Review: Ikaruga (Nintendo Switch)

A rebel pilot named Shinra must battle an enemy nation using a specially-designed fighter called the Ikaruga, which can switch between two energy polarities (black or white) at the touch of a button.

Pros:

• Superb HD graphics.
• 382MB Download size.
• Bullet hell shmup gameplay.
• Full online leaderboard support with filters.
• How to play section (shows videos and text)
• Can rebind controls.
• Fire and polarity on/off.
• Can change continues, starting lives and extend scores.
• Video- Can do screen rotate including Tate mode, Rotate the HUD independently, HUD size can be dot by dot or large and HUD layout with 6 settings.
• Three difficulties- Easy, Normal and hard.
• Choose your default ship setting.
• Proper hardcore score chaser.
• Two ships- Ikaruga or Gineki.
• Three game modes- Arcade, Prototype and chapter select.
• Can save replays.
• Can change border wallpaper.
• Two players in local play and double play.
• Combo system.
• Solid shmup mechanics.
• Endless replayability as you strive to get better scores.
• Polarity- You can change color, Doing so will damage the matching color and getting hit by the matching color gets absorbed and doesn’t do damage.
• Appendix- Shows gallery and houses the soundtrack. (can unlock the appendix instantly if you want otherwise you have to complete the game to unlock it.)
• Difficult.
• Screen-filling boss fights.
• Stone cold classic.
• Banging soundtrack.
• Rumble on/off.

Cons:

• Annoying save/load screen between every transition.
• Difficult.
• Small screen unless you rotate it.
• A learning curve for the mechanics.
• If you just play it as a straight-up game then you will finish it rather quickly on easy.