Developer/Publisher: Taito/Square Enix
Genre: Shmup
Price: $19.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Verdict: While not much has changed from the original Space Invaders Extreme, this game is still as fun as ever.
Pros: Same great gameplay; new refinements and tweaks to the gameplay and interface, being a DS exclusive now.
Cons: No significant changes
The question may be asked of Space Invaders Extreme 2 what exactly it does differently from its predecessor – the answer is, on the surface, not much. I even went back and played the first game to make sure that I wasn’t just hazy on the differences between the first game and the second, which are minor. Space Invaders Extreme 2 is like going to your favorite restaurant and ordering your favorite item – the experience isn’t going to differ much, but it’s still delicious, and if you’re not sick of it, why mess with what works?
If you haven’t played the first Space Invaders Extreme, then know this: it’s not your daddy’s Space Invaders – it’s Space Invaders dipped in crazy, and sauteed in synesthesia. For example, enemies travel in crazy patterns, killing sets of enemies of the same color will get you special weapons, shooting flashing UFOs lets you play bonus rounds, and there is just a lot of other wackiness. This is a game best experienced, not just described – it can be hard to put into words what everything is about, but know that it’s an intense sensory experience playing it, and it’s incredibly addictive. It says something about the addictive properties of the game when you get so into it that the world just melts around you. When you finally put the game down, you arise in a daze, wondering just what happened.
Of course, I could say much of this about the first game as well. Space Invaders Extreme 2 is basically more of this, just tightened up and refined. This version of the game is DS-exclusive, so it makes much better use of the dual screens than the first one did. As opposed to just being a score and information screen, the top screen now shows bonus round actions – while the rest of the game continues. This helps keep the flow of the game going, and is a great use for the top screen. You can also now know of your colored enemy killstreak by way of translucent weapon icons that spin where you killed the enemies. It’s all these cool, iterative touches that create a compelling experience.
Of course, these are all just tweaks and refinements to an already great game. And you know what? I’m fine with that. The first game was great, this game is still great, and it hooked me in much the same way the first one did. Taito has done a great job of taking the now-archaic Space Invaders game and making it something modern and creative between Extreme and the iPhone’s Infinity Gene. So what if they made a sequel that’s just a few minor tweaks away from the original? It’s still the bee’s knees. If you were a fan of the first game and want some more, buy this. If you bought the first one on PSP but wanted a version for your DS, go buy this. If you didn’t play the first one, then what are you waiting for? The only reason I can find to not buy this game is if you didn’t like the first one at all. Really.
Popularity: unranked [?]
