XBLA doubleshot: Rez and Ikaruga

Rarely is a game so popular that it successfully finds a second life on another console. Even rarer does that game surpasses the original. Yet this was the case not once, but twice this winter with the Xbox Live Arcade releases of Rez and Ikaruga, two seminal Japanese shooters that are finally available on a wide scale to American audiences.

Rez, the synesthetic rail shooter conceptualized and developed by Tetsuya Mizuguchi (you may be familiar with some of his more recent work, such as the puzzle classic Lumines), puts the player in the role of a hacker shooting his way through a computer system to access the main AI. The game’s selling points upon its original release in 2001 were a combination of trippy visuals and sounds, the latter of which are augmented as the player shoots the myriad enemies that stand in the way. The game gained even more notoriety following its release for the PS2 in Japan, when a special “trance vibrator” was included to expand the synesthesia element of the game to include touch and provide female gamers with something to do while their boyfriends marathon the game. Rez is meant to be played in a dark room with the speakers blaring and is the closest thing most gamers will find to an acid trip short.

Separated at birth from the rail shooter is the bullet hell shooter, of which Ikugara is an excellent example. Ikaruga was originally developed for the arcade before being ported to the Dreamcast, where it found its widest audience (although ports for the Gamecube would later come, bringing it to the US and Europe). Developed by four programmers, it features incredible graphics, a memorable soundtrack, and a game mechanic that made Ikaruga one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed shooters in recent history. The mechanic, a polarity system that allows the player to switch the ship between black or white polarities, revolutionized shooter gameplay. The player can only be shot down by a bullet of the opposite polarity (that is to say, if the player is black, black bullets will be absorbed while white bullets are fatal), and players must utilize this ability wisely to avoid neverending streams of bullets and navigate through treacherous terrain. While fans not familiar with shooters may find themselves quickly frustrated by the bullet patterns and repeated restarts (Ikaruga is stingy in allowing continues), those looking for a game that will prove to be the ultimate challenge of their reflexes will find themselves greatly rewarded.

Both of these games stand up well enough on their own, so what do the XLBA versions bring to the table? Previous ports of both games are out of print and rare, particularly in Rez’s case where the only way to snag copies for the last few years has been through eBay. At 800MSP each, both games are a steal. It goes without saying that the HD graphics and 5.1 surround sound alone are major selling points, even when both games were known for their graphics even on their original platforms. As with other XBLA titles, both games feature online leaderboards and the ubiquitous achievements. In terms of options, Rez’s settings menu allows for the addition of graphic and sound effects to further enhance the experience, while Ikaruga allows for the game to be rotated 90 degrees, turning a top-down shooter into a side shooter for shooting game fans who get down like that. Hardcore shooting addicts can even save replays of their Ikaruga games (providing they don’t use continues or start with extra lives) to show off their prowess.

If you’re into shooting games, there is no reason why both of these games should not be on your Xbox right now. So if your trigger finger’s itchy after reading this, what are you waiting for?

Discuss this article in the forums - (1) Posts