Game Title: Space Invaders Extreme

Release Date: 06/17/2008

ESRB Rating: Everyone

Genre(s): Action, Shooter

Publisher: Taito

Developer: Taito

Platform(s): Sony PSP, Nintendo DS

We’ve seen a lot of retro revivals lately on the big screen with movies and with games as well. The outcome is always up in the air really on how well it comes across this time around. We’ve seen a new Pac-Man, New Super Mario Bros., and tons of “Greatest Hits” discs. Now Space Invaders Extreme joins the bandwagon to see how it fares with the gamers today. Somehow Space Invaders Extreme ends up on the end with the great retro movie/game revivals. I say this because the gameplay and style is extremely old school. I mean seriously…the original Space Invaders was made in 1978! Although you will feel it’s age a little bit because it is still a two dimensional turret simulation game with very simplistic gameplay. Being that the game is for Sony PSP and Nintendo DS…the retro looks, feel, and gameplay are much more welcomed than it would be on the bigger consoles.

The key to bringing back a retro game is to keep a lot of the original game mechanics there because that is what gamers remember it as, and that is what they are looking for when they come back. If a developer can keep the original game intact, but add some updates to graphics and add a few twists then you got yourself a pretty solid game with very little thought. That is what happened here with Space Invaders Extreme…which is a good thing! The new graphics still keep the 2D retro appearance, but they are brighter and more colorful. The backgrounds are super trippy, and you may actually want to turn them off because they can get in the way when you are in the middle of some intense action. It just becomes hard to see everything when you have background that’s changing colors and swirling around. However, this is for you to decide.

As I said above, the gameplay is a lot like the 1978 version. You are still moving the little turret back and forth in an attempt to clear the screen of the invaders that continually move toward you. One major plus though is that as you make your way through the single-player part of the game you will see a lot of new invader types, power-ups, and quite a few bosses that prove to be challenging. Another great thing about the gameplay of Space Invaders Extreme is that it is extremely unpredictable. This game loves to switch things up on you to test your skills, and it really adds a lot of fun to the game. Even veterans of the old school version will find this release a lot of fun. For instance, with games on this style you begin to learn patterns so you can defeat the different invader types without much hassle. However, there are quite a few surprises awaiting you that will suddenly break your pattern and make you start blasting on the fly.

The gameplay is truly flawless and is sure to please many gamers out there. Also worth noting is the amount of freedom you are given in the game. You progress down different paths depending on how well you are doing in the game, which adds a ton of replay value to the game. There are also a lot of secret levels you can go to that will make you enjoy the game even more. In case you are wondering…the secret levels are accessed by hitting the fast color changing UFO’s . On top of all this…there is even an online versus mode that is strangely addictive in itself. Space Invaders Extreme is built on simple mechanics but it has been truly perfected. The game is tons of fun and there are so many factors that bring you back for more. You can play single-player over and over before you stop seeing new things, and with online battles you are in for hours of entertainment at the least. I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for something to play on their PSP or DS.

DeVOTeD 2 Gaming Rating: