Ibara (video Game) - Ibara Kuro: Black Label

Ibara Kuro: Black Label

To remedy some of the concerns fans had with the original version of the game, Cave released an updated version in limited distribution in the first half of 2006. Black Label contains many additions, some of which appeared earlier in the released PlayStation 2 port in the form of Arrange Mode. This version differs from the original version of Ibara in that any sub-weapon additions acquired will be stored (instead of replaced), allowing for real-time switching between any available weapon. Each sub-weapon can be fired in one of five different targeting modes: Normal, Back, Wide, Rolling, and Search. The sub-weapons available are:

• Machine Gun
• 5-Way
• Gatling Gun
• Rocket
• Flame
• Napalm
• Homing Missile

Players could now also freely choose which character to play as. In the original version, player one always played as the character Bond while player two was always Dyne. Each character has four different ship types to choose from, giving a total of eight different playable ship configurations. Each type has varying differences in speed, main weapon type, and bomb type.

The updated game added to the amount of enemy bullets that were fired at the player, but gave the player the ability to hold down the shot button instantly changing the shot into a focused stream of power (to the detriment of your plane's movement speed), much like the laser in the Donpachi series, thus bringing the title more in line with other bullet hell shooters.

A useful addition to Black Label is the inclusion of an on-screen meter to display just where the player's Rank currently resides. This was an unknown quantity in the previous release and made playing with the aim of achieving a top score more difficult as there was no definite way of telling whether your rank was being raised or lowered. Along similar lines, bosses were given their own visible lifebars to aid the player and to add a more tangible feeling to their impending defeat.

An important addition to the PlayStation 2 arrange mode was more visible enemy bullets. A defining feature of the original Ibara was 'stealthy' enemy bullets that seemed purposely designed to be harder to see than is customary in bullet hell. The PS2 version allowed players to change the colouring of the enemy bullets to aid visibility or opt for the original arcade style.