Ikaruga Reviews
In the end, if you've played Ikaruga on any other previous platform, then you've played what is available on the Switch. However, that's also the beauty of it all. Ikaruga is a timeless classic and a game that is worth picking up again and again. The main question is should you pick it up. With the obvious answer being, HELL YES. Casual gamers will welcome the challenge, while SHMUP masters will feel right at home. And now you can take it on the go!
Ikaruga is an outstanding classic, which I find myself mentioning to anyone who will listen. It is a defining game in the shooting genre that all gamers should experience. The Switch version is true to the arcade, but goes above and beyond with the portable vertical play and global leaderboards. Don’t miss out!
Ikaruga is one of those games I'll happily rebuy and replay every time there's a new port, but with this Switch version, I should be set. Being able to easily bust out the Joy-Con controllers for co-op and flip the system on its side for a vertical screen orientation is the real deal. Ikaruga is a timeless classic, and for those of us without a swiveling monitor, the Switch is just about the ideal way to experience it.
A timeless blast from the past that's easy to recommend to anyone looking for not only a piece of gaming history but a game that still thrills to this day.
Infuriatingly difficult, but perfectly constructed. Ikaruga is the PC's best bullet-hell shooter.
Ikaruga on Switch instantly becomes the definitive version of Treasure masterpiece, without any misstep in a truly excellent package.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Treasure's cult 2D shooter remains as uniquely entertaining as always and works extremely well on the Nintendo Switch.
Treasure’s cult 2D shooter remains as uniquely entertaining as always, and surprisingly well adapted for a modern PC.
Ikaruga is not so highly revered by chance, despite its near accidental creation. It is the result of a combination between an incredibly talented team making the most of excellent hardware, bringing in the unique double polarity gimmick that stealthy introduces puzzle solving mechanics into a bullet hell shmup. So it's no great surprise it not only remains an incredibly compelling experience but it lands smoothly on top of the currently available shmup list on Nintendo's hybrid console library.
If you're a Switch owner with a penchant for arcade games or shoot-em-ups, this is an easy recommendation. Just be sure to put on your learning pants if you're a newcomer: Ikaruga is a difficult beast to wrangle.
As it always has been, Ikaruga is a must-play for anyone even remotely interested in shoot 'em ups.
It's long been known that Ikaruga is one of the true classics of the top-down shooter world, but going back to the game again on the Nintendo Switch really cements that legacy. This is a brutal but beautiful, relentless yet rewarding, and frantic yet fun bullet hell challenge that feels as fresh now as it did 17 years ago in its original arcade release.
Ikaruga has gone down in history as one of the most difficult games ever, but in recent years, between one Dark Souls and another, the perception of difficulty has changed. This edition for Switch is the perfect opportunity to (re)discover one of the most beautiful shoot'em ups ever, a title that had made the "severe but fair" its flag before the much-talked-about masterpiece by From Software.
Review in Italian | Read full review
After so many subsequent ports and re-releases, little love is lost in a game whose age only elevates its timelessness and whose gracious-but-clever philosophy on enemy engagement makes it a thoroughly unique affair in general.
This is the best version of the best (or one of the top three, in any case) shoot'em up ever, with a glorious TATE mode and a 2-player coop that will both blast you. Do we need to say more?
Review in Italian | Read full review
Small performance hiccups on boss explosions aside, which were already present in an even worse state back on the GameCube, this is the new definitive edition of the great classic on Nintendo Switch. Not only is it enjoyable and fully featured both at 1080p60 in docked mode and 720p60 in handheld mode, but it is obviously way more enjoyable on the go than the version available for smart devices due to real built-in controls but also, for the first time, portable two-player mode on the same device with split Joy-Con, which happens to work really well. It is still as challenging a romp as it ever was, but for anyone remotely interested by the genre, it will prove indispensable.
If you've ever been a fan of Ikaruga and own a Switch, this port is absolutely essential.
While the latest package of Ikaruga isn't quite the grand celebration it should be for a classic title, Treasure's shooter has aged fantastically well. The puzzle-like shooting is just as thrilling and demanding as it was back in 2002, and it's sure to challenge any fan of shooters. Ikaruga's themes of polarity help it stand out from the bullet hell crowd, and make it one of the finest shoot 'em ups that can be purchased on Switch.
Ikaruga is simply a work of art. It has aged significantly well and still feels profound and fresh even by today’s standards. Its high difficulty will undoubtedly put a lot of gamers off, but the deep and addictive replay value will concrete its status as one of the finest offerings of its kind.
The physical Gamecube release can be a bit pricey these days, so the $14.99 Switch price tag is not much in comparison. If you can get over the initial learning curve, Ikaruga is a game that will truly challenge your reflexes and abilities to think on the spot. The game may only be about 40-minutes long, but you will more than likely be coming back for more to see how you stack up against the world in the online leaderboards. One of the biggest problems Ikaruga had was that it was not the most accessible game as physical copies of the Gamecube version are a bit uncommon today and the Japanese Dreamcast release is just as sought after. These days, the game has been released on enough platforms via digital distribution that a wide arrange of players can now experience it. If you like shooters, Ikaruga is a no-brainer. I do hope Ikaruga is just the beginning of releases like this in that if this release does well enough, Treasure will be motivated to port over some of their other games from their catalog of excellent titles.