As a huge Saturn fan, and one that imported a fair number of games for the system, Radiant Silvergun drifted into my orbit. Both are extremely difficult, but one is a lovingly crafted thumb-buster with pitch-perfect balance. However, there is a lot of daylight between the two games.

Radiant Silvergun, an import-only shooter for the Sega Saturn by Treasure, is another title hardcore gamers use for street cred. What It Was All About In my Screw This Game piece regarding Chakan on the Genesis, I lambasted the game for being an unfairly difficult exercise that hardcore gamers have turned into some perverse badges of honor. Over the last ten years, Radiant Silvergun has developed a Holy Grail reputation in the minds of a certain breed of gamer - namely, the breed that still dismisses the Wii out of hand. Ikaruga is considered by many to be the 'spiritual sequel' to the developer's seminal shooter Radiant Silvergun, a tough-as-nails shooter for arcades and the Saturn that never made it across the Pacific. This Wednesday, Microsoft is releasing Treasure's cult-hit shooter Ikaruga on Xbox Live Arcade. Favorite Moments: When the Stone-Like goes critical, figuring out the best way to 'chain' your weapon upgrades for a specific stage, and every single boss battle. Platform(s): Arcade, Saturn Release Date: 1998 Favorite Line: No clue - it's all in Japanese.

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