The original Space Invaders Extreme
was a true joy to play. The game took the basics set forth by the original
classic more than 30 years ago, and added in a faster pace, a more intense visual
design with colorful explosions and tons of enemy ships, and a techno
soundtrack. The game added in some new elements to make the experience more
frenetic while retaining the pixilated look and charm of the original game. Now,
the sequel, Space Invaders Extreme 2, is upon us and launching on the Nintendo
DS. While the original Extreme was a thematic departure from the original game,
this sequel doesn’t change things up very much from its Extreme predecessor,
adding in a few Spartan changes and tweaks here and there, but being largely the
same game. Still, if you missed out on the original, this is a fine place to
start.
Space Invaders Extreme 2 plays a lot
like the original game from 30+ years ago. The basics are here: you are a lone
ship charged with shooting down hordes of enemy spacecraft by scrolling back and
forth on the bottom of the screen while the enemies move in patterns at the top.
You must dodge their attacks while shooting back at them. The first Space
Invaders Extreme game played a lot like the original, but added in some new
features like color coordination that requires you to shoot down chains of
specifically colored enemies in order to gain the use of special weapons. There
are also multi-colored UFO crafts that will start a bonus round when you shoot
them down, letting you earn tons of points.
Space Invaders Extreme 2 does
everything that its predecessor does and features all of the same gameplay modes
including Score Attack and online play, and opts to add in a few minor additions
that casual players might not even notice. The bonus rounds now make use of the
top screen portion of the DS, requiring you to kill enemies on both the top and
bottom screens, adding a difficult new element to the mix.
Another new addition to the game’s
formula is the bingo system. On the top screen, a bingo grid appears, with
portions of the board lighting up depending on the color combinations of enemies
you shoot down. This is an interesting addition to the formula, but ultimately
feels pretty confusing and doesn’t really add much to the game’s feel and pace.
The game’s aesthetic is mostly the
same as the original Extreme. The ship models have that certain old-school charm
to them, featuring the same pixilated and iconic look that they had in the late
70’s. The other elements of the game’s look feature bright and intense
background images with flashing lights and movement, but nothing that is too
terribly different from the original Extreme.
One of the ways that the predecessor
set itself apart from other remakes of classic arcade games was through the
game’s upbeat techno soundtrack. Space Invaders Extreme 2 once again doesn’t
change up this theme very much, and instead offers more of the same. While the
soundtrack is a fine fit with the gameplay (the sound effects will sync up with
the music in cool ways, a la REZ), it doesn’t feel as cool or groundbreaking as
the original game. Extreme 2 also adds in an announcer that gives you confidence
boosters as you play the game, which gets grating after a while.
Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a fun
game, evoking the feel of its predecessor well and being every bit as fun and
frantic. However, it just doesn’t bring much new to the table, and the additions
it does bring are spotty at best. If you missed out on the first Extreme title,
then this sequel is a fine starting point. However, if you played its
predecessor to death, you might find it difficult to spot the worthy differences
here.
Review Scoring Details for Space Invaders Extreme 2 |
Gameplay: 8.0
A fast-paced and addictive good time, Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a fun
game, but one that doesn’t bring many improvements over its predecessor.
Graphics: 7.5
The art style is cool in an old-school sort of way, but nothing new from the
original game.
Sound: 7.0
Nothing really new here either, same style of upbeat techno music. The
addition of an announcer is an odd choice, and somewhat annoying at times.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 6.0
The developer’s recalcitrance to add in new elements or features to the
sequel is one of its weakest points.
Multiplayer: 8.0
Online play and Leaderboards, just like the first game.
Overall: 8.0
Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a fun and solid shooter that exudes tons of
old-school charm and addictive gameplay. Unfortunately, it doesn’t add much new
for fans of the first game, and feels pretty stagnant as a result.
