Square Releases their Best Game in Years*

[Mark L]

I am referring, of course, to Space Invaders Extreme. Retailing at $19.99 and therefore technically free, SIE eschews emo spiky haired pre-pubescent man-children and their laconic, amnesiac jailbait girlfriends in favor of old fashioned shoot 'em up action.

Actually, it's not so much old fashioned as new fashioned, as they have taken a lot of lessons from the sort of new school musical shooting/puzzle-ish games like Rez and the stuff made by Q Software. Every level features pumping music that gels with sounds made by your laser, and vivid color and lighting effects as well.

I'm having an awesome time with this one. It has frantic, ever changing stages (the game goes from stage to stage without giving much in the way of a breather; different stages have different objectives), variable paths through the levels, neat powerups and lots of ways to boost your score.

If you're looking for some kinetic, synaesthetic action for the car or the plane you could do a lot worse than this one. I don't know if it has legs yet, but I'm having a great time and the price is right! They even let you continue from where you left off if you wish, so you can be as "hardcore" as you wanna be.



*okay, okay, The World Ends with You is good too.

[Lokust]

REPORTED

[roguefrog]

Taito pinned as the Developer. Whoever they are.

[slantz]

Taito pinned as the Developer. Whoever they are.
Yeah, I think they did this one game back in the day. Called Space Invaders.

[MattKeil]

Found on Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Taito_games) Whatever that is.

[Dirt]

If it costs money, then it isn't free. That kind of thinking will only lead to higher prices.

[TomChick]

I'm working on a review now to post later today, but Mark L. is totally right. The new Space Invaders is teh awesome. Get it for the PSP. The new Arkanoid isn't really new, but it's also good.

-Tom

[RobotPants]

The word "technically" has slowly devolved into meaning "sort of" much like "literally" is almost always used when people mean exactly the opposite.

[TomChick]

I don't know if it has legs yet, but I'm having a great time and the price is right! They even let you continue from where you left off if you wish, so you can be as "hardcore" as you wanna be.

How far have you gotten, Mark? I've been stuck forever on the third stage. Which I don't really mind, because of how differently things can play out each time. But it makes me think there are indeed legs on this thing.

-Tom

[TomChick]

If it costs money, then it isn't free. That kind of thinking will only lead to higher prices.

At $20, Space Invaders Extreme is good enough that they technically pay you to play it!

-Tom

[salwon]

We're talking about Space Invaders right? Don't you get past the third level by shooting the aliens faster than they can get at you?

Full Disclosure: I'm talking completely out of my ass.

[TomChick]

Have your fun, salwon. But once you sample Space Invaders Extreme, you'll be sorry you mocked it!

-Tom

[Robert Sharp]

We're talking about Space Invaders right? Don't you get past the third level by shooting the aliens faster than they can get at you?


Your thinking of the second level, IIRC.

[salwon]

Oh trust me, one thing I don't need in my life is more Space Invaders. I shudder to think of what this "Extreme" version has to offer, other than the obvious lack of sleep.

"Drop down! Increase speed! Reverse direction!"

[Jason Becker]

Where's the Live Arcade version?

[Mark L]

Tom, I've gotten to the end boss of the 3rd level so far. I haven't been using the continue feature, so whenever I lose my third life it's back to the beginning. I have definitely seen a good number of different branching stages, though, and when I got a B rank on the second stage it gave me two options for stage 3: a "hard" and an "easy" path. Being a coward, I chose easy and promptly lost anyway:(


p.s. Game still rocks so far!

[TomChick]

Yeah, you're exactly where I am. If you go to the "Choose Stage" screen, you'll see we're at a point we have branching stages. It doesn't look like there are many, but considering how each stage seems to consist of, I dunno, twenty or thirty "waves" of invader dudes, each built differently, it still feels like a lot of content. Have you, uh, read the manual yet? Because once I realized how to set up combos for powerups and which UFOs did what and how to get fever mode going, it played a lot differently.

This thing reminds me of a pinball machine actually. And I mean that as high praise.

-Tom

[Mark L]

Awww, man. I'm always so good about reading manuals! This ONE TIME I was like "Come on...it's Space Invaders Extreme! What could I be missing? Hit "a" to fire?"

Off to actually, you know, learn to play.

p.s. The PSP version is good, eh? I actually have the DS version and they make a lot of use of the top screen, so I am actually a little curious as to how it works on the PSP.

