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XGD > PSP > Space Invaders Extreme
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 Information
Videos | Title | Views | Length | Date Added | | 30 | 0:47 | 9/18/2008 |
Reviews An unnecessary, but surprising solid remake. Plus, techno., August 4, 2008 By Nineteen Seven When a company decides to remake an IP, whether it’s to establish or re-establish said franchise, the company has two base options as to how they will carry forth their vision: the first being to re-create the core package that triggers nostalgic memories while providing new features, such as weapons and boss fights, different rules and restrictions to the gameplay, maybe even a few new sprites and levels here and there; and the second being to create a generic platformer/action/adventure/flight combat/puzzle/life simulator that maintains the theme of said IP, and more often than not, suffers from a lack of quality and proving that nods to said IP, subtle or not, aren’t enough to sustain the interest of your audience. I doubt we’ll see an end to the Sonic the Hedgehog titles that ignore the fundamental idea of “run to the right” or the Mario titles that focus on sporting events or whatever parties he’ll be having this month, and while some of these games have proven themselves as quality titles, I can’t help but feel a sense of diminishing value. I’m looking at you, Megaman.
So, you can understand my immediate disinterest when I heard that Taito was releasing Space Invaders Extreme. I wasn’t exactly sure as to how they were going to deliver an extreme experience in the form of a dated arcade shooter, especially when you’ve seen where the ‘shmup’ genre is today (read: Touhou, Cave shooters), but then I remembered, “Hey, this is Japan we’re talking about. Bring on the techno and strobe lights,” in an all-too sarcastic manner, but deep down inside I knew this was a valid possibility.
And so, I was right.
But while my initial assumption was confirmed, this game ended up defying my expectations and delivering a fun experience. While it struggles to capture my attention for more than several minutes at a time, I realized that beyond all the visual upgrades and the parlor tricks they dropped into SIE, it’s still a 15+ old arcade game and it’s on a PSP, so I think it accomplishes the goal of being a solid and accurate example of a portable game.
It is immediately clear Taito’s played Rez one too many times, as well as similar games in the “acid-trip rave shmup” genre such as Synasthete and Everyday Shooter, because this game is loud and shiny. Techno music assaults you as soon as it loads up and despite the layout of the menu system being quite plain, you can sense of what the presentation has in store for you. As soon as you enter in your profile name and start playing, as soon as the words “Round 1” disappear off-screen, your eyes are going to be assaulted by a kaleidoscope of colors and flashing objects, with text and lasers flying this way and that in the distance. The music assists in assaulting your senses, challenging you to stay focus while the distracting and repetitive, albeit catchy and fitting tunes while you’re treated with the exact same layout and controls from the first Space Invaders, except without the cluster of barricades from previous titles to protect you.
If Taito would’ve left the challenge within the distractions the thumping music and overly busy backgrounds, which force you to focus harder than you should, you’d be pressed to finish the game without losing a life (God forbid you look away from the screen during the daytime; have fun letting your eyes adjust). Instead, it seems that the aliens have gotten smarter.
Much smarter.
Sure, they begin to swarm down at you and fire the occasional laser at your ship, but it isn’t long before they’re shielding themselves with electric barriers, or exploding into smaller clusters of enemies when initially shot, or they’ve grown to four times their original size, or they decide to swarm you and circle around your line of movement. These butthorns have finally figured out how to use their numbers against you and while the first few levels are relatively easy, the game does grow difficult towards the end of things to come. They’re all identifiable in size and color, and it isn’t uncommon for you to lose sight of a few stray ones drifting around up there; the background’s on their side. Don’t get me started on that UFO that appears every now and then to shoot that unbreakable laser and limit your movement for a good few seconds. Well, never mind.
Actually, I should because he won’t be the only one sporting giant lasers. Taito’s dropped a few new tools for your disposal, in the form of giant lasers, three-shot clusters, and explosive rounds. It helps when you’re surrounded (read: always) and can help carve down waves in no time, especially during the arbitrary bonus rounds the game thrusts you into, providing ten-second challenges regarding a certain alien of hundreds you need to kill, or having a specific kill count. It all takes you one step closer to the boss, usually a gigantic alien that has a single weak point and can spawn enemies. The boss fights, besides the everything else, are some of the finest moments this game has to offer. Nothing fancy, but this game’s all about presentation.
At the end of each level, your points are all tallied by factors such as how many kills you’ve made, how many lives you’ve got, and how long it took you. A combo meter also builds up as you fight through the levels, multiplying points based on your killing sprees, provided you can keep a steady rhythm of victory without slowing down or getting shot. You’re given a report card grade that really shouldn’t matter to anyone beyond those who’re in it for the high scores, and after certain levels you’re given a choice to take an easier or harder path. The multiple pathways add replay value to those who want more from the core gameplay, and the hard path can give you a run for your money.
There’s a two-player mode, but you’ll need to be playing against someone with a copy of the game within close vicinity. It’s average stuff, you and a friend teaming up to show the rest of the universe who’s boss, but the DS version of SIE is where it’s at for multiplayer. There’s a high score mode but it can’t connect to the Internet, so I hope a personal high score is good enough to please yourself.
While Space Invaders Extreme can get very dull and disorienting, seeing as you'll be doing the exact same thing in every level with changes in music tempo and difficulty, it’s fun for the occasional burst of gameplay. It’s an excellent embodiment of a portable game, being that it’s quick and simple, entertaining enough to hold your attention for a few minutes and repetitive enough to keep it that way. It’s far from being a deep experience, but hell, it’s a remake of Space Invaders and it is actually fun. Given the amount and quality of remakes produced throughout these past few years, that’s saying something.
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