How do you like Ibara?

[TastySoil]

I'm trying to decide what PCB to get next, i'm looking at Ibara because it's one of the cheaper Cave PCBs, but i've heard mixed feelings on how people like it. People say it's terribly hard, others seem to like it. I'd like input from the forum -- I *really* want to buy a Ketsui PCB, but want to wait to see if the prices fall on it before i drop $$ down. I already spent too much on Muchi Muchi Pork a few months ago, which i'm loving!
Thanks for the input!

[emphatic]

I'm trying to decide what PCB to get next, i'm looking at Ibara because it's one of the cheaper Cave PCBs, but i've heard mixed feelings on how people like it. People say it's terribly hard, others seem to like it. I'd like input from the forum -- I *really* want to buy a Ketsui PCB, but want to wait to see if the prices fall on it before i drop $$ down. I already spent too much on Muchi Muchi Pork a few months ago, which i'm loving!
Thanks for the input!

Well, do you have an ESPGALUDA PCB yet, because that's pretty cheap and a game that's hard to not like. Ibara is very cool, but many owners do sell it pretty fast. I've never seen that happen with ESPGALUDA.

[clp]

Ibara is fucking awesome tbh however if your willing to practice hard and open minded to the yagawa style game play ( maybe try garegga in mame first and read the strategy forum) you will enjoy it immensely .

[TastySoil]

Emphatic: Nope, I don't have a Espgaluda PCB yet, I own ESPrade & love it, so thanks for the recommendation!

Clp: I do enjoy Garegga from the little i've played it in mame so I might be an Ibara fan! I wish someone near me had a Ibara PCB I could jam on for a bit

[yosai]

Ibara is cool but rock hard, it's also pretty frustrating knowing what killed you half of the time. It has a level select which is great for practicing the levels which you will need to do if you want to get a semi decent score.

Well, do you have an ESPGALUDA PCB yet, because that's pretty cheap and a game that's hard to not like.

I didn't like it at all. In fact, of all the Cave games I've played I would say Galuda is the weakest. Spent the best part of a year trying to track a PCB down too. The music is really annoying, especially the first level. Not really in to hermaphrodites fairies so didn't really dig the graphics (some nice detail but pretty indifferent to most of it) and the three/four button controls seemed clumsy. Some really nice bullet patterns though.

[cools]

Ibara is great fun, but requires a totally different approach to play to other Cave titles. Once you click with how you're supposed to play it it's superb. The game itself isn't that tough, but the bosses are - the level 2 boss has a pattern that drives everyone nuts.

Galuda I tired of fairly quickly, but I will be buying it again in the future - it's the kind of title (like Ibara) that's nice to pull out every so often.

[TastySoil]

The music is really annoying, especially the first level. Not really in to hermaphrodites fairies so didn't really dig the graphics

Yeah man, I know---thats my worry about buying it, from the videos i've seen the music *really* annoys me. I've grown to tolerate the music in Espgaluda II (on my xbox) but still really having a hard time getting into the electro-house-euro-dance vibe it has.

[cools]

Galuda 1's music is decent, 2 is, erm, not.

Pink Sweets wins for music.

[man9child]

This is all based on experience with the PS2 ports, but . . .

I much prefer Espgaluda. I actually like it a lot more than Espgaluda II. I second liking the first Galuda's soundtrack over the sequel.

Ibara I can't get into, despite being a really big fan of Raizing games, and Garegga in particular. Maybe the arcade board is different, but with the PS2 version (even applying the patch described here to deinterlace it) the game is a blurry mess. Combined with the pastel backgrounds and blurry, difficult to see bullets, it makes for a game where half the time I die I didn't even see it coming.

[cools]

Maybe the arcade board is different, but with the PS2 version (even applying the patch described here to deinterlace it) the game is a blurry mess. Combined with the pastel backgrounds and blurry, difficult to see bullets, it makes for a game where half the time I die I didn't even see it coming.

It is very different.

[yosai]

It is very different.

Second that. Not seen the PS2 port but the PCB is crisp and detailed.

[emphatic]

ESPGALUDA is a very easy game while played for survival only. When playing for score, it's a whole different thing though. To play Ibara for survival only, well there's a joke in there somewhere. I think it's actually easier to play it for score. Of all CAVE games, IBARA must have the worst soundtrack. Sleazy rock galore. I actually like melodic euro-trance, so for me ESPGALUDA has an awesome soundtrack, ESPGALUDA II, not so much. The arrange BGM in the 360 port though is even better than ESPGALUDA's tunes.

[Icarus]

I adore Ibara, and was crazy enough to pay £1,400 for the PCB kit two weeks after its release, as it was the first game developed by Yagawa after Raizing died. I still have the PS2 version, I still find it playable and immensely enjoyable, and I don't know how people can say it's a blurry mess when it looks fine to me on every display I've ran it through.

