There was a time when the only way to play a game on a console was to have a physical copy inside the system.

Now with the ever expanding grasp of digital distribution, games that were once considered to be rare jewels are slightly losing their value. An Ars Technica article points out how prices in some titles including Rez and Ikaruga no longer fetch the amount of money they used to bring in for collectors looking to sell.

Before Rez HD made its way onto Xbox Live Arcade, the disc version of the classic Dreamcast title would sell for…

For those of you who have decided to take my advice and download the Japanese arcade game Ikaruga for Xbox Live, here are a few tips that should help you enjoy the game…

Title: IkarugaPrice: 800 Microsoft Points (US$10)System(s): Xbox Live ArcadeRelease Date: April 9, 2008, 9 am GMTDeveloper: TreasureESRB Rating: “Everyone”Pros: Fast-paced classic arcade action and amazing graphics. Single-player and offline two-payer modes rock.Cons: Reaction time for switching polarity is a little slow and online games/connections tend to stutter.Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; B+; 88/100; **** out of 5

Click through for the full review…

For all you completionists out there who feel the need to collect every possible point, below is the complete list of current Achievements for Xbox Live Arcade version of Ikaruga (available now for download).

Some gamers are speculating that there may be others that are unlocked as you play through the game, so if you catch/unlock/achieve any extras, please let us know. So far there are 200 possible points with the existing list…

Rez isn’t the only awesome shooter getting the Xbox Live treatment today. Treasure, which also recently announced a DS sequel to Bangai-O, is also porting Ikaruga to Microsoft’s download service. Ikaruga is considered to be one of the best Dreamcast shooters out there. For those unfamiliar with the game, the player’s ship has two sides more »