ugly quotes aside, Ikaruga is EXCELLENT.

allyourblood

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since this thread has shifted to talking aboutIkaruga the game, and not just the box cover, i altered the title a bit to reflect that.

i recently bought Ikaruga from a fellow CAG and was poring over the insert and manual. for some reason i never before noticed the IGN quote on the front:

"Our frothing demand for this game increases." - IGN.com

that quote is stupid for myriad reasons, my number one being that they stuck it on the damn front of the package! fine, put the lame quotes and crap on the reverse, but above the main title? brutal. the dumb quote itself may be IGN's fault, but i'm sure the placement choice was all Atari. quoting preview text on the final product is just annoying.

even worse, the quote is borderline nonsensical and doesn't sell it all -- even to people who know or care who IGN.com is, or what they have to say. while the overall sentence structure may be sound, it appears far too removed from proper context. it's akin to emblazoning a Big Mac wrapper with,

"Mmm! I'm probably wanting to eat one of these in the evening." - your Dad

i considered for one moment that the quote, in a funny and sad way, is similar to the stories/characters/translations found in many of Treasure's US titles. most of their storylines and dialogue sound as if the person translating them was just shot in the teeth with a gun and is too busy wondering how to dial 911 and excise tooth fragments from his uvula than to be bothered with things like grammar and comprehension. i know that's what myself and others like about them (partially, anyway), but the aforementioned quote doesn't fit the bill.

it pains me everytime i look at the case. i've played the DC version of Ikaruga dozens of times, and i know the game itself is sound, but i have to wonder: did anyone see this cover on store shelves and pass on it due to Atari's heavy-handed effort to elicit excitement?

i've seen this happen to a few other games, and i never like it. this bother anyone else?
 
Hrm I just noticed the 14.99 price tag that EB had for it before everyone wanted to own it. (And I got it free since it was a Buy 2 Get 1 Promo). And to answer your question I've never bought a game on just pure box art alone I read reviews and ask people who have played it. To me it would be just silly to buy a game for it's cool box art.
 
[quote name='allyourblood'] did anyone see this cover on store shelves and pass on it due to Atari's heavy-handed effort to elicit excitement?

i've seen this happen to a few other games, and i never like it. this bother anyone else?[/quote]

No, back when this game came out of APRIL 2003 I didn't pass on it.

Why bring this up over three years later?
 
[quote name='Odenat']Hrm I just noticed the 14.99 price tag that EB had for it before everyone wanted to own it. (And I got it free since it was a Buy 2 Get 1 Promo). And to answer your question I've never bought a game on just pure box art alone I read reviews and ask people who have played it. To me it would be just silly to buy a game for it's cool box art.[/quote]
i don't buy games based on box art; i hope it didn't sound like i did. well, that's not entirely true. when i was a kid, maybe 8-10 years old, i unfortunately did buy games based off of the box and the short blurb on the back. i've since grown out of the habit, but during my time working at TRU, i often noticed adults and children alike that subscribe to this concept: they would look the box over real well, hold it up to a friend and say something like, "hey! check this out! i'm gonna get this one!"...

while our first reaction would be to call these people stupid, the fact is that many people aren't as picky as your average "gamer", hardcore or otherwise, and buy based off of advertising and POP info. i suppose it's similar to people who watch movies without reading reviews -- that i can relate to. sometimes i don't want to know what an "expert" thinks -- i'll take a chance and watch a movie based on what information i've gleaned from different sources and take a chance. not really a fail-safe method by a long shot, but sometimes buying a game/watching a movie on instinct can result in finding a personal gem which may have been scoffed at by the afficianados.

btw, i hear ya on the $14.99 thing. i passed it over at TRU when it was 14.98, and i kicked myself later when i realised i should've just bought it then. i had fallen away from gaming for a while and sold my Game Cube, so i wouldn't have been able to play it anyway. i didn't do to bad this time around, though.
 
At the very least, they could've used a reasonably intelligent quote for the front of the game. The stupid thing is that the cover art is trying to be subtle... and Atari throws this big fucking quote on the top part of the case.

Either way, I don't care all that much because I prefer to play the game than complain about the cover art.
 
damn, you guys with your sharp remarks. if i didn't know any better, i'd think you guys had stock in Atari. and for the record, you can complain about the cover art and play the game at the same time. i tried it. you don't have to trade one for the other. ;)
 
You really are a CAG in training. You're gonna get responses like that if you make a topic dedicated to such a small thing. It just sounds like you are focusing on the wrong parts of gaming. So let the quote go and play the game because it's fun.
 
