The Japanese arcade hit Ikaruga receives the full Xbox LIVE Arcade treatment and is poised to launch on the platform this Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. GMT (1:00 a.m. PDT).

Ikaruga is a fast-paced scrolling shooter with a twist players must constantly switch their ships polarity to maximize their damage output and avoid incoming enemy fire of the opposite polarity.

Ikaruga on Xbox LIVE Arcade features a two-player co-op mode both locally and over Xbox LIVE. Newcomers can also easily bring their skill up to speed by using the games slow motion training mode.
Ikaruga is a perfect combination of beautiful, manga-style storytelling and challenging arcade heroics, all brought to life in a gorgeous HD environment.

Gamers itching to obtain a moment of Ikaruga glory will be wise to master the chaining system that detects when enemies of the same polarity are destroyed consecutively. Doing so will reward players with huge score bonuses, which will be key to topping Ikarugas leaderboards.

The ability to relive a particularly harrowing battle is also possible thanks to the games record and replay function, which is new to the Xbox LIVE Arcade version of the game.

From the Japanese developer Treasure, Ikaruga will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. For more details on Ikaruga please visit:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/i/ikarugaxboxlivearcade