The game will rip you to pieces if you aren't up to speed on Raizing-styled games, however. Unlike most Cave games where you have a leisurely few stages to begin, Ibara gets challenging from the get-go. Stick with it though, and it really does become quite an exhilirating thrill-ride. (Stage 3 is awesome, by the way. By far my favourite of all shooting game stages, with Garegga's stage5 and MMP's stage4 close behind.)

[kengou]

I really only liked Arrange on the PS2 port. Not a fan of the arcade game.

[clp]

I adore Ibara, and was crazy enough to pay £1,400 for the PCB kit two weeks after its release, as it was the first game developed by Yagawa after Raizing died. I still have the PS2 version, I still find it playable and immensely enjoyable, and I don't know how people can say it's a blurry mess when it looks fine to me on every display I've ran it through.

The game will rip you to pieces if you aren't up to speed on Raizing-styled games, however. Unlike most Cave games where you have a leisurely few stages to begin, Ibara gets challenging from the get-go. Stick with it though, and it really does become quite an exhilirating thrill-ride. (Stage 3 is awesome, by the way. By far my favourite of all shooting game stages, with Garegga's stage5 and MMP's stage4 close behind.)

+1
I agree with everything icarus says including the port visibility , i ran it on lcd through component and it looks fine no blur at all although yes the PCB is superior . The " i didnt see what killed me " stuff garegga gets pointed at for to but you will soon come to notice all the players that actually stick with the titles never ever use this critism/ excuse because after adequate play your eyes adapt and you focus to see everything .

[Ganelon]

Yeah, I third Icarus's sentiment. I got used to the bullets in about 10 hours and eventually 1CC'ed on the PS2 version so the non-ideal resolution and filtering are just excuses as far as I'm concerned. Just look at Battle Garegga and see casual players complain about invisible bullets on AC and SS even when the actual graphical quality isn't an issue.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I do not comprehend this game. Just hit the wall like a bitch. Played the PS2 port only, which is aesthetically screwed up (you can tell this much without looking at the original), but I don't think it affects playability as such.

[TastySoil]

man, i guess i'll have to just try this game to make up my own opinion. It seems like people either love it or hate it. If I can find a PCB for around 200 bucks I might just pull the trigger and buy it.

[apple arcade]

I would invest the money in getting a battle garegga setup instead!

I enjoy Ibara but I enjoy Battle Garegga so much more.

[TLB]

Not only is it the manliest game ever, the soundtrack is fantastic.

Of all CAVE games, IBARA must have the worst soundtrack. Sleazy rock galore.

Emph, you are wrong. Go cry in the corner and beg Shinji Hosoe's forgiveness.

-emph

[emphatic]

-emph

What are you, 12?

[drunkninja24]

I liked it a lot, but it is definitely balls hard. Bombing and suiciding are the name of the game if you wanna get anywhere without the rank going out of control. And for just a bit of a plug, I actually have my Ibara kit on the Trading Station right now

[Matsunaga]

I like Ibara, but it's damn hard, harder than garegga, harder than DOJ for me. I need to give it more play time, maybe I'm not playing right.

[apple arcade]

I like Ibara, but it's damn hard, harder than garegga, harder than DOJ for me. I need to give it more play time, maybe I'm not playing right.

Reading this certainly left me with a puzzled look.

Garegga I can see but more so than DOJ?

[roker]

I'd say Ibara Kuro > Ibara

[Plasmo]

Ibara is without question within the top three of CAVE's most difficult shooters ever (excluding games where you can select less harder modes, i.e. the two Ultra modes).
That said, for this insane challenge alone it's worth to be played. I enjoy every single credit and every single death in stage 1. This game's just too awesome. The soundtrack, too, is one of the better ones - stage 1 and stage 5 music in particular are really, REALLY good.

No girls game, girls get killed here.

Ibara Kuro is nothing compared to this.

[Herr Schatten]

I really only liked Arrange on the PS2 port. Not a fan of the arcade game.

[Marurun]

I say get Ibara, but that's just my opinion. I like how it's pretty much insane as soon as you start, the bullet patterns are almost all homing based, and the scoring system actually REQUIRES you to fly through stuff to gain medals(like most Raizing games). Like everyone else said though, it's difficult. Really difficult.

[kernow]

Get it it'll rock your face off and has panties.

[EOJ]

Ibara is a great game. Ibara Kuro is better than Ibara, but neither are in the same league as Muchi Muchi Pork, which is pretty much the best game ever made.

The true YGW SH3 hierarchy of greatness [known by all who appreciate that which is truly great]:
GREATEST>GREATER>GREAT
MMP>Pink Sweets>Ibara

DDPDFKBL is omitted because I haven't played it. Ibara Kuro is omitted because YGW didn't program it, but I'd put it in between PS and Ibara if I could. Ibara Arrange is omitted because it sucks.