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Space Invaders
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Graphics & Sound:
Excellent! Activision excels in bringing back the classics, and Space Invaders is certainly no exception. The graphics were almost on the level of the PlayStation version released earlier this year, which seems to be more often the case than not (and this is a very good thing). The Invaders themselves had nice detail, and the levels were crisp and clear. The music was quite good, and the sound effects were top notch.
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Gameplay:
Play this game for five minutes and you will see why it rated so highly in our list of Top GBC Games of 1999. Second place, in fact; only to be outdone by Ballistic, and not by much. So many classic games are being remade these days, and thank God, Activision’s updated translations are fabulous. It’s the same scene as it was 20 years ago. You, the little space ship moving left and right on the ground, hiding behind barricades (while they last) and shooting the ever-advancing rows of Space Invaders. And boy do they try to invade YOUR space, shooting at you the whole time. There are weapons and shield upgrades which you get by shooting the space ship that flies across the top of the screen (just like old times), and some of these weapons are pretty groovy. My personal favorite is the one which sweeps across the entire screen and eliminates every enemy. Woohoo! The Time Stop is nice too. After you complete a certain number of levels, you encounter the Boss. The first time this happened, I was so excited. When the words ‘Fleet Captain’ appeared on the screen, I stupidly thought they were awarding me a new rank based on my stellar performance. Then the REAL Fleet Captain appeared and crushed my smug, little ship like the bug that I was. : ( Talk about a reality check. It’s all really good stuff.
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Difficulty:
Same as it ever was. Things start off easy, and then as you kill almost all of the enemies, they start advancing upon you at a much faster rate of speed. And then it’s just kill or be killed. Of course, as you continue through the levels, these get harder and more varied (well, the enemies do, anyway). And the bosses? Well, they get harder too. Duh. But your weapon upgrades improve with your progression, so that evens the playing field a bit. Wanna give yourself an edge? Up your Credits to 9 in the beginning. That means 9 continues, baby!
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Game Mechanics:
You are the ship. You dodge and shoot. They are the Space Invaders. They invade your space and shoot. Whoever holds out the longest, wins. It’s pretty simple stuff, with a few killer weapons upgrades thrown in for good measure. I highly recommend a Shock ‘n’ Rock rumble accessory as the rumble feature is nicely supported in Space Invaders. It’s so far the best classic remake for the GBC that I have encountered. If you ever liked the Space Invaders of old, buy this game. It’s great fun with a touch of nostalgia. Who could ask for anything more?
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-Psibabe, GameVortex Communications AKA Ashley Perkins |
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