If you love the juicy, vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up action of Ikaruga on your Nintendo Switch, or if you've been holding out on picking it up all this time, you'll probably be pretty pleased to know that a physical release is on the horizon.
There are no concrete details just yet on when it'll be launching or where you can expect to find it, but it's absolutely on the way. It has been teased by Nicalis on the studio's official Twitter account (and you can be pretty sure that the game will appear on Nicalis' store in the near future).
Of course, back in August last year Nicalis showed off the "world's largest Switch game case" for the much-loved shmup, sending fans into a frenzy by making them think a physical release was on the way. We're still not entirely convinced it was a real tease ourselves, but at least it's definitely coming now.
If you're not clued up on this one, feel free to check out our full review.
Are you a fan of Ikaruga? Does this physical release have your name all over it? Fire away in the comments below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 28
Cool. I've been wanting this.
one of the best shumup!
Too bad Nicalis is behind the publishing on this, I truly loathe the idea of giving those clowns my money.
Yes indeed, I've been holding off because I suspected a physical release was coming. Gimme gimme gimme!!
Day one. That cover art does not disappoint.
meep
Day one. Yep yep!
Available in the UK?
Europe, please!
Now if only Nicolas would release That 90s Arcade Racer, which they and the developer jilted their funders/backers out of.
Like ten years ago...
Knew I waited for a reason.
Not as amazing as Radiant Silvergun, but an essential entry in the shmup genre none the less. A must-play for every Switch owner.
Love this game!... I am ready for Ikaruga 2 on Switch - or like it 😃 (but I've bought/played this enough times)
Oh yes!!!!!
These are the kinda games I want to play on the go, retro/arcade style.
My frothing demand for this physical game increases.
@Magician Yeah I would love to see Radiant Silvergun come to the Switch in the future.
I'm glad it's not a limited release. These will be much easier to find. Anyways I hate the days when physical games doesn't release the same day as their digital version. Makes me mad to have to buy them twice.
I always take a step back and ponder when this stuff happens. When companies release an amazing game digital only when there’s clearly a demand for a physical version, it’s gotta throw off the “opening week” stats a bit. Like myself for example, wants this game very badly but I purposely held out because I was waiting for a physical edition. So now they lost a sale. I imagine thousands of people may have made the same choice. Surely this looks like people don’t want the game but in reality we’re just waiting for a physical release rather than buying it twice, once in each format.
I hope companies realize this and don’t judge demand or reception from how it does as digital only. Because you wrong if you do!
That being said, I’m buying this. I have yet to play an Ikaruga game.
EDIT: I honestly think this release digital only and then a physical version months to a year later act is a way to “recoup” money from losses where people trade and by games and recycle them between friends or friends. It’s the same belief I have for what happened to the music industry: for years, people have been pirating music and now companies are releasing records again at very high prices. I feel this is to recoup some of that lost money from pirating. Same thing here: companies are hoping consumers buy the game twice nowadays.
...That’s my theory anyway.
That being said, I’m still buying the game. Only it’ll be one time and the physical version.
@AngelFox Well, if the guy that made 90's Arcade Racer had gone with a reputable publisher, it would've been out years ago, and on the originally intended platforms.
Wait, are we supposed to be mad at Nicalis for some reason now? I can’t keep up.
@Dizzy_Boy Are they actually still working on it? I know it’s still listed on their website but I can’t believe they’re still doing anything with it. Even if it does get released I’m sure people like me who backed it will get nothing.
Still, could be worse, they could announce they’re releasing it on the Epic Game Store...
Both versions are mine!
@ChromaticDracula
You have never played Ikaruga before? Look forward to having a great time, it's really a masterpiece.
@ChromaticDracula I think the logic is two fold, one they can put the digital release out at a lower risk (no chance of unsold physical items sitting around) to gauge interest around a game. Witht aht data they can decide how many physical copies to create for sale. It makes me wonder what the break even point is for physical switch game production.
Then there is the hope the hardcore fans will double dip. This is, of course, kind of irritating to the consumer and not totally solid logic as Ikaruga is probably my favorite game of all time, but I refuse to double dip in it for the same system. The digital Swiitch copy is already the third time I bought the game. But for sure, some people will buy it again I'm sure.
By the way, enjoy your Ikaruga experience, it's wonderful!
Gotta pick this up. I loved it on the Gamecube but that era is packed away for now. Won't need to dig it out now anyway 😀
An amazing game to this day, but it's extremely distasteful that Nicalis have stripped the Treasure logo from the box. It's Treasure's game 100%. To steal the credit from one of the greatest devs of all time is totally unacceptable.
I had the game Cube version. Sadly sold it many winters past. 😿
@TME I understood that reference
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