Space Invaders: Anniversary : Games : Web Wombat

Arcade games were popular in 80s and 90s, and though many a young man will recount his misspent youth, even the brightest of memories can't contend with mip-mapping and complex game mechanics.

Though still popular to some gamers, the introduction of the Playstation 2 and other consoles has, over time, relegated many arcade games to a thing of the past.

Some say that the only people who play these days are the real die hards, from both the new school and and the old school, and those who think that dancing videogames are ingenious.

For those who still still have fond memories spanning back to the late 70s but don't want to pop coins into the machines all day, Space Invaders (SI Anniversary) has been released on Playstation 2, which also signifies its 25th anniversary.

First released as an arcade unti in 1978, SI Anniversary portrays the development of space invaders over its 25 year history, from when it was first released by Taito as Space Invaders (the monochrome version), to its development into the release of Space invaders Vs mode.

Throughout the years they also released many arcade versions, including Taito Space Invaders: the colour version parts 1 & 2, Taito Space Invaders: the cellophane version, Space Invaders: the upright version parts 1 & 2, Space Invaders Doubles, and the very hi-tech Space Invaders 3D mode.

That arcade cabinet is worth
a pretty penny these days...

All versions of the game spanning over the 25 year history are included in this game, which will appease many 40 year old nerds, offering a wide variety of choice into what era in arcade history you would like to participate in.

And who could forget other great Taito arcade classics like Bubble Bobble, and the Puzzle Bobble series. Great games in their time but, akin to Space Invaders, they are boring and actually pretty lame in today's society.

Graphics wise, this game still maintains the poor graphics used in its earlier versions, as they are simply putting that exact game on a Playstation disk.

To me, the games look very dated, but I can see how many would revel in such gaming nostalgia. The music is the same catchy stuff, which added the game's appeal - albeit in short bursts.

The gameplay is simple and all 10 available versions of the game are very similar in execution and, if you manage to conquer one version, the other versions should all be beatable.

Arcade fans, and fans of the classic arcade games will find this game to be a treat, although gamers who like mind blowing action, extreme gameplay, and heart-stopping sound effects of current games like Far Cry and Breed will find this game to be a complete let down.

But then Breed and Far Cry didn't single handedly create an industry, did they?

Space Invaders: Anniversary is still a classic arcade game, and formatting it to a Playstation 2 disc gives the youth of today's society a chance to see the improvement of games produced these days. Best recommended for fanatical arcade gaming fans.

Game: Space Invaders: Anniversary
System: PS2
Players: 1-2
Online: No
Developer: Taito
Distributor: Red Ant

Rating: 60%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)

Space Invaders: Anniversary is on the shelves now.

	Announcement