The original Space Invaders Extreme was a true joy to play. The game took the basics set forth by the original classic more than 30 years ago, and added in a faster pace, a more intense visual design with colorful explosions and tons of enemy ships, and a techno soundtrack. The game added in some new elements to make the experience more frenetic while retaining the pixilated look and charm of the original game. Now, the sequel, Space Invaders Extreme 2, is upon us and launching on the Nintendo DS. While the original Extreme was a thematic departure from the original game, this sequel doesn't change things up very much from its Extreme predecessor, adding in a few Spartan changes and tweaks here and there, but being largely the same game. Still, if you missed out on the original, this is a fine place to start.

Space Invaders Extreme 2 plays a lot like the original game from 30+ years ago. The basics are here: you are a lone ship charged with shooting down hordes of enemy spacecraft by scrolling back and forth on the bottom of the screen while the enemies move in patterns at the top. You must dodge their attacks while shooting back at them. The first Space Invaders Extreme game played a lot like the original, but added in some new features like color coordination that requires you to shoot down chains of specifically colored enemies in order to gain the use of special weapons. There are also multi-colored UFO crafts that will start a bonus round when you shoot them down, letting you earn tons of points.

Space Invaders Extreme 2 does everything that its predecessor does and features all of the same gameplay modes including Score Attack and online play, and opts to add in a few minor additions that casual players might not even notice. The bonus rounds now make use of the top screen portion of the DS, requiring you to kill enemies on both the top and bottom screens, adding a difficult new element to the mix.

Another new addition to the game's formula is the bingo system. On the top screen, a bingo grid appears, with portions of the board lighting up depending on the color combinations of enemies you shoot down. This is an interesting addition to the formula, but ultimately feels pretty confusing and doesn't really add much to the game's feel and pace.

The game's aesthetic is mostly the same as the original Extreme. The ship models have that certain old-school charm to them, featuring the same pixilated and iconic look that they had in the late 70's. The other elements of the game's look feature bright and intense background images with flashing lights and movement, but nothing that is too terribly different from the original Extreme.

One of the ways that the predecessor set itself apart from other remakes of classic arcade games was through the game's upbeat techno soundtrack. Space Invaders Extreme 2 once again doesn't change up this theme very much, and instead offers more of the same. While the soundtrack is a fine fit with the gameplay (the sound effects will sync up with the music in cool ways, a la REZ), it doesn't feel as cool or groundbreaking as the original game. Extreme 2 also adds in an announcer that gives you confidence boosters as you play the game, which gets grating after a while.

Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a fun game, evoking the feel of its predecessor well and being every bit as fun and frantic. However, it just doesn't bring much new to the table, and the additions it does bring are spotty at best. If you missed out on the first Extreme title, then this sequel is a fine starting point. However, if you played its predecessor to death, you might find it difficult to spot the worthy differences here.

Gameplay: 8.0
A fast-paced and addictive good time, Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a fun game, but one that doesn't bring many improvements over its predecessor.

Graphics: 7.5
The art style is cool in an old-school sort of way, but nothing new from the original game.

Sound: 7.0
Nothing really new here either, same style of upbeat techno music. The addition of an announcer is an odd choice, and somewhat annoying at times.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 6.0
The developer's recalcitrance to add in new elements or features to the sequel is one of its weakest points.

Multiplayer: 8.0
Online play and Leaderboards, just like the first game.

Overall: 8.0
Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a fun and solid shooter that exudes tons of old-school charm and addictive gameplay. Unfortunately, it doesn't add much new for fans of the first game, and feels pretty stagnant as a result.