Game Reviews: 'Space Invaders Extreme,' 'Arkanoid DS'
Justin Hoeger - Sacramento Bee
Jul 03, 2008
Space Invaders Extreme -- ****
Nintendo DS and Sony PSP
The word "Extreme" in a video-game title tends to trigger a reflexive cringe in most gamers, especially when applied to a remake of a genre classic.
But "Space Invaders Extreme" doesn't deserve this reaction. What "Pac-Man Championship Edition" did for "Pac-Man" last year, "SIE" has done for the 30-year-old "Space Invaders," taking the mechanics of this most basic of shooters and reworking them into something fresh and fun.
Almost everyone knows "Space Invaders" - players move their roving cannon along the bottom of the screen, firing upward at waves of space invaders that descend faster and faster as the game wears on, always ending in defeat.
And that's it. No power-ups, no smart bombs, none of the neat things that future makers of vertical shooters would dream up. And that's fine "Space Invaders" was an elemental game, its essence incorporated into many others. "SIE" mixes things up in many ways but stays totally true to the original.
There are now power-up items - four color-coded examples of them, each awarded for destroying four enemies of the same color in a row.
The laser beam cuts through the ranks of most invaders, but it can't penetrate the reflective shields some carry (which return normal cannon shots). The broad shot fires five bullets at once, and the bomb unleashes a single, powerful shot that blasts anything. Finally, there's a defensive shield that blocks attacks.
These weapons can only be used for a short time unless replenished, though they can be banked for crucial moments if need be.
Space invaders with reflectors were mentioned above; this is not the only new invader trick in the game. Others can turn sideways, presenting only a pixel-thin target; some carry defense shields that must be shot through before their carriers can be destroyed; some split into multiple invaders when hit.
The UFOs that fly overhead sometimes trigger bonus rounds where the player has to shoot 15 enemies down in 10 seconds, or destroy all the UFOs, or something; winning this round puts the cannon into the powerful Fever Time for a few moments after it's done.
Finally, there are boss invaders, large versions of their smaller cousins that have weak points the player has to reach before they can be destroyed.
But through all this, the goal is still simply to earn points by chaining invader kills together to increase the score multiplier. Shooting invaders also has aural benefits, as each shot and impact adds a sound to the soundtrack.
The two DS and PSP versions have identical game play and similar graphics; the PSP's visuals are a bit fancier, and everything fits on one screen, while the DS version extends the field of play upward into the second screen. Both versions offer multiplayer for two players in the same room; the DS version also allows online play.
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Arkanoid DS -- ***
Nintendo DS
Arkanoid is a few years younger than "Space Invaders," and this DS remake doesn't reinvent itself like "Space Invaders Extreme." Where "SIE" is a must-have even for gamers who don't care for the original, "Arkanoid DS" won't win any converts.
However, players fond of "Arkanoid's" brand of ball-bouncing action should pick it up, as this version is full of new stages to break down, either in a story mode or against a computer opponent. ("Arkanoid DS" also features online play.) In "Arkanoid DS," the top screen of the DS is filled with colored blocks, while the bottom screen is empty except for an energy barrier and a small bar-shaped ship that reflects a bouncing ball at the blocks above.
Sometimes a destroyed block will drop a helpful item. Clearing all blocks wins the level. Simple as can be.
What makes this version more fun than other home conversions of the game is the control. The arcade original used a trackball for high-precision positioning of the bar, precision that no game pad has ever been able to reproduce. The stylus and touch screen, on the other hand, are just as accurate as a trackball in this context.
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