Bury the Shovelware: Space Invaders Revolution vs Space Invaders Extreme

by Kaes Delgrego { Oct 15th 2008 at 1:00PM }

For this edition of Bury the Shovelware, we're talking Space Invaders. We'll be examining the recently released and critically acclaimed Space Invaders Extreme against 2005's suspected shovelware Space Invaders Revolution.

Pedigree

Space Invaders is a staple of the industry. Some incorrectly identify it as the first video game. Though this is incorrect, its significance to gaming as a whole just might make it the most important game of all-time. Released in 1978, the title was groundbreaking in that it changed the public's perception of gaming from being an interesting obscurity to a major form of entertainment. Check your local Wikipedia for more information.

Like many classics, the game has been re-packaged and re-released countless times. In its four years of life, two separate versions of the game have been released for the DS. Both versions were developed by industry veteran Taito, creator of the original ground-breaking title. But while Space Invaders Extreme was published by heavyweight Square Enix, Space Invaders Revolution was published by Rising Star Games. Though virtually unknown by comparison, the publisher has been given access to a surprising number of classic franchises, including Bomberman, Dungeon Explorer, Bubble Bobble, and New Zealand Story.

The Critics Said

The gap in the scores between the two versions is roughly equal to the distance between Earth and the Marcab Confederacy. Extreme has an Metacritic average score of 85 / 100, whereas Revolution falls around a 49. Generally, most critics found that Revolution was a cheap attempt to cash in on an old franchise (your shovelware-ometer should be buzzing!) while Extreme was praised for its new gameplay additions and presentation.

Rap Sheet

For the record, we'll be referring to Revolution.

Played Space Invaders before? Then there's no reason to play this version. Seriously. The "New Age" mode is not much more than taking the old Space Invaders, switching around a few alien colors, and slapping a JPEG of a historic location in the black background. Oh, and there's an amazing map selection screen. And by amazing, I mean completely useless. End of story.

Silver Lining

Hmm ... well, I guess it's nice that some younger gamers will have the chance to experience a pillar of gaming. Yet in its current presentation, it might make them dismiss it as crap. After all, kids are smart nowadays. Perhaps they'll be intrigued by the introduction in which you're immediately prompted to shoot at a UFO. That's kind of funny. Well, it's different anyway. Finally, the emulation of the original is spot-on! Actually, it serves to show just how little has been improved in this "revolution."

Our Deduction

Personally, I've never been huge into Space Invaders. It's interesting, because I'm normally all about old-school games. I can absolutely appreciate the enormous significance its release had on this industry, and it will forever have my respect. Yet it just never quite did it for me. Perhaps I was spoiled on the faster-paced scrolling shooters of the NES, but I still love Pitfall! despite my Super Mario Bros indoctrination. So needless to say, Revolution was incredibly boring to play through. It manages to be worse than the original game, even allowing the original to stand on its own today. Yet Extreme is pure joy. It takes the solid foundation of the original and incorporates elements of modern shooters to keep things fresh. The game has been reborn as a Lumines-esque techno experience. Music is channeled directly into the gameplay, as the sound effects and tempo are plugged directly into what's happening on the battlefield.

It's just the extra effort that makes Extreme so notable and Revolution so poor, especially in comparison. We've taken a look at a fair amount of shovelware games, and one of the few consistent traits to be found is that the games are lacking in effort. There's plenty of games that aren't enjoyable, either by my own preferences or by the majority of gamers, yet anyone can appreciate the effort spent on the title. Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck comes to mind. It's not for everyone, and the critical reception was fairly mixed. Yet I don't think anyone could deny that the title is unique, fun, and much effort was expended in its creation. It's a pretty important life lesson that any balanced individual learns: you don't have to like everyone, but you should at least try to find an acceptable level of respect for one another. Whether or not you're into the Space Invaders scene, Space Invaders Extreme should earn your respect. Space Invaders Revolution? Not so much.

In gaming, the term shovelware refers to any game in which time and effort were eschewed in favor of turning a quick profit. Bury the Shovelware takes a closer look at these titles, typically those that inhabit the lower end of metascores. It attempts to: 1) find out where and how the developer went wrong 2) identify common traits present in most shovelware 3) measure how long the game can be suffered.

Tags: joystiqfeatures, retro, rising-star-games, shovelware, space-invaders, space-invaders-extreme, space-invaders-revolution, taito

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

ecco6t9 @ Oct 15th 2008 3:50PM

Personally I like both.

Maybe it was the fact I only paid $10 for Revolution.

Kaes Delgrego @ Oct 16th 2008 11:25AM

I think you got ripped off. Just kidding, just kidding ... to each their own. :)

Shoyz @ Oct 15th 2008 3:13PM

My favorite version happens to be Pepsi Invaders.

Not counting that, I'd have to say I like the original with an online scoreboard the best. While Extreme has much faster and newer gameplay than the original, it suffers from the Powerup system. You get powerups very rarely. Usually, I never get a powerup unless I already have one, meaning that if your current power up runs out before you get a new one; you're screwed.

My only other complaint is difficulty. Instead of starting you out with the normal amount of lives, it continues you with 1 or 2 less than the max, meaning you have to commit suicide to get back up to the max amount. This is especially annoying when you start with 0 lives, and don't realize it. The alien's attacks also come too fast. In the original, they'd be slow and blockable by your slabs of rock. Now, you'll die before you even realize that there's a laser flying down at you. I do have to say though, that the boss fights, while difficult, have a large amount of variety, one even needing you to let it's minions kill it by reflecting your shots. Genius.