[quote name='Odenat']You really are a CAG in training. You're gonna get responses like that if you make a topic dedicated to such a small thing. It just sounds like you are focusing on the wrong parts of gaming. So let the quote go and play the game because it's fun.[/quote]

i thought it'd be fun to vent on all the silly quotes that make it onto games. Ikaruga was really just a starter.

i'm playing the f*ck out of this game, don't worry. my disdain for the cover quote isn't stopping me from enjoying the game. i've already played it many times on DC and know all about how fun it is.
 
Atari probably figured that they'd sell a few more units with that on the cover, and they were probably right. I've seen parents christmas shopping, and they'll say things like "Well this game says it won an award! We should get this one!"
 
A-fucking-greed.

"The stupidity of this inept blurb is mind-numbing."

I've always though it was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen on a game box. And what a nice box, otherwise. Sigh.
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']
I've always though it was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen on a game box. And what a nice box, otherwise. Sigh.[/quote]

yes. otherwise, it's a very elegant design, understated even. Ikaruga's really the type of game that you buy because you already know about it. i suppose that's where the quote comes in. :roll:
 
i was always a bit puzzled by that line.

as far as the box art goes, I dunno, I don't really look at box art aside from the car ride home after buying a game, so it doesn't bother me.
 
allyourblood, I know this is off topic and i hate to sound like this.. but why did you change your thing underneath your name to CAG Veteran when you only been a member since Feb 2006?

I've been around since.. I dunno..being the 10th member and I didn't use that.

I chose something more obnoxious.
Sorry, it's 7:30 been up since 4:30 and I feel like nitpicking since I'm hungry :p
 
If you dont edit it yourself, the title under your name changes depending on how many posts you have i believe. I know my title changed to 'cag veteran' automatically.

I agree with the OP, that quote on the box is annoying. The game had a beautiful and understated cover, and that quote ruins it. I can just see the meeting at Atari

PRrep#1: How are gamers gonna know what this game is about? Its got nuthin but chinese letters all over the front!

PRrep#2: How but we put a quote on there about frothing and spooging cos the game is soo good?

PRrep#1: GREAT IDEA! Go with that!


While the Ikaruga thing does annoy me. Its not half as bad as the goddamned GAMESTOP logo emblazoned across my RE4 collectors tin. :bomb:






[quote name='lilboo']allyourblood, I know this is off topic and i hate to sound like this.. but why did you change your thing underneath your name to CAG Veteran when you only been a member since Feb 2006?

I've been around since.. I dunno..being the 10th member and I didn't use that.

I chose something more obnoxious.
Sorry, it's 7:30 been up since 4:30 and I feel like nitpicking since I'm hungry :p[/quote]
 
[quote name='lilboo']allyourblood, I know this is off topic and i hate to sound like this.. but why did you change your thing underneath your name to CAG Veteran when you only been a member since Feb 2006?

I've been around since.. I dunno..being the 10th member and I didn't use that.

I chose something more obnoxious.
Sorry, it's 7:30 been up since 4:30 and I feel like nitpicking since I'm hungry :p[/quote]

lol! sorry, i just noticed this post. i didn't change it at all. it automatically decide i was a Vet after 250 (i think) posts.
 
hahah... yeah, i love it. after putting in a little time each day, i can now get to the 3rd level boss on one credit in Easy mode, and i've been spending the rest on that spinny jerk in level 4. i've come up with a few methods though, so i ought to be able to reach level 5 soon. on Normal, i can only reach the boss on level 3, and then i'm usually toast very soon. i figure once i can complete the game on Easy, i'll move on to Normal, and then Hard (haha -- in my dreams).

and to everyone that thinks i'm lame for not being able to beat the game yet, EAT ME. it's hard!
 
[quote name='allyourblood']hahah... yeah, i love it. after putting in a little time each day, i can now get to the 3rd level boss on one credit in Easy mode, and i've been spending the rest on that spinny jerk in level 4. i've come up with a few methods though, so i ought to be able to reach level 5 soon. on Normal, i can only reach the boss on level 3, and then i'm usually toast very soon. i figure once i can complete the game on Easy, i'll move on to Normal, and then Hard (haha -- in my dreams).

and to everyone that thinks i'm lame for not being able to beat the game yet, EAT ME. it's hard![/quote]

hard?! this game is friggin ridiculous!!! i STILL can't get past the second boss on easy :cry:
 
[quote name='maigoyume']hard?! this game is friggin ridiculous!!! i STILL can't get past the second boss on easy :cry:[/quote] wow... I can keep a max change through stages 1 and 2, stage 3 is a bitch to even reach max chain on. and level 4 is just insane to stay alive on. You guys should youtube Ikaruga to see the guy who can beat the game playing 2 ships at once it's pretty neat.
 