[slantz]

So there seems to be a pretty obvious comparison to Pac-Man C.E. here.

How does this stack up to that in terms of being a quality remake, and a good game in its own right?

[TomChick]

Not to sour you on your preferred platform, but I very much prefer the PSP version. It looks and sounds really good on the PSP. Plus, it's a bit easier to track the data when it's on the margins to the left and right instead of on the top screen.

Still, it's the same game, so you're not missing out on anything essential if you're playing on the DS. Also, you can play multiplayer using the DS's download play. The PSP doesn't support that.

-Tom

[flyinj]

My favorite part of the game is the back of the box

it says

"It's Space Invaders, but now it's Extreme!"



actually


my favorite part of the game is how incredibly awesome it is.

[BacteriaEP]

I must say I am a bit flabbergasted at all the praise you guys seem to be showering on this game. When I first heard about this game I, like many others, thought "Ehhh Space Invaders..." but now I am very seriously considering picking up this title.

Either that, or you are all doing this as an incredibly elaborate joke to get simple minded Space Invader noobs, like myself, to buy this game.

I must ponder over this.

[flyinj]

I must say I am a bit flabbergasted at all the praise you guys seem to be showering on this game. When I first heard about this game I, like many others, thought "Ehhh Space Invaders..." but now I am very seriously considering picking up this title.

Either that, or you are all doing this as an incredibly elaborate joke to get simple minded Space Invader noobs, like myself, to buy this game.

I must ponder over this.

It's very very good. It's has constant variety, and the presentation is fantastic. Much like Lumines, the music is synched to the action, so you somewhqat create the soundtrack as you play.

I much preferred the soundtrack in the DS version over the PSP as well.

[salwon]

"It's Space Invaders, but now it's Extreme!"

It should come with some of the new Mountain Dew Doritos.

Also, ignore everything I said before, this game is fucking incredible.

[roguefrog]

Yeah, I think they did this one game back in the day. Called Space Invaders.

I was responding to the pretentious thread title. Thanks for ruining it.

[jfletch]

Not to sour you on your preferred platform, but I very much prefer the PSP version. It looks and sounds really good on the PSP. Plus, it's a bit easier to track the data when it's on the margins to the left and right instead of on the top screen.

Still, it's the same game, so you're not missing out on anything essential if you're playing on the DS. Also, you can play multiplayer using the DS's download play. The PSP doesn't support that.

-Tom

What was making me hesitate was the fact that the DS version also has global online rankings. But I doubt I would ever get good enough to make a dent on them.

And I don't have a DS anyway.

BTW, here's (http://www.pspfanboy.com/2008/02/18/space-invaders-extreme-downloadable-demo/) a link to the PSP demo.

[Sol Invictus]

I played the demo. I'm impressed. I'm actually considering getting it to play during those awfully long subway rides.

[slantz]

I was responding to the pretentious thread title. Thanks for ruining it.
Sorry about that. Snark and ignorance often sound remarkably similar.

[JZigish]

Second Best game in years. TWEWY is slightly better :P

But yeah, between these two games and FFT A2, Square's got some killer DS games this summer.

[BDGE]

I'm torn enough as to what version of Space Invaders to buy that I know I'll be stupid and buy both. PSP supposedly has the killer aesthetics, DS has a different(better?) soundtrack and the dual-screen shooting that intrigues me.

I'm assuming Arkanoid DS does not ship with the paddle peripheral that came with it in japan? GAF goes nuts over that little device and it supposedly is compatable with Space Invaders as well...but you hafta import. Tom's review is positive on the stylus control regardless, which I was not aware even existed, and my mind's eye imagines it works as stupendously as written about.

[metta]

I must say I am a bit flabbergasted at all the praise you guys seem to be showering on this game.

Fear not. Another 'Best Game In Years' will be along shortly. This is a very fecund time for hyperb... er, gamers :p

[Cat Master]

Someone please resurrect this thread in a week so I can remember to get it on ds.

[Dirt]

I always preferred Galaga.

[VegasRobb]

I'm liking the $19.99 price point. I hope it's a sign of things to come.

[Reed]

Normally I avoid anything with the word "Extreme" in the title, but sounds like I'll have to make an exception here.

I'm liking the $19.99 price point. I hope it's a sign of things to come.
I think that's how much Patapon went for too. Such a guilt free purchase that was.