An Extreme Invasion. From Space!
I feel it's important to note straight off the bat that this is a budget priced game, and as such I have to credit that to the game and keep it in consideration. It's a simple game for a cheap price, but that doesn't mean that it has budget game play. But does this game stick out in the densely populated crowd of classic remakes that float atop the market like a thick scum?
Space Invaders Extreme had to have begun with a thorough inspection and breakdown on the original game, you can tell that the developers really stripped the game bare and identified where the fun comes from. Which parts of the Space Invaders anatomy are the entertainment glands? Well as it turns out, it's the pacing. Space Invaders is famous for being a steady, relentless affront. Taito took this and built upon it, now the pacing is synchronised with pulsing electronic music, from the enemy movements to your ships weaponry, it all fits in pattern.
The visuals are kept basic, but the animations are much flashier now, with dynamic backgrounds and colour coded enemies and power-ups. Yes, power-ups have been injected into the space Invaders formula, but with surprisingly positive consequence on the game. With the appropriately coloured power-up you can shoot penetrating lasers, fire waves of bullets, or shoot missiles with a blast radius, or enjoy a number of other small twists.
Another surprising new addition are bosses. The game will occasionally pit you against a giant Invader (a Space Invader) complete with weak points and attack patterns. These come off pretty well, they're decently creative, and more importantly they're a welcome break in game play. The game is divided into 5 tiers of levels, but at each tier you're given the option to take an easy or a hard path, making a tree of 11 stages total. The hard stages will, believe you me, provide a substantial challenge.
The game also boasts wireless multi-player, and a ranking mode that will add your score to an online leaderboard which is more than a budget game of this simplicity deserves, but it's brilliant for it. It feeds a healthy competitive nature in us that recalls the days of the arcades, getting high scores and tapping in your 3 initials.
I gave this game 4 stars, it's no Final Fantasy but it is a budget title and it is brilliant. It's sickeningly addictive, highly replayable and perfect for bitesized game sessions as all handheld games ought to be. Put a little time into this game, you'll find yourself in a trance-like state of happiness.
