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.
