Space Invaders Extreme

Space Invaders Extreme is a video game that consists of 4 releases
12 user reviews 4.2 / 5 avg score
4/5 stars Reviewed on May 6, 2009

Though you can't count on the online modes for additional thrills, Space Invaders Extreme is still a great update to the classic shooter.

By Jeff Gerstmann
Video posted by drewbert on May 2, 2009
This review is for the XBLM release of Space Invaders Extreme.

Hitting a break gives you a higher points multiplier for a short time.
Hitting a break gives you a higher points multiplier for a short time.
The Xbox Live Arcade version of Space Invaders Extreme is mostly identical to the handheld releases that were issued last year. The main difference is that this version goes for $10 and offers online co-op and versus modes for up to four players. It's still a great offline game, and it's now available at an even better price, but the online is hampered by stutters of latency that cause everything to briefly seize up.


In short, Space Invaders Extreme takes the base concept of shooting pixelated invaders and adds a bunch of combo counters to it. By shooting groups of same-colored invaders or same-shaped invaders, you'll achieve combos, some of which cause power-ups to appear, giving you bombs, wider shots, big-ass lasers, and so on. You can also chain your kills together to keep a chain meter going, increase your multiplier, and so on. All of this is made trickier by a constant influx of new invaders in different formations. You'll fight huge, laser-spewing invaders, or have to pick off tiny invaders with careful precision. Some enemies break for the ground when shot, forcing you to shoot a second time before the reach ground and kill you. Some explode when shot, setting off a chain reaction that takes other invaders along with it. You'll also enter separate bonus rounds that task you with hitting certain invaders before time expires, rewarding you with a brief section of "fever time," where you have tons of firepower and the chance to rack up a lot of points. The point is that the game feels like it has a good variety of things to keep you on your toes.

Each of the game's stages ends with a boss fight, and the later stages come in multiple forms. Your score in the previous round is what grants you access to these different higher-end stages. This gives you a reason to keep playing the same stages more than once, as you try for better combos, more breaks, and more fever time to get a higher ranking. You can practice any stage you've previously played on in arcade mode.

The laser quickly lays waste to the invading forces.
The laser quickly lays waste to the invading forces.
Outside of arcade mode, there are a few different multiplayer modes that you can play locally or over Xbox Live. Co-op lets up to four players take on the arcade mode. It doesn't make any real changes to the game to make it harder; you just have four ships in there firing shots instead of one. Each player has a separate combo meter, which is nice, but it can get sort of chaotic. You'd have to be really organized to line up a bunch of combos and other bonuses in a four-player game. Versus games let you play to see who can survive the longest or get the highest score. These games give each player their own screen, and new power-ups appear to help you take down the opposition. These modes are really cool additions, but it's tough to play online. There don't seem to be a ton of people playing, and each game I was able to get into suffered from network issues that made the game pretty tough to enjoy.

The presentation in Space Invaders Extreme really goes a long way. The enemies maintain their same, pixelated look from the original games while the backgrounds flicker and pulsate along with the music. The backgrounds never get too distracting, and they really look great. Each stage has its own music that sort of recalls the thumping beat of the original game without relying so heavily on it that it becomes annoying. The way the beat pumps as you play almost gives the game a rhythmic quality, while the new systems in place give the game a kind of Pac-Man Championship Edition feel.

Space Invaders Extreme is a great game, but the bunk network code is a real bummer. If replaying stages for bigger combos and higher scores to unlock more stages and bonus modes sounds like your type of game, though, you'll probably get really obsessed and absolutely get your money's worth.
"Invaders! Possibly from Space!" (DS)

Anybody who has the tiniest inkling of video game knowledge more than likely is aware of Space Invaders. It predates even Mario, back when a time when games were simpler. Well that was then and this is now, and people tend to demand a little more bang for their buck ...

Reviewed by DrRandle on July 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
8-bit meets HD in a remade classic (XBLM)

Space Invaders Extreme was originally released on the PSP and DS in 2008 to mark the 30th anniversary of the arcade classic and it quickly found its niche as a superb pick-up-and-play action title for the portable systems. Taito has breathed new life into the game this year by hiring ...

Reviewed by JosephBarron on May 14, 2009
Space Invaders Proves It's Okay To Be Extreme Without The Dew (XBLM)

When you think of the word "extreme," what's the first thing that comes to mind?   For most people, it's probably skateboarders, snowboarders, or Mt. Dew drinkin' rednecks driving lifted trucks.   It's unlikely that you'd ever lump Space Invaders in this category.   The original Space Invaders was black ...

Reviewed by bshirk on July 29, 2009
General Information Edit
Game Name Space Invaders Extreme
Platform(s)
Publisher(s)
Developer(s)
Genres
Add a new genre
Themes
Add a new theme
Original US Release June 17, 2008
need a fuzzy date?
Original US Release know the real date?
Aliases
ESRB
ESRB: E
PEGI
PEGI: 3+
Related Pages Edit
We don't have any info about Space Invaders Extreme's character. Help us fill it in!
Top Editors
You are in Edit Mode. Make sure to save your work at the end!!
  • Submissions can take 24 hours to be moderated.
  • Please leave a comment to explain why you're making this change.
Save Changes Cancel