Space Invaders

Discount Price: $9.49

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PC Gamer (1-year)

Customer Reviews:

A classic redone right. [Posted on 2001-07-07]
"Space Invaders" was probably the first seriously quarter-sucking game of my adolescence (with "Defender" probably being the last, less a few later-in-life notable exceptions) and it's nice to see it get the "upgrade" being given to so many other (dare I say "less worthy"?) arcade games.

This is also one of the =best= upgrades of a classic game done to-date. Why? Because they didn't change =too= much. The original was a genre-creating game that was followed by a zillion variations and subtle alterations (like the aliens dropping down a la "Galaxian"/"Galaga" or a 3D perspective like "Zaxxon") and yet this upgrade resists all of that. It doesn't even bother with a story, except for a tiny homage cutscene at the beginning and end of the game.

Your "tank" (is =that= what that thing was supposed to be?) moves horizontally along the bottom of the screen as an alien horde moves closer. The more aliens you shoot, the faster the surviving ones go (which was probably more a reflection on CPU speeds of the day than anything).

What they added were tank powerups and special attacks and alien special attacks. For the most part, the tank's special attacks are useful and must be used differently from one another. The alien's special attacks must be kept in forefront of the player's mind.

The power-ups render the game very easily won, particularly the "double-shot" which allows your tank to have two shots on screen at once, instead of just one. (Without a double-shot, a miss means you must wait for your missile to travel to the very top of the screen before you can fire again. Accuracy counts a =lot= more.) The shield is like having an extra-life, but better because you don't lose any powerups you have if your shield gets hit.

It takes about an hour to play through all ten levels but the implementors generously included save game features. In a way, I liked the ease of the game, because I got my butt kicked back in the '70s. (The arcade "Space Invaders" was meant to drain quarters, of course.) I wasn't disappointed because I bought this (as I do with all arcade rehashes) using my "20-quarters-rule". (As in, "don't spend more than".)

The only down side to this game is the exceedingly lame emulation of the original that winning the game unlocks. You can find far better emulations of the original other places.

one of my all time favorites [Posted on 2001-11-19]
have played space invaders for years (from video machines to the old atari model) and was tickled when I discovered this version for use on my computer. Have made it through all the levels and am now getting my grandson in on the fun. He shoots while I move the tank from side to side and he gets a big kick out of hitting an alien (which is getting to be more often).

Space Invaders [Posted on 2002-11-26]
I really like this game; however, I just ordered it from you about 2 weeks ago and I still never got my game! I was looking foward to playing that game soon! What's going on?

Space Invaders: The Next Generation [Posted on 2003-05-31]
I recently upgraded to Windows XP, and I'm happy to say that "Space Invaders" is still compatible with my computer. Using the keyboard for controls quickly becomes as easy as using a mouse on other computer games. Hitting the passing spaceship above the descending aliens is critical, as that unlocks added features you'll really need, such as a shield and double shot. I also like how each level adds a different alien with more challenging features. Especially tough is the huge super-alien that appears at the end of every level. With state of the art graphics and ease of gameplay, Activision has created a great game that's both fun and addictive. More expensive computer games are gathering dust on the shelf while I continue to zap aliens!

Great Job! [Posted on 2004-10-31]
Activision has done a great job rebuilding one of the best classics from the old video game days. In this game, go to every planet and fight off over 12 types of aliens and over 8 boss aliens. By beating the game(which is a bit too easy, unfortunately), you will unlock the classic version of the game.
Graphics-5/5: The graphics are great in this game. You can turn the 3D detail of the game up and down. I have to say that when you turn 3D detail to Low, it looks a bit like Paper Mario. It looks cool that way.
Control-5/5: Control is nice and easy, but they are very original controls. I've never seen another game using the Comma key as a control. Plus, if you don't like the controls, you can change them through the Control Configuration menu.
Challenge-2/5: I have to admit, this game ain't too hard. It takes about, say, 45 minutes at the most to complete, not counting the 2 hidden bonus level thingies(I'll explain those in the Replay Value section.)
Storyline-NOT COUNTED- You don't need a storyline for a classic game. I don't even remotely CARE about storyline in many games, except if it's an RPG.
Originality-NOT COUNTED- It's based on a classic game. Shooting aliens isn't that original, but who cares?
Replay Value-4/5: This game can be played many times without getting old. Also, 2 more planets can be unlocked (I have no idea how) that are really fun. Unfortunately, out of about the 25 or so times I've beaten the game, the 2 hidden planets have only appeared once.
Music-4/5: There's actually not all that much music. But, the music that is on Mars is really techno and cool.
FUN- 10/10: The most important thing in every game is, of course, the fun factor. This game is really fun, and the bosses, very original and fun to beat, make the fun factor even higher. I would give it an 11 out of 10 but I don't do that.
Overall-30/35: If you've counted out all of my points, you'll see Space Invaders scored a very high 30 out of a possible 35. If I do the math on my calculator, it's a .857. That's about a 4 and a half, which is a 5 in this case. I recommend this version of the classic game to anybody. I could keep blabbing about how good this game is, but I'll run out of room. G'bye!

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