Ikaruga/Stage 1

This guide for chapter one is based on the gameplay in Ikaruga for the Gamecube with vertical display and normal difficulty.

Chapter One is given the name IDEAL; perhaps because it is easy, straightforward and so very neatly ordered. Chapter One has five parts, the last of which is a timed boss fight.

Strategy
Welcome to Ikaruga.

Section 1
OVERVIEW: This section is very short and very simple. There are 60 enemies, organized into 6 groups.

The first four groups arrive alternately from the upper-right and left-hand corners. Try to kill them immediately. The more quickly they die, the less likely they are to kill you. It doesn't matter what polarity you are; these enemies require only one shot. You can stay one color the entire time. Some switch between white and black, but unless you can see a distinct change in your score, its not worth it. If you're just starting out, you should practice switching just to get the hang of it.

The next two groups will come down together as 3x6 rectangular columns. The left side is completely white, and the right side is all black. Initially they will take formation side-by-side, briefly forming a larger 6x6 square. The two groups both maintain rectangular column-shaped formations as they slowly move in opposite directions. You want to kill each group quickly, so hold fire and move to cut through them like a knife through butter. For now, just shoot to kill. Eventually you'll want to take out each colored column separately, thus "chaining" them.

At this point; if you were quick enough, bonus enemies will appear. Either 1 or 2 groups of 3 small ships. They arrive from the top corners, they don't shoot, and will make easy targets as long as your ready to fire.

SCORE-CHAIN: If you understand the concept of a chain, then you should be able to chain this section. There are a total of 22 chains possible. Of these, two are bonus rows. You must more fast to get these. There are often numerous ways to clear a given stage. In this case, check out the demo in Horizontal 2 (screen setting). As you kill the 2nd 3x6 group, have your ship moving in an upward direction: this will save time.

Section 2
Section two is pretty straightforward. After you've memorized the enemy pattern it shouldn't be much of a problem to survive and max chain.

2 White groups 2 Black groups 1 white (left) 1 black (right)

1 group of 6 enemies, alternating polarity. These ships have heavier guns than previous enemies, so make sure you taken them out quickly. If you're in need of a strategy, watch the Hrz2 demo. It is not uncommon for a chain-focused strategy to also offer the best chance for basic survival.