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Posts with tag spaceinvaders

2008's Biggest Blips: Space Invaders Extreme

Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Release: February 21 (Japan)

You know, Space Invaders Extreme looks like an amazing title. Seriously, in both providing a kind of Pac-Man Championship Edition kind of overhaul to the original game and implementing music in brilliant fashion, it has totally blown our minds. We're absolutely certain that this will be the go-to title for instant fun, ideal for train rides and training you for the impending alien invasion to come.

But, why is it such an important game if it's just the same old Space Invaders with a facelift? Because it's not. Bridging the old-school arcade shooter with visually stunning new titles like Geometry Wars: Galaxies and Rez, Space Invaders Extreme is a new experience that is anything but the same-old, same-old. And, from what we've seen, the gameplay looks so engaging, we're sure we'll do all kinds of things like neglect to feed our pets and put pants on before we go to the bank (it doesn't matter how great a deposit you are making, they're just not cool with it). Seriously, this doesn't just look like any old port of a very old game, it looks like the meth-addicted grandchild of what we once knew to be Space Invaders.


This is not what you should expect.

As one might assume from everything we've bombarded you with, this is all just too good to be true. It should be noted that only those in Japan should expect the title to be readily available, as this one isn't due for release outside of the region yet. So this is purely an importer's choice. But, the accessible gameplay and focus on giving us things to enjoy other than line after line of Japanese text to read make it universally adoptable to all. And, if you're feeling like you need a bit more in the way of old-school revivals, the included paddle controller with Arkanoid DS works with this game.

Don't discount this title in the face of so many other high-profile games, as Space Invaders Extreme will probably be one of the best casual titles this year, if not the best rhythm-based-space-combat-simulation for the DS.



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Space Invaders Extreme preorder gift shows impeccable logic

If there's one adjective we would apply to Space Invaders Extreme, that adjective would be ... intense. Just watching footage of Taito's stylishly remade shmup is enough to make us draw breath at the game's frenetic pace. When we do get to try it out for ourselves, there's a good chance that the sheer intensity of the experience will cause us to perspire wildly, as we carve our way through wave after wave of psychedelically colored extra-terrestrial intruders.

In which case, this Space Invaders Extreme towel would be just the ticket for wiping our fevered, moist brows. Not only is it extremely stylish (it's the kind of desirable item that would encourage us to visit the beach again, forchrissakes), but it's available for free. If you preorder Space Invaders Extreme. In Japan. Damn.

[Via Go Nintendo]

Space Invaders streamed


We've been hyping Space Invaders Extreme relentlessly since we saw the first screens. And now that Ruliweb has made a gameplay video available, we're going to have to up our efforts. The screens and description do nothing to convey the brilliance of this game, which not only speeds up the pace of Space Invaders significantly, but adds power-ups and quickly shifting challenges, all set to a thumping soundtrack (which, to some DS Fanboy ears, evokes Genesis's "Invisible Touch") and flashy visuals.

Space Invaders Extreme, in imitation of Rez, seems to time the collisions between bullets and enemies to the music, such that every explosion sets off an appropriate sound effect in time to the music. It worked to give Rez a rhythm-game feel without actually making it a rhythm game. Along with, of course, the cyber-psychedelic visuals and the optional Trance Vibrator, the musical integration just helped to make the whole experience more hypnotic. We knew that Space Invaders would probably feature something like that, but seeing it in action really shows how effective the technique is. We have watched this video at least five times already, and we're going to keep watching.

Space Invaders Extreme screens describe our feelings toward them

The screenshot speaks the truth: we've got Space Invaders Extreme fever. When we first heard about the game, we couldn't possibly have rolled our eyes any harder without hitting our desk; then the first screens came out of what appeared to be a somewhat rhythm-based 2D Rez-alike and we perked up; then when effusive TGS impressions of both the game and the DS paddle controller started coming in, our turn was complete. Space Invaders Extreme went from a footnote on Taito's TGS lineup to one of our most anticipated DS games.

We are pretty sure this game is going to be extremely awesome and usher in a new age of fixed-screen shooters (well, maybe not that far). We love the idea of scoring extra based on shooting complete color, row, and column combinations; we love the variety of enemy patterns, and the idea of powerups in a Space Invaders game. More than anything, we love the idea of playing a shooter with that paddle controller. It'll be like playing Arkanoid with the "laser" powerup all the time.

Hey, we're a fanboy site-- we're allowed to have hyperenthusiastic fanboy reactions every now and then.

DS Daily: Is Space Invaders extreme enough?

The new version of Space Invaders has new enemy designs, new music, strikingly new graphics, and some kind of bizarre music/gameplay integration. But it appears to still be your basic Space Invaders-- moving left and right, and shooting at enemies as they descend in formation. It's the same game, at heart, as has been around since 1978.

Plenty of people still love Space Invaders today, and we count ourselves among that "number," though we haven't built a career in art out of it or anything. But we also know that we (I) can be a little more retro-oriented than most people. Which is why we're asking you: does Space Invaders Extreme have any chance of holding your interest based on what you've seen (which, at the moment, isn't too much)? Is the basic game too antique for you? What would have to change to suit your tastes?

Space Invaders Extreme gets a techno-fabulous makeover

What's the Extreme part of Space Invaders Extreme? We believe it's an extreme visual similarity to Q Entertainment's stylish puzzle games like Lumines, Every Extend Extra, and Gunpey. Or, to make a more direct connection between shooter and shooter, Space Invaders Extreme looks a lot like Rez. And you will never hear us say that's a bad thing.

In fact, Extreme looks pretty cool, and not just in its presentation. The movement of the Invaders is now tied into the game soundtrack (another nod to Rez), adding a new element to the already-hypnotic Invaders experience. And, yes, the Arkanoid DS paddle controller works.

Gaming to Go!We debate the hot topics!

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