Space Invaders Extreme

Hard to believe but Space Invaders is 30 years old. Not to show my age but I do remember playing Space Invaders in the arcade years ago as a youngster. Yes, our beloved video-game industry is really starting to mature, which usually means that it’s time to remake classic games from years ago. However, this isn’t simply a port of the original game or a collection of the sequels released over the past 30 years. What we get with Space Invaders Extreme is a spin on the original game with enhanced gameplay, music and visuals.

Space Invaders Extreme (SIE) follows the same concept of the original game that I hope many of you have already played. You control a ship (actually a cannon but I’ve always thought of it as a ship) at the bottom of the screen and you have to fight off a wave of aliens invaders as they slowly advance towards your ship. Once you destroy all of the aliens you advance to the next stage where the aliens are usually a little faster than the previous stage. This tried-and-true concept is still in place in SIE but this time with some new twists sure to keep the younger audience glued to their DS.

The first enhancements of the game are the visuals. Sure, gameplay should always top visuals but this time the visuals help to make SIE look and play like a modern game instead of a remake of a 30-year-old game. All of the classic alien models you’ve seen in advertisements, T-Shits, television shows, etc. are still in SIE in all their 2D glory and simple sprite designs. Yet the background and special effects in the game do a marvelous job of sucking you in and giving you the “wow” factor you look for with eye-candy games. The backgrounds in the game are a loop of 3D images that I can best describe as modern urban images. Think of them as a weird strange dance/rave party or even better the backgrounds on Lumines, the now legendary puzzle game on PSP, PS2 and Xbox Live Arcade.

The special effects are simple but always impress and do a great job of keeping the screen alive and exciting. There are four power-ups that you can use in the game; Laser, Bomb, Broad Shot and Shield. All of these power-ups will cause the screen to sparkle and come alive like a July 4^th celebration. I found myself even talking smack towards the screen as I unleashed a large assortment of damage with the power-ups. Even on the small screen the visual impact of the power-ups helped to keep the game alive and fresh. Laser lets you shoot a wide laser beam out that can usually rip through enemies immediately. Bomb will explode and damage a wide area near the impact zone, causing damage to multiple aliens at a time. Broad Shot lets you shoot five bullets at a time. Shield, as you can guess, puts a temporary shield up over your cannon. Unfortunately the visual pizzazz is lacking for the shield power-up.

There are still some other visual treats connected to the gameplay. Since this is 2008 not 1978 the gameplay is now designed to reward you for destroying as many aliens as possible. The screen will pop up messages and phrases as you pull off certain attacks and/or progress in the game. Raising the level of your cannon, performing Chain Attacks, filling your Score Rate gauge and then finally reaching the Break state all keep the screen alive with notices as you rack up points. Yes I said points, you remember them right? Well the Chain Attacks, Score Rate and Break state are all connected together and performing them properly will make sure you score as many points as possible.

A couple other segments of the game keep the visuals hopping but the gameplay hopping as well. The Round segment opens up when you shoot one of the flashing space ships that fly across the stage going from left to right or vice versa. The Round stages are mini games that temporarily replace the main game. Each Round stage will have an objective that you need to complete within a very short amount of time. Usually the objectives are simple such as shoot down 10 invaders in 30 seconds. But the difficulty can change for each Round due to different conditions such as a slow moving cannon or only hitting certain colored invaders during the round.

Once you’ve finished a Round stage successfully you jump back to the regular game but this time in a special mode called Fever Time. Fever Time lasts only for a short period but your cannon is super charged. This makes it easier to clear out all of the invaders almost instantly while in Fever Time. After playing the Round mini games and going into Fever Time I found myself yelling at the game when I didn’t finish the Round section properly. Fever Time helped make it easier to keep moving in the game since your firepower is amazing.

Instead of just blowing up row after row of slow-descending invaders like in the original, SIE this time makes it interesting. The designs of how the invaders appear are always changing from wave to wave. Sometimes the invaders will move from left to right while they descend. Other times the invaders will turn sideways making themselves super thin and harder to shoot down. Then you get various forms of invaders even with various power-ups to deal with as well.

Yet the greatest part of SIE is that the game always keeps moving at a fast tempo. Not too fast at first but just enough to keep the screen alive with excitement and to suck you into the game. Before you know it you’re at the boss battle, yes boss battle, and then ready to take on the next level. The game includes two sections for the main game, Arcade and Ranking mode. The Arcade mode lets you actually save and continue at the last level you’ve made it to. While Ranking mode plays like a regular arcade game where it’s all of nothing, with no continues. However, keep an eye on your score since you can use it in the Multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer is another wonderful feature for Space Invaders Extreme. The game supports the full range of WiFi options for the DS, everything from Ssngle-card play to true online WiFi play. The first great feature is that you can upload your score from the single player Ranking mode to the Global Rankings by WiFi. You can compare your scores against others on this virtual leader board at anytime. The single-card play and other online WiFi play is a competition mode where the player that runs out of cannons loses the game. The gameplay is almost exactly the same as the single player with you shooting down the invaders but this time you attack the other player by shooting the space ships flying across the screen.  When the UFO’s are destroyed invaders are then added to the other players screen. You have to fight quickly in order to clear out the screen before more invaders appear.

Space Invaders Extreme is a great title for the Nintendo DS that proves that even old games can look, sound and play like new again. The same gameplay from 30 years ago is enhanced with new features and enough eye candy to keep you coming back for more. Even if you’ve never been a fan of the original game you should check out Space Invaders Extreme. This game is a great title for the DS that deserves a spot in your collection.

Gameplay: 9.1
The game will suck you in and keep your fingers stuck to the DS as you keep saying to yourself “just one more time, just one more time.” The pacing of the game feels just right with a wonderful balance of speed and difficulty.

Graphics: 8.5
Even with the standard 2D look and sprite designs of the invaders this game oozes with flair with all of the special effects and wild backgrounds.

Sound: 8.5
A techno-themed soundtrack keeps your head bumping as the explosions ring out like a welcomed extension to the music.

Difficulty: Medium
The game does ramp up around level four but the challenge isn’t enough to scare anyone away.

Concept: 9.0
They took a 30-year-old game and made it new again by embracing the past look and gameplay but enhancing it with modern features we find in other games today.

Multiplayer: 8.7
I’m just happy to see another DS game that supports true WiFi instead of the usual multi-card modes. Even the single card-share feature is a welcomed bonus for those that always have friends that never buy the same games as you.

Overall: 8.8
Space Invaders Extreme is a worthy title for anyone’s DS collection. The tried-and-true gameplay is intact but with just the right touch of refinement for anyone to pick up and enjoy. Don’t miss your chance to celebrate 30 years of gaming history by picking up Space Invaders Extreme.