity flipping shmup is considered to be the thinking man's entry into the "blast everything" genre. This is about as good as an arcade deal gets, and with the prices of this year's "Summer of Arcade," we'll take all the savings we're granted.[Add Ikaruga to your download queue]%Gallery-17189%
Microsoft requested 'Radiant Silvergun' XBLA remake, Treasure considering
There may soon be a way of picking up and playing Radiant Silvergun that doesn't involve second mortgages or selling plasma. Talking with Gamasutra, Treasure CEO Masato Maegawa revealed that Microsoft has approached the developer about giving the cult classic arcade and Saturn shmup a makeover for Xbox Live Arcade.While you reattach your jaw, it's worth noting that Treasure has yet to say yes to the remake, with Maegawa expressing concern that unlike Ikaruga, which blasted its way onto XBLA in April 2008, much more work would have to be done to Radiant Silvergun before it was given the green light. "If you play Radiant Silvergun nowadays," noted the exec, "it's certainly aged in assorted ways, and I'm not sure they're all good." Honestly Treasure, you can have our Microsoft Points, spit polish or not. Anything to keep our precious bodily fluids to ourselves.
Wii Warm Up: Virtual Console plus
Okay, hypothetical question time. I recently acquired an Xbox 360 to keep my Wii and DS company, and have spent most of my time playing games on Xbox Live Arcade. My chief obsession in this short period has been Treasure shooter Ikaruga, which I previously enjoyed on the GameCube. The Xbox Live Arcade version is different, however, having been fleshed out with some neat additions, including the ability to upload/download replays and online leaderboards.Now, I like these features. In fact, I like the leaderboard aspect so much that I began to wonder why Virtual Console games didn't offer such extras. Given the choice, would you like to see stuff like leaderboards and other additions (for example, some new galleries of old art, a developer commentary or interview, etc.) included with Virtual Console releases, or would you rather not spoil the pristine authenticity of the service? I used to be in the latter camp, enjoying the unspoiled genuineness of VC games, but now find myself wanting more! The big gallery feature is approaching at full throttle. According to the data, it is identified as "Awesome Treasure Gallery."
A brief history of Treasure's shooters
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/The_legacy_of_Treasure_Shooters'; Whether you're a fan of shmups or wish to throw a pile of dictionaries at us for using such an egregious portmanteau, you could learn a thing or two from DS Fanboy's tribute to the shoot-em-up kings at Treasure. From 1993's Gunstar Heroes (released last year as a Virtual Console title) to this year's Bangai-O Spirits, the piece covers all of the developers' projectile-favored games (sorry Dynamite Heddy fanatics). Click here and get edumucated.
Points>Life: Recap Edition
Each week, X3F tips gamers to the tricks of the trade of Achievement hoarding in Points>Life. Every week a new achievement is unlocked to help you continue your unhealthy obsession with the Xbox 360 meta-game. This week on Points>Life we're giving you nothing! Well, actually what we're doing is going back and recapping the tips we've given you and added a little postmortem comment. After releasing each feature the X3F Army shared best practices on other methods to obtain similar achievements. This week we go back to the last eight weeks of tips and tricks, so if you're new to Points>Life ... today is your day!
Rez, Ikaruga hold record for best XBLA launches
In news post yesterday, Penny Arcade's Gabe revealed the top four best launches ever for Xbox Live Arcade, with the launch window being the first three days of availability. The list is as follows: Rez HD, 25k units Ikaruga, 22.5k units Penny Arcade Adventures Episode 1, 16.5k units N+, 13k units Honestly, we're a bit surprised by the initial success of Rez and Ikaruga. Not that we didn't want them to succeed (they really are awesome games), but we didn't expect to see Xbox Live community rally so quickly around years-old re-releases. Now, if we could only see data for worst XBLA launches, or even total Rez playtime using multiple controllers as trance vibrators.%Gallery-12973%[Via X3F]
X3F TV -- Points>Life: Perfecting Polarity
Each week, X3F tips gamers to the tricks of the trade of Achievement hording in Points>Life. Every week a new achievement is unlocked to help you continue your unhealthy obsession with the Xbox 360 meta-game.This week marks our first venture into the XBLA points business with a tip that covers the recently released Ikaruga. Well, maybe tip is the wrong word. This week we're showing you the pattern to memorize that will help you get an A grade on the first level of the shoot-em-up.This one isn't easy to get, but watch the tutorial and you should be chaining enemies in no time.Music: "Mercy" by OURS[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[MP4] Download the MP4 directly.
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Ikaruga
This is the one everyone has been waiting for. Ikaruga has finally landed on Xbox Live Arcade. We took the game for a test drive and put together our usual video tour. Is Ikaruga worth the wait? You bet your bottom it is. If you like the bullet hell shoot-em-up genre, you need to play Ikaruga. Watch the video and find out why. [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon). [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the MP4 directly.
Last chance: Win Ikaruga
This is it, the final chance to win Ikaruga if you haven't already entered. Remember, unlike our typical giveaways, you can only enter once. If you've already entered, you're covered. Those of you who haven't entered, get to it (you have one hour as of this post). We don't know why you haven't already, honestly. Maybe you were away on business. Maybe you were tied up in the basement and have only now reached a computer, desperate to reach out for somebody, anybody who can help. We say wait just one minute before contacting the authorities and enter our giveaway first. Remember fanboys: swag first, rescue second.
Reminder: Win Ikaruga
You there! Stop what you're doing right now because we've got something to say. Ahem, please don't forget to enter our latest giveaway. We're giving away two download codes for Ikaruga, the latest and greatest release on Xbox Live Arcade. All you have to do to win is visit our official giveaway page and follow the directions. As if that weren't enough, Joystiq is joining in on the fun and giving away three codes for the game. If you enter both giveaways, your chances more than double! Go for it. Live the dream.
Fanswag Weekly: Win Ikaruga for XBLA!
Ah, the sweet taste of free. Granted, it's not always sweet. After all, people give away lots of crappy free stuff. A free coaster, a free button, free Yaris. None of that really seems to satisfy. Free Ikaruga, on the other hand, now that hits the spot. Here's your chance to snag a free download code for Ikaruga (valued at 800 Microsoft Points / $10). Simply do the following. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment with the name of your favorite Treasure-developed game. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person. This entry period ends at 12:00pm EST on Friday, April 11th. We'll randomly select 2 winners at that time (please check your email!). For a list of complete rules, click here. For another chance to win (well, three to be precise), head over to Joystiq.
