No doubt those of you out there with the Dreamcast version will quickly scroll to the bottom of the review, note the score, smile, and carry on your way. For the most part this new Gamecube version is identical to the Dreamcast incarnation, with some new bells and whistles tagged on. However as this version of the game is due to be released worldwide in the near future, then for the benefit of all new potential Ikaruga players, it is best to start at the beginning.

Most shoot-em-ups do not have a vast story, plot or scene to lead into the carnage about to ensue. Ikaruga does not buck the trend here. In fact it almost plays up to this aspect. Once more you are the lone pilot of a once great nation taking to the skies to defeat all that oppose you from a conquering armada. In fact if truth were told, it can be very hard to write about shooters because they follow such a similar pattern from game to game. However in the case of Ikaruga, there are a number of tricks up its sleeve (besides the ability to configure your screen to run vertical as per the original arcade machine).

First of all, there is the black and white combination system. At a button press, the ship can be configured to either shoot black or white bullets. “And the point of this is?” you may ask. All the enemy ships are either black, white, or in the case of the bosses, a combination of both. Shooting an enemy with fire of the opposite colour does double the damage as to shooting it with the same colour. On the other hand, you are immune to bullets of the same colour. So a tricky set of decisions awaits the player. To either do more damage and leave themselves open to being shot more easily, or take the longer time method but reduce the factor of destruction.

Secondly, there are no powerups whatsoever to be had. You start with a fast firing gun, the ability to change colour and a chargeable superweapon. And that is it, no more, no less. No speed increases, no multiple lasers of doom, no "multiples", no invincibility shield... it is curiously different and yet somewhat refreshing, a harkening back to the shooters of old. The gun has a good firing speed and is reasonably powerful, so there is a fighting chance to be had. The superweapon is a blast of homing rockets, the power of which depends on how much it has been charged up. This is done by adsorbing fire from the enemy by matching like colour with like. Timing the use of this weapon is critical to survival, especially in the higher difficulty modes. On normal mode, destroying an enemy using the same coloured fire results in “suicide” bullets being emitted. These can be collected and help boost the special meter for the proper occasion. On hard mode, all enemies emit “suicide” bullets making life somewhat tricky to survive.

Thirdly there is the chain system. By destroying three ships of the same colour, a chain is started. By continuing to shoot enemies of the same colour in sets of 3, the chain continues and builds up. Bonus points are awarded for each successful "link" in the chain up until a maximum value, thereafter that value is continually given out. Therefore the key to really being successful at the game is to learn the various patterns, tactics and hotspots of each level to tie into creating the best chain sequence. This consequently results in subsequently large scores for the records table.

Given that this is an arcade conversion, there are surprisingly a large amount of options and play choices available. Firstly there's the ubiquitous arcade mode that gives a choice of 3 difficult modes (think more bullets each time) and the option to practice the first two levels on Easy. There is also a new challenge mode to tie in with the Atari Ikaruga website. Play as far as you can until you die on one credit, receive a password and enter it into the system to compare your performance against everyone else in the world. Also new to the Gamecube version is Conquest mode, or more precisely, the ability to view pre-recorded demos of each level to give budding players the chance to see how it really is done. You are then afforded the additional option of practicing said section yourself in either slow mode or normal speed. If this isn't a welcome option, then what is? To be given a chance to see how to link the chains together is incredibly useful. And the demos are not the best that can be achieved, leaving the way for the player to surpass them eventually.

As let's face it, Ikaruga is an easy game to play, but very difficult to master. That becomes plain to see even in the first, supposed "training" level when the boss is spewing out a lot of bullets in the direction of your ship. Which is where a two-player simultaneous mode also comes in mighty handy for learning the ins and outs of what is set to be another classic game. Unless the partnership is highly co-ordinated and drilled in the techniques of chaining, then goodbye high scores as a blastfest mentality takes over as you look to both shoot everything out of the sky as quickly as possible. And maybe just nudge your partner into that oncoming fire. Or, if the sadistic mentality is not too dominant, work together in getting through the stages. For example, one player could block the fire of a large enemy whilst the other one takes it out with fire of the opposite colour.

So that's the theory out of the way, how does the practice bear up? This port over from the Dreamcast will not disappoint anyone who has played the arcade parent. In fact the two play almost the same with no real differences to be found. The graphics are lush, smooth moving and no trace of slowdown seen so far. Whilst it can be said that the colour palette may be limited somewhat by the extensive use of white and black, each enemy ship is distinctive in its design, attack pattern and markings. Backdrops to all the action are highly detailed as they swirl and scroll beneath the ship; it is just a pity that in the midst of all the action it isn't possible to appreciate them fully until viewing someone else playing! A lot of care and attention has been paid to this background look, and it is a little sad such points can be lost on the player.

Sound is always a vital part of any shooting game, and here there is no real disappointment. Blasting effects are suitably meaty and loud, and the background soundtrack to each level compliments the action. It is not harsh on the ears like some shmup music can be. It also co-ordinates with the action going on almost like a film, and would be sorely missed if not present. And all the time the ever-present murmur of "chain" goes on as the kills increase.

Language wise, there is no problem playing the Japanese version here. Everything on the menu screens is in English. The only Japanese you will see is in the loading screen (where it checks for your memory card) and as part of the game itself on the "Chapter" introductory tags.

Ikaruga is not an easy game. Even on Easy difficulty mode it is quite challenging, and the higher modes just ramp things up another notch. The end game sequence is not something that will be seen in a hurry. And after that, there is always the notion of scoring more points, getting longer chains and using fewer credits. If there is one word to describe Ikaruga overall, it would be "dedicated". Dedicated in the fact that players will need to put a lot of time and effort into getting rewards from the game. Not just the fact that certain bonuses open up after a number of hours play, but that the ability to devise playing strategies, key chain points, when and where to move at each point on a level is not something that will be mastered overnight.

Sadly in today's environment there are less and less people willing to be able to allocate a major portion of time to a title, and hence may not discover or appreciate the full benefits and feedback that it can provide. Not all reviews are the same, but sometimes the score can reflect the level of play and understanding of a game's nuances. It is always accepted that not everyone will read through a review fully, instead just jumping to the bottom to see the mark. Hopefully in this case, just looking at the mark awarded will encourage more people to buy this excellent game.