Game Review: Space Invaders Anniversary

Game: Space Invaders Anniversary
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Taito
Release Date: 30th April 2004

I'm fairly certain that anyone reading this review will be aware of the video game "Space Invaders". Often cited as a classic of arcade gaming, it was indeed a big hit in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Included in this PS2 collection are 9 'variants' of Space Invaders, accessed through a menu room which is based on an arcade. There are also some extras included such as posters from the original game's promotion and design documents.

The 9 variants of Space Invaders included are 3 tabletop versions of the original Space Invaders; one black and white, one in colour and one with colored cellophane over the black and white version, an upright version of Space Invaders, one tabletop and one upright version of Space Invaders Part II, Space Invaders VS Mode and Doubles, and finally a 3D version of Space Invaders. As you've probably thought to yourself already; that isn't 9 different games of Space Invaders, it's 5.

(Space Invaders, the Cellophane version)

Each machine has several viewpoints from which the game can be played, however there's only one viewpoint (shown above) which allows players to actually see what they're doing. The others are at too much of an angle, or too far away to see the small bullets being fired up at the invaders. In terms of gameplay both the Space Invaders and Space Invaders Part II machines are incredibly similar, and while faithful to the original game, I see no need for 6 versions of the same arcade game when games such as Return of The Invaders, and Super Space Invaders '91 have been omitted.

Space Invaders VS Mode can be played either against the computer or a friend. The object of the game is to shoot the other player's turret through the field of invaders which appear for both players. Player 1 appears on the bottom of the left screen and the top of the right, and Player 2 appears at the top of the left screen and the bottom of the right. The space invaders theme feels a little forced into this game. Space Invaders Doubles looks the same as Space Invaders Part II, but with two player controlled turrets and regenerating rows of invaders for added difficulty. It can also be used as a more challenging single player mode if the other machines are too easy.

Space Invaders 3D is the main event of the collection as the game seems to have been made specifically for inclusion on it. Players control the turret from a different choice of views to the other machines which include a first person view, from underneath the turret and a standard view. While this version of the game does hold the most excitement for actually daring to change the formula a little, it's far easier than any of the other versions and after a while feels like the same thing as all the others.

There are 9 different documents to look at in the "History" section including promotional and design materials. Many retro gaming collections have more to look at including artwork and interviews, so the amount to do is fairly disappointing. The in game options let players to choose how many lives they start with and when extra lives are awarded, but don't allow many other changes to gameplay.

Graphically the look of each Space Invaders game is faithfully reproduced, and the menu room has no significant problems. The sound effects in each game are from the original game also, but unless you turn down the "bgm" in the options, the sounds of every machine going at once will accompany gameplay. It's a shame that the 3D remake of Space Invaders didn't get some new music besides the original in game sound effects also.

Overall Space Invaders Anniversary seems to be less of a celebration of the franchise's history and more of a recreation of the arcade experience from when the first two games came out. The sound effects of other machines as you play, choice of viewpoints from outside the machine, inclusion of a cellophane version and tabletop and upright versions of the same game hint at giving gamers who remember the original arcade experience some nostalgia. Unfortunately this means that for anyone else, the collection is a few very similar versions of Space Invaders and not much else.

Rating: 50/100
Grade: D