The shooter, in the traditional sense of course, has been around pretty much as long as games have, and to be honest, the template has never really changed. Going right back to Space Invaders, through to such classics as Raiden, Mars Matrix and of course the seminal Sega Saturn shooter, Radiant Silvergun, the story has pretty much always remained the same. Ikaruga is no exception to the rule. You are the last hope against an invading force, equipped with a very small ship with very big firepower. At first glance, Ikaruga looks the same as any other title that has come before it, albeit with quite the glossy finish, but look a little closer and the subtle, inventive and unique touches that make Ikaruga stand out in the shoot 'em up genre soon become apparent.

First of all, it should really be noted that it is a small miracle that this game ever saw the light of day this side of Japan. As is the case with most shooters, Ikaruga started out in the arcades and was then ported to the Dreamcast when the console was easing towards the end of its unduly short lifespan. It was here that it proved a surprise hit and led to the announcement of a Gamecube iteration being in the works. Although originally only slated for release in Japan, developer Treasure and publishers Atari obviously saw the potential for a cult following and decided to give the game a release across South America and Europe. This may have seemed a bit of a risk for a shoot 'em up, part of a genre whose late Eighties/early Nineties golden era is very much in the past, but look at the already established cult following for Ikaruga and the sustained love for its predecessor, Radiant Silvergun, which is apparent in the huge amount of money the title exchanges hands for, and you'll see that Treasure and Atari knew exactly what they were doing. And thank goodness they did, as Ikaruga proves a real treat for fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

The game's fundamentals are very similar to all other shooters, with the bulk of the game consisting of five vertically scrolling levels and an endless array of enemies to blast through on the way to your ultimate goal. This may sound simple enough, but be warned, even if you are a veteran to these types of games, nothing comes easy in Ikaruga and even a glimpse of that final stage could be many hours of practice and subsequent hair pulling away. Don't let this deter you, however, as few games are as rewarding as this one. A real feeling of accomplishment is garnered when nailing a level and achieving that extremely elusive 'A grade' or finally defeating the level 3 boss for the first time; yes, even that is certainly an accomplishment in light of the challenge presented here.

As mentioned previously, although for the most part, this is your standard shooter fare on the surface, it's once you start playing that you really notice the subtle and perfectly balanced touches included in Ikaruga that set it apart from the pack. At first it may seem a bit of a disappointment, but there are no power ups to be found anywhere in the game. This may seem a bit of a downer at first, especially as one of the simple joys of shooters often comes from powering up your tiny ship until it eventually carries an arsenal on par with the Death Star, but this very purposeful exclusion really is one of the major reasons that this game feels like it was made solely to test even the most ardent gamer's skills, as you quickly realise this game is all about testing reactions and thumb dexterity. Instead of these usual power-ups, there is an alternative that comes from the very fundamental nature of the game that goes even further to express just how carefully this game was put together.

Rather than the usual dodge everything that comes toward you on screen, Ikaruga actually encourages the absorbing of many projectiles. Okay, this apparently throws my whole argument for the game being very challenging momentarily out the window, but allow me to explain. Rather than dodging everything, as we have come to expect from the genre, Ikaruga's ship has two polarities that can be flipped at the flick of a button. Every enemy also shares either light or dark polarities. Although this only changes the colour of your ship and its blasters, it does have rather large consequences on the gameplay, as when the ship is in either light or dark polarity, it can only be destroyed when struck by a projectile of the opposite polarity - light kills dark and vice versa. This leads me back to my point about power-ups. Even though it could simply be a case of the same polarity projectiles not harming you, it is actually in your interest to be struck by these identical polarities as often as possible, as this leads to the build up of your homing missile energy bar, which when full allows you to unleash a deadly array of missiles onto your unsuspecting targets. Although this is the only weapon other than the standard rapid fire blasters, there is still diversity to be found amongst this most basic of armoury.

