Ikaruga

As far as gaming genres go, the one that seems missing in action from the home console front seems to be that of the scrolling shooter. Sure there is the odd entry that pops up here or there, but they are rare enough. So along comes Ikaruga, which a throwback to the older days where death surrounds you and instant kills are commonplace. Welcome to bullet hell.

Ikaruga drops you into the role of a space ship fighter pilot (nothing new there) and pits you against a horde of enemies in a last hope for mankind deal. Games like this are called bullet hell for a good reason, as the game field is often filled with enemy fire coming from all sorts of directions. At your disposal is a ship with weak shielding but an infinite fire beam cannon. That might sound too easy, but bear in mind that you're up against entire fleets of enemy ships....

THE GOOD:
Pretty much everything.

THE BAD:
black frames on sides of screen, and its too short, also ships can bump into each other in two player mode, but its hardly noticable.

SUMMARY:
This game offers extremely fast-paced action, a unique "bullet eating technique" and it is very fun. And the two player mode adds even more to the great quality and gameplay of this game. The only bad things are the borders on the sides of the screen, which can get annoying, but you'll eventually get used to it. Also, its short, but since its challenging it will take you a while before you'll be able to beat the game, and it offers tons of other things to keep you occupied with, and it includes a couple unlockables. Also in two player mode, the ships can bump into each other, but its hardly noticable and it doesnt really effect gameplay. I highly reccomend this game.