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Space Invaders Revolution Review
Written by Señor Cha Cha on Friday, July 15, 2005
Classic arcade gameplay and a remixed version that features nifty power-ups.
If Space Invaders has been around for nearly 27 years and has all of this history, why can't Taito include any extras?
Before Taito's arcade classic Space Invaders caused a national coin shortage in Japan over twenty years ago, the second most recent money scare was when the Idaho iron deposits sank into the darkest depths of the Earth in the year 1842, a tragic event that resulted in the fewest amount of minted nickels in United States history. Actually, I just made that up, but the Space Invaders stuff is real. In fact, next to Namco's Pac Man, Space Invaders is one of the most celebrated retro arcade titles in history, a game that is so popular that people actually get those blocky-looking aliens tattooed onto their shoulders and paint them in subways all across the world. Taito's franchise is still a money maker, which is why the famous publisher continues to release rehashes for all consoles including the Nintendo DS. Space Invaders DS is more of the same, but there's just enough new stuff to warrant an import purchase, especially since it's one of the cheapest games for the system.
Much like some of my relatives, Space Invaders hasn't aged well. What was cool in arcades and on Atari 2600s almost 27 years ago is a slow and monotonous game that pales in comparison to the more sophisticated arcade shooters. That's not to say that the original isn't fun in its own retro way, but every time I fire up the DS and give it the old college try my muse whispers, "Senor Cha Cha? Why aren't you playing Ikaruga!?! Senor Cha Cha? Why do you have love handles...and why aren't you playing Ikaruga?" They're both excellent questions, and most times I just shut off the system and go jogging.
Thankfully, there's more to Space Invaders DS than the old and crusty arcade original. The game comes with a new and slightly speedier version (and when I say slightly I really mean SLIGHTLY) that has some snazzy special effects (and by snazzy I mean not really snazzy at all). You're presented with a map of the world, and using the touch screen (more on touching in a bit), you can travel the globe to such exotic locales as Italy, Antarctica, India, and...LA! Each environment features a photo of the represented city and the invaders have just been slapped on top of it, though things are kept interesting by the various types of creature you'll face off against. In Italy, for example, you'll run across aliens that disappear and in Antarctica you'll encounter ones that split into two when zapped.
Other places won't have many aliens at all. In India, you'll battle a single ship that can unleash multiple blasts at once, and in South America you'll go toe to toe with one gigantic Space Invader that can only be destroyed after you blast apart the individual blocks that comprise the sucker.
All of these challenges can become quite overwhelming, though Taito decided to toss some cool weapons into the mix. By earning a set amount of undisclosed points in the original Space Invaders (as well as earning 300 big ones by shooting an alien after you boot the game) you unlock cool power ups that you can bust out in the new version such as a barrier, speed boost, a laser, rapid fire, and the support of two other ships. None of this stuff seriously enhances the gameplay, but I'd rather have it than not.
Past that, there's nothing else to see here. Taito didn't reinvent the wheel, there aren't any extras, and tumbleweeds blow past whenever I go into Options. Space Invaders DS is Space Invaders and more Space Invaders, which is fine because I still like the original, but if you're looking for a supped up version with crazy graphics, this game is going to seriously disappoint you.
There is touch screen control but it's extremely pathetic. Using the stylus, you're able to move your ship and fire by tapping the screen, but for some reason it's very unresponsive and therefore slower than just using the digital pad.
If a crazed ninja offered to spare your life if you selected the prettiest Nintendo DS game and you chose Space Invaders DS he would most certainly decapitate you and for good reason. When it comes to eye candy, this title is just as stale as that pink bubblegum commonly found in packs of baseball cards...from the 1980s. The original is just a bunch of one tone aliens slowly sliding across the screen and a blob that's supposed to be your ship. As for the remixed version, the backdrops are nice but that's not saying much. However, I am quite fond of the cut scenes that run right before playing a mission, those very hot clips of a 3D modeled space ship blasting through a hangar. I just wish the actual game was that exciting. Every time I see one of those movies I want to play Majesco's Nanostray.
Space Invaders' graphics are a bottle of weak sauce but the same cannot be said about its music, which is pure Wisconsin cheese. From the rockin intro theme to the Japanese interpretation of South American music, Space Invaders DS' soundtrack has all the quality of a discount pair of Payless shoes. In case you don't understand what that means, I love Payless shoes.
So now we come to the conclusion of my review, and if you're like me, you're searching for reasons why you should import this game. Naturally, if you adore Space Invaders this is an essential selection because it allows you to carry one of your favorite arcade titles with you wherever you go (such as India, for example). However, if you sorta kinda want it but you're not sure I suggest you include it in one of your immense import videogame binges because after all, once you're through picking up a bunch of $50-80 Japanese games, I highly doubt the $30 title will be the one that breaks you. With that being said, pick up this game on the cheap and play it in very short bursts. After several years, it will have paid for itself.
