Li

ke Paperboy, this is another sequel to a classic game that annoyingly just uses the original name – although in this case it’s only outside of Japan, where it was called Space Invaders X (on other platforms, the N64 version wasn’t released there). This Space Invaders has a lot of features not present in the original, while still keeping the core gameplay very similar to the original.

One large difference is special abilities for both enemies and you. Different enemy types, which have distinctive but hard to remember designs, will react in different ways – some shoot quicker, others dive bomb you when they die. More are introduced as you make your way through the game.

You also have special abilities. Hit four enemies in a row and you’ll power up for a bonus shot (which is picked at random), which causes effects like the missile moving sideways after hitting one invader, lasers that take out whole rows, and a “kamikaze” attack which sends your tank flying upwards to smash through enemies (before safely landing on the ground). As you reach each new planet, a new power is introduced, which you’re most likely to get each time you charge up your special attack.

On each planet you’ll play through 10 rounds, each with a new layout of enemies and shields. After 5 rounds, you’ll play a bonus minigame of shooting down UFOs for points and power ups – including vital shields to stop you exploding in one hit. The different special abilities of both you and the enemies do help keep things interesting. After the 10 rounds, you’ll reach a boss fight.

The bosses contain the most variety. Some require spamming your slow missiles as fast as possible, others require careful aiming, and others needing frantic dodging. I also love how the final boss (unless you play