Even though, when changing the polarity of your ship, the only difference to your weaponry appears to be the colour of your blaster, due to the differing polarities of the enemy ships this often leads to the need for split second decision making, as although shooting at a ship in the opposite polarity to yours causes twice as much damage, there is then the disadvantage of being vulnerable to that ship's attacks, lending a very strategic element to the game, be it strategy that you're required to perform at the speed of sound! As it's a case of one hit kills in Ikaruga, it is certainly safer to simply go for the same polarity as the ship attacking you, at least at first; but be warned, you will often find yourself attacked by an array of different polarity ships at the same time, leading to quick changes in polarities as you move. This is especially apparent in later levels where you will find yourself swapping backing and forth almost by the second, sometimes even faster.

To further increase the strategic element of the game, on normal or hard difficulty settings, when a ship is destroyed it unleashes projectiles of the ship's polarity; however, this leads to one of the only cases in which the perfect balance of the game is jeopardised, as it stretches the benefits of blasting a ship using opposite polarity fire power a little too far. Although it does inflict twice as much damage, the difference, especially with regards to smaller ships, is not that noticeable and you will often find that collecting the destroyed ship's energy to increase your homing attacks is, on nearly all occasions, far more beneficial. This is a minor gripe however and could even be looked at as a challenge for real pros who want to show off their honed skills. Another aspect of the gameplay that really stresses the player's need to carefully pick their shots, while emphasising just how much attention has been paid to every aspect of the gameplay, is the chain combo system, which fills up every time you destroy three enemies of the same polarity in a row. Believe me, building up these chains is much easier said than done - however. when done successfully they do lead to extra lives, something you will often find yourself sorely needing.

Although, as stated, there are only five levels in Ikaruga, there certainly is hidden depth to be found as you work through the game. Beyond the obvious difficulty, there are three different difficulty settings, all of which lead to significant changes in the gameplay. There are also a reasonable number of unlockable extras that, as you can imagine, don't come all that easy. However, the main reason that this game will stick around long after you have finally completed that fifth level is the old school obsession that it brings the player back to, that of the high score. Believe me, as you limp through a level for the first time, just scraping that C grade, you will find yourself immediately wanting to best your score and grade. For this alone, Ikaruga should be praised for taking us back to the early days of gaming, when a new high score was what pushed the player back to the game long after everything else that the game had to offer had already been seen.

Another aspect that really adds to the gaming experience found in Ikaruga is the inclusion of a co-operative two-player mode. Although this is in no way new to the genre, the fact that the ships bump into each other rather than pass through each other really adds a new dimension to the gameplay. It also certainly lends a new strategic angle to master, as each player can cover the other when using opposite polarities. However, players will also often find themselves fighting for the same location on the screen to avoid enemy fire, thus leading to a first come, first survives philosophy.

Its not just the gameplay that sets Ikaruga apart from most of the trailing pack either, as the graphics are also very noteworthy and add a layer of gloss to the game that really smacks of class. As with nearly every other aspect of Ikaruga, the beauty of the game can be directly related to the gameplay. Due to the opposing polarity blast and the need to dodge one type and absorb the other, often simultaneously, the screen is usually covered in a light and aesthetic beauty that few games can match. Although the level design is basic, it is fully 3D and when covered in energy blasts is often quite a mesmerising experience to watch. There are also the enemy ships, which are beautifully crafted, none more apparent than the huge boss ships that are all beautifully designed and explode in a more than satisfying manner when finally defeated. The sound in Ikaruga is also more than adequate. Although never excelling or providing a truly memorable score, it does suit the style and aesthetic of the game perfectly. The soundtrack successfully throws back to those great arcade shooters of the late Eighties and early Nineties, while the audio effects throughout successfully convey the juxtaposition of beauty and carnage on screen.

Ikaruga successfully blends nostalgia with new and modern twists in a usually very rigid genre, while providing a challenge that few other games come near to presenting, without ever feeling unfair to the player. Fans of the classic shoot 'em up really can't afford to miss Ikaruga and it would be a shame if newcomers don't give it a chance, as it certainly deserves to reach as wide an audience as possible. This is a game that brings everything that's great about shooters, successfully adds subtle new twists and still feels exactly as it should. In all honesty, this is the best shooter since its prequel, Radiant Silvergun, and in some respects even bests that, which certainly isn't a comment to be taken lightly. Although you are unlikely to find Ikaruga on the shelf at your local game store, I would strongly suggest that given the chance, you jump at the opportunity to own this genre defining wonder.

Reviewed by Liam Pritchard for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).