DS Daily: Space Invaders Moderate

by JC Fletcher { Jan 3rd 2009 at 10:30AM }

So we were thinking about Space Invaders Extreme, as we often do (it's so dreamy), and a few things occurred to us: first, that a lot of DS owners are really young, and second, that Space Invaders is, in video game years, not young at all. Which means that a lot of people could have picked up Extreme without ever having experienced the original.

If you'd never played Taito's epochal 1978 shmup, did Extreme make you curious enough to give it a try? Or maybe you had played it before and the new sequel just inspired you to pick it back up? Does it still hold any appeal to you?

Gallery: Space Invaders Extreme (DS)

Tags: remake, retro, shooter, space-invaders, space-invaders-extreme, taito

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Bowser Rogozhin @ Jan 3rd 2009 10:45AM

I play the game pretty much everyday. It's definitely my game of the year, and I would even go as far to say it's my favourite game on the DS. It will never get old.

Missing out on the paddle controller has left me a little sore though.

Wilerson @ Jan 3rd 2009 11:06AM

I'm not so young, so I played Space Invaders on the Atari 2600. I always liked shmups, so Space Invaders Extreme was a natural catch for me.

DonsSword @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:02PM

At 43, I remember the first time I saw Space Invaders--it was in an small arcade at Sears (yes, in a Sears). Having played what few games were around in those days (Pong, Breakout, some sub shooting game at Skateland, and the games that were more mechanical than computer), Space Invaders was a Holy Grail. At that time it had already possessed Japan in its grip--I remember reading in the news about the coin shortage in Japan caused by Space Invaders mania. And then someone in school said they played it, and we all said he was lying (sp?), until he said "where" he played it, and then it became a race to beg our parents to see how fast we could get there to taste the alien nectar that cost only a quarter. The sounds it emitted, the wild cabinet art, the weird aliens marching across the colorful screen (done with a projection overlay). In those days, it really was unlike anything, ever.

chispito @ Jan 3rd 2009 12:41PM

Yeah, played it on the venerable 2600.

Roto13 @ Jan 3rd 2009 1:48PM

There's anyone who hasn't played Space Invaders in some form or another?

Tom @ Jan 4th 2009 10:09AM

Communists haven't.

Anyways, played the original on the 2600 and still love Space Invaders tot his day. I still need to pick up this version of Space invaders (GASP!!!) And now there's a new version being made for XBLA too! HUZZAH!

Damian @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:45PM

I played the original in about 81/82 on my mates Atari 2600 (woody) and I got to say i much prefer the original , maybe because It was the 1st time I ever played on a console but it was so fresh then .
The new one i found dissapointing , thought i would love it after all I grew up with the rave scene etc . accciiiiieeeddd !!!

Ethd @ Jan 3rd 2009 5:50PM

I'm a younger one, but I still remember playing Space Invaders on a computer that was pretty much an antique when I first played it. It was probably a clone, I don't remember, but it got me playing Space Invaders and I've been hooked ever since.
So no, I've never played the original arcade version, just a silly port using keys. Maybe that's why I don't feel too bad when I play SIE with a D-Pad rather than a paddle controller.

raFa @ Jan 3rd 2009 11:35PM

Space Invaders Extreme can now be found at around nine dollars in GameStop.
Curiously I was looking it around the internet last night to see if it was a worthy buy.

Jayenkai @ Jan 4th 2009 5:05AM

Space Invaders always seemed dull once Galaga had appeared, and to be honest, I never looked back. It's slow, and.. dull.. dull dull dull...
But Space Invaders Extreme really did what had to be done, and it did it superbly.

I still wouldn't go back, though.

It's an icon, but it's a slow moving, dull icon!

UncleBagel @ Jan 4th 2009 5:31AM

Sorry, I have to laugh a little at the comments about playing the "original" on a 2600. Like DonsSword, I have memories of hearing the "dub-dub" sound of impending doom in the arcades. But hey, at least on the 2600 you could hold down start while powering on and fire TWO shots at a time!!