MaxEdison @ Oct 16th 2008 12:31AM

Seriously? You're complaining about difficulty? This is a remake of a game from the seventies. It is expected to be hardcore, and delivers. The enemies shoot too fast? You don't get enough powerups? Maybe you'd like Square to slow it down for you?

Shoyz @ Oct 16th 2008 5:39AM

Could I get a quote on their statement of it being made to be 'hardcore'?

If they didn't say that, then it shouldn't be expected. Did you expect Revolution to be hardcore too?

My argument was valid. If you want, I can change it to it being too un-noticable when you're shot.

The lives thing is also a design flaw, and having to suicide to get max lives is ridiculous.

Also, having to only get a powerup when you already have one is not a very good idea. When do you think you -need- one, exactly? When you don't have one.

Funny though, how you only argue one of my little picks.

On a final note: It's not hardcore. I beat a couple of levels on my first try, and then quit out of boredom. It's a game any casual gamer can beat, granted they have interest. Get over it. (:

Kaes Delgrego @ Oct 16th 2008 11:25AM

You're correct, Shoyz, it is a bit difficult. I think it speaks nicely, however, to 2D shooters of the late 80's / early 90's. Those things were often fiendishly difficult, and often not just because of enemy placement, etc., but controls or just downright unavoidable gun fire. That brings up an interesting point, though: we tend to forgive older games for such things and claim that it was "part of the experience," yet we tear new games apart for similar mistakes. Perhaps I'll have to do a BTS on that. So in other words, thanks for the idea! :)

Creciente @ Oct 15th 2008 3:42PM

Every time I see "Bury the Shovelware" feature, it reminds me that I want to play "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" and need to buy it one of these days.

Kaes Delgrego @ Oct 16th 2008 11:30AM

Oh, Creciente, you NEED to get that game! Aside from the Virtual Console (which I'd recommend, as it's almost too epic for the smaller screen), I'm sure you're aware that it's available on the GBA as well, and can be found pretty cheap (15 bucks new on Amazon). In fact, if I ever happen to meet you, I will give you my GBA copy of it. It's like a religious person spreading the word of their beliefs: they want everyone to share the joy that they have.

Don @ Oct 15th 2008 4:34PM

The Marcab Confederacy invented Income Tax??? (as a means of punishment)

What jerks.

Kaes Delgrego @ Oct 16th 2008 11:34AM

Strange stuff, indeed. But I guess that discussion is probably best reserved for a different blog. :)

ryan @ Oct 15th 2008 9:38PM

Oh man, at first I thought that you were going to do a Bury the Shovelware on Space Invaders Extreme. I was about to unless my fury.

Kaes Delgrego @ Oct 16th 2008 11:34AM

I had a fair bit of fury the past few weeks, so I was actually missing it this week. If you like to, you're always welcome to fury here! :)

ryan @ Oct 16th 2008 5:51PM

Whoops! I meant unleash, not unless.

Pixel-One @ Oct 16th 2008 1:32AM

Extreme was amazing. 'twas that game that made me fall head over heels in love with Space Invaders, as I missed the first wave of popularity by 25 years or so.

automagv @ Oct 16th 2008 10:21AM

I was never a big handheld gaming fan, but after getting the DS and Extreme I was sold. I ended up getting the Taito paddle to complete the experience. I'm sure everyone knows or have heard how this enhances the experience. It's totally true. I have sunk so many hours in this game.

Kaes Delgrego @ Oct 16th 2008 11:37AM

Yeah, I received the game used via GameStop, so it was unfortunately paddle-less. That's definitely worth mentioning, as I too heard it's much better with the paddle. The d-pad gets the job done, but the paddle must be awesome.

RootiePatootie @ Oct 16th 2008 4:49PM

I was a COMPLETE addict to the original, mostly in a pub I hung around in back then. I will say that I became QUITE good at it, but won't think about all the quarters, and I DID win a few free games plus a few free beers :)

I have more "versions" of Space Invaders than I care to count. Honestly, my last favorite was the one on my old monochrome Game Boy.

Although the gameplay is different than today's games IMO this is still a challenging game and one I'd recommend to anyone with any interest in old school gaming. I have the Extreme for my DS but didn't get the paddle. Perhaps I should. I'm totally in love with it and it's doing exactly as I wanted...bringing back good times and new fun.

NetOperator Wibby @ Oct 16th 2008 11:16AM

I just bought Space Invaders Extreme about a month ago and I am STILL playing that game nonstop. I don't know about the guy above me, but I get plenty of powerups [oh man, they are awesome!]. I am sure that I will need to import that Taito paddle though. :P

Ry Guy @ Oct 16th 2008 2:33PM

To the people complaining they never get power-ups, they have no idea how deep Space Invaders Extreme is, and how similar the gameplay is to a puzzle game. If you pay attention to the meter on the right of the screen, you might notice a pattern whenever you get a Fever Round, A UFO transformation, an All Colors Transformation, or a Roulette UFO / Extra Life UFO.

In fact, there's even a pattern to which specific Fever Round you'll get. Knowing what to shoot and when is key to the game. You can even score extra lives if you pay attention to lighting up all the text boxes in the background.