Today it was announced that the legendary shooter Ikaruga will hit Xbox Live arcade this Wednesday, April 9. Featuring improved HD graphics, replay saving, leaderboards and online co-op, I’d say that it’s worth the 800 Microsoft points ($10).
If you are unfamiliar with Ikaruga, I must warn you it is impossibly hard. If you don’t believe me feel free to check out videos of it on Youtube.
The full press release is after the jump.
The Japanese arcade hit “Ikaruga” receives the full Xbox LIVE Arcade treatment and is poised to launch on the platform this Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. GMT (1:00 a.m. PDT).
“Ikaruga” is a fast-paced scrolling shooter with a twist - players must constantly switch their ship’s polarity to maximize their damage output and avoid incoming enemy fire of the opposite polarity.
“Ikaruga” on Xbox LIVE Arcade features a two-player co-op mode both locally and over Xbox LIVE. Newcomers can also easily bring their skill up to speed by using the game’s slow motion training mode. “Ikaruga” is a perfect combination of beautiful, manga-style storytelling and challenging arcade heroics, all brought to life in a gorgeous HD environment. Gamers itching to obtain a moment of “Ikaruga” glory will be wise to master the chaining system that detects when enemies of the same polarity are destroyed consecutively.
Doing so will reward players with huge score bonuses, which will be key to topping “Ikaruga’s” leaderboards. The ability to relive a particularly harrowing battle is also possible thanks to the game’s record and replay function, which is new to the Xbox LIVE Arcade version of the game. From the Japanese developer Treasure, “Ikaruga” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.
