Game review: Space Invaders Forever
Space Invaders was one of the first arcade games to be released when it came out way back in 1978. Despite being a very old arcade game, it is still influential today with many remakes and re-releases being made over the decades.
The premise of Space Invaders is simple as you are a little spaceship that has to shoot and kill the invading aliens. You have access to a laser and you have to shoot the aliens before they kill you with their invading army.
Space Invaders Forever is a new compilation for PS4 and Nintendo Switch featuring three remakes of Space Invaders that most people may not have played yet. The three games included in this collection are Space Invaders Extreme, Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE and lastly there's Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders.
Space Invaders Extreme is the first game in this collection and it's a pretty straightforward port of the original game that released back in 2008. This version of Space Invaders is quite fun because it features new music as well as colourful new graphics and special effects.
Much like the original game, here in Space Invaders Extreme you are one spaceship that has to kill waves and waves of enemies floating around the screen. The controls are pretty simple because you can shoot using any of the face buttons, and you are limited to only moving from side-to-side.
To make things more interesting, you do have access to pick up some temporary power-ups. Some of these are bombs, lasers and even a scattershot where you can kill more enemies. The game also includes unlimited continues so you can keep playing the game even if you're rubbish at it.
Every level in Space Invaders Extreme also ends with an awesome boss battle. Boss battles aren't too long, but they are fun to play and more challenging than the normal enemies. The only thing I feel that's missing in Space Invaders Extreme is a co-op mode.
Space Invaders Extreme may lack a multiplayer mode, but you can play with your friends if you pick Space Invaders Gigamax 4 S instead. Here In this game, you and three other players can play simultaneously to kill the aliens.
The graphics in Space Invaders Gigamax 4 Sare pretty old-school looking, but it still features the same style of gameplay. You can choose to play the game by yourself, although it's much better and easier to get through the levels if you have more than one friend to play with.
The last game is a smartphone title that was originally released in 2017. This game is a crossover titled Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders.It's like if Space Invaders was crossed with the game called Breakout.
In this game, you have to control a paddle at the bottom of the screen using the PS4's touchpad. By moving the paddle around, you have to deflect alien bullets back at the enemies. Arkanoid vs. Space Invadersis arguably the hardest game in the bunch because you only have 60 seconds to kill the wave of enemies in each level.
Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders can be challenging since you cannot fully control where the bullets land, but it's still very enjoyable to play. Not to mention you are able to unlock around 40 characters that each have their own unique abilities.
The best part about the game is the fact that it includes well over 150 stages for you to complete. If you get bored of the other games, Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders will keep you occupied with its long and challenging gameplay.
The only thing I didn't like about Space Invaders Foreveris its inflated price. If you live in New Zealand, this collection of three games is going to cost you $54.95 NZD. I reckon the game should have been priced much lower since there are only three games included here.
Aside from the price, Space Invaders Forever is still a fun game to play especially if you are a fan of the original arcade classic. It's mostly enjoyable and it's addictive if you want to chase the best high scores!
Verdict: 8.0/10
