Classic GameCube Game Is Free on Xbox One and Series X

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A popular game originally released in Japanese arcades in 2001 is now available for free on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. It was initially a Japan-only title for both arcades and the Sega Dreamcast, before being released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2003 and making its way to Western audiences. For five years, it was essentially a GameCube exclusive, until it appeared on the Xbox 360 in 2008. Now, it’s the Xbox 360 version that’s free to play on all current Xbox consoles – you don’t even need a Game Pass subscription.

If you didn’t realize what was happening with the free Xbox game, it’s called Ikaruga, created by Treasure. Normally, it costs $9.99 in the US Xbox Store. However, it’s currently available for free on the Argentine Xbox Store. Even if you don’t live in Argentina, you can create an Argentinian Xbox account to get it – it just takes a few extra steps and is completely free.

A Classic Bullet Hell Game

If you’re unfamiliar with Ikaruga, it’s a challenging “bullet hell” shooter and a spiritual successor to Treasure’s classic Radiant Silvergun, considered one of the best shooters of its time and a standout title for the Sega Dreamcast. Ikaruga received a positive score of 85 on Metacritic and appeared to sell well. However, it never spawned a sequel or similar game. This is likely due to Treasure, the game’s developer, significantly reducing in size and only releasing re-releases since 2014. There are reports that Treasure is now working on a brand new game, though.

Ikaruga is a fast-paced shooting game where you can switch the polarity of your ship. This allows you to absorb enemy bullets instead of being damaged! Mastering this ability and earning chain bonuses is key to achieving a high score.

If you download this classic bullet hell game for free, you can finish the main story in about one or two hours. Exploring all the side content will take around 20 hours, and achieving 100% completion could take dedicated players up to 200 hours.

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2026-06-13 13:40