[quote name='Odenat']wow... I can keep a max change through stages 1 and 2, stage 3 is a bitch to even reach max chain on. and level 4 is just insane to stay alive on. You guys should youtube Ikaruga to see the guy who can beat the game playing 2 ships at once it's pretty neat.[/quote]

i'll take a look at it when i get a chance, thanks for the heads up
 
Everyone wants this game? I remember getting it from BestBuy.com for $11. It was posted in the deals forum. I think it's in the very dark corner of my closet still sealed. My brother says the Dreamcast one kicked major ass, so I got this for my Gamecube.
 
[quote name='b3b0p']Everyone wants this game? I remember getting it from BestBuy.com for $11. It was posted in the deals forum. I think it's in the very dark corner of my closet still sealed. My brother says the Dreamcast one kicked major ass, so I got this for my Gamecube.[/quote]

well, i'd urge you to open it and play it, since it's one of my fave games (DC & GC equally, thought the Jap text makes the DC version tough to navigate the first few times), but the fact is, if you don't like shooters and absurdly difficult games, you'll regret even taking the time.

i'm addicted -- i play 30mins-1hr everyday to get in some practice. today, i made it to Chapter 4 on Normal, which is phenonmenal for me, since just days ago, i struggled to get there on Easy. i actually got farther into 4 today than i've been able to in the past, and at the higher difficulty.

everyone doesn't want this game, though, and a lot of people trade it off again after getting their first taste. it's kinda like blood sausage.
 
Ikaruga is overrated hype. They might as well have bundled it with a collectible hammer that you could hit yourself in the groinal area with after getting killed for the 20th consecutive time on level 1 with difficulty set to easy.
 
[quote name='Scobie']Ikaruga is overrated hype. They might as well have bundled it with a collectible hammer that you could hit yourself in the groinal area with after getting killed for the 20th consecutive time on level 1 with difficulty set to easy.[/quote]

It's not that hard. level 1 is really really easy. Like i've said before I can maintain a max chain throughout lvl 1 and 2. Stage 3 and beyond is where the game gets difficult. Don't say a game is overrated because you suck at it.
 
[quote name='Odenat']It's not that hard. level 1 is really really easy. Like i've said before I can maintain a max chain throughout lvl 1 and 2. Stage 3 and beyond is where the game gets difficult. Don't say a game is overrated because you suck at it.[/quote]

yeah; 1 and 2 i can survive on Normal with one ship 1 ship, but i always lose 1 or 2 on Chapter 3.

on a side note, i just got to Chapter 5 today for the first time ever!!!! i made it all the way to the last boss (i think it's the last) on my last ship and died. :cry: it sucked, but you can't argue with progress. a few months ago, i couldn't get thru level 1 on easy without expending 1 or 2 credits (though, in all fairness, i didn't play it much -- i'd just poke at it every few weeks and bitch about the difficulty). now i can beat those with my eyes closed, pretty much, and i can almost say the same for 3.

man, i am lovin' this game!
 
[quote name='Scobie']I'd like Ikaruga more if it would let me TRIPLE POST.[/quote]

i just noticed this back on the first page. what'd you mean by it? "TRIPLE POST"?
 
[quote name='Odenat']It's not that hard. level 1 is really really easy. Like i've said before I can maintain a max chain throughout lvl 1 and 2. Stage 3 and beyond is where the game gets difficult. Don't say a game is overrated because you suck at it.[/QUOTE]

Whatever... I grew up on arcade shooters and the console side- and overhead-scrolling shooters. Ikaruga was a nostalgia trip on that stuff. Would've been great if it wasn't so frustratingly difficult. I don't mind a challenging game, but sweet christ, I've got no time for a game that demands your soul.
 
[quote name='Scobie']Whatever... I grew up on arcade shooters and the console side- and overhead-scrolling shooters. Ikaruga was a nostalgia trip on that stuff. Would've been great if it wasn't so frustratingly difficult. I don't mind a challenging game, but sweet christ, I've got no time for a game that demands your soul.[/quote]

honestly, i suck at most shooters -- i've completed very few (without infinite continues), but i gotta say, just practice a bit and you'll begin to grasp the "knack" for Ikaruga. i haven't been playing for hours on end... you just use a little trial and error, and you'll have it in no time.
 
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