Space Invaders for iPhone Review
Posted: Monday, June 08, 2009
by Dan Fletcher
Dan Fletcher
Space Invaders is a very old game. It has remained popular despite being released more than three decades ago. It still is the top arcade game of all times. It is unlikely that its status will be diminished in the near future. This is very much identical to the classic game, which will please retro game lovers, but may leave others wanting. While classic games like Pac-Man and Tetris have received new play modes and new options to make them better suited to mobile gaming, Space Invaders sticks with the same formula from the arcades. Theres no save function, meaning if you ever hope to make it a decent length into the game, itll have to be done in a single sitting. The game is also painfully hard, just like the original, and the control schemes are a mixed bag. Space Invaders is a 2-D shooter, with you controlling a little laser at the bottom of the screen. In the middle of the screen rest hordes of aliens who slowly descend upon you. As more and more of the critters are blasted into pixelly smithereens, the remaining aliens pick up their speed, moving across the screen with increased urgency. The sound also increases in intensity, getting the heart rate pumping as things proceed into overdrive. The aliens will also fire off occasional blasts of fire at you, though you have handy bunkers to hide behind for protection. These bunkers will gradually be destroyed by the aliens though, after which youre on your own. Once a level is completed a new one begins, slightly more difficult than the last. Like most early arcade games, Space Invaders can theoretically be played indefinitely, with your score being the only real indicator of success or failure. The lack of an online leaderboard for posting scores, given the importance of scores in the game is highly disappointing. Space Invaders is extremely challenging at later levels, but also becomes highly repetitive after awhile, a hallmark of older games. The most notable area Space Invaders has seen little change in is in the graphics and sound department, which remain nearly identical to the old arcade version, save for the backgrounds which were added to later versions, and the option to use monochrome or coloured aliens. Either way, the aliens are single color blobs that look more like bats or crabs than anything remotely alien and sinister. The music and sound effects are the classic bleeps and bloops that will bring back fond memories for many older gamers. The game controls include the classic control option, the touch screen control option and the accelerometer controls. In the first one, you have an on screen joystick to control the laser. The second one is the least functional while the last mode is the coolest one amongst them all. This game has what it takes to keep the player entertained. However, considering the fact that Retro Game Challenge is available on DS, it remains to be seen whether anyone would want to pay for this game on the iPhone. There is nothing wrong with the game. However, the question is whether the game is good enough to attract the gamers. The developers could have at least added some new features to the game to make it more interesting. If you're desperate for some space invaders on your iPhone, then this game is worth getting. For everyone else though, there is nothing new here, and not much point in getting the game. Score: 6/10 Want good iPhone Games? Then goto Good iPhone Games right now!
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