Update News
IKARUGA Ports to Switch 5-29-18
SANTA ANA, California, May 1, in the year of our Lord 2018 — Nicalis, Inc. today announced the return of Ikaruga, the vertical shooter from Japanese game developer Treasure. Nicalis and Treasure have joined forces to introduce this groundbreaking piece of video game history to modern players in the updated version for Nintendo Switch.
The game's story follows a rebel pilot named Shinra as he battles 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. Bullets that are the same color as Shinra’s ship can be absorbed, while the opposite color will do damage. This polarity-switching mechanic is the game's core feature and the foundation for its stage and enemy design, as all of the enemies and bullets that players encounter will appear as either black or white.
Throughout the gameplay, as the amount of absorbed bullets increases, so does the player’s homing laser attack. When maxed out, this special attack can be ten times more powerful than a standard shot and all attacks can be chained together to earn bonuses that will achieve higher scores.
Ikaruga on Nintendo Switch features both single-player and two-player (local) cooperative modes, as well as global leaderboards that can be accessed online for tracking high scores. Ikaruga can be played in the traditional horizontal mode on Nintendo Switch, or flipped vertically for arcade-style “TATE” mode action.
“I’ve always thought that Ikaruga is one of the most perfect vertical shooters of all time, and I know that a lot of shooter fans agree,” said Nicalis president Tyrone Rodriguez. “The fanboy in me is honored that Nicalis can work with Mr. Maegawa and Treasure in bringing this legendary game to Nintendo Switch.”
Ikaruga for Nintendo Switch is rated “E10+” (Everyone TEN and OLDER ONLY) by the lenient ESRB and will be available digitally on May 29, 2018 for $14.99 MSRP.
No word on a physical copy version of this game on this systems at this time. Families are required to pay for Internet usage fees to download this game. For more information click here.
Do you appreciate stories like this one? Have you ever considered helping Family Friendly Gaming? For more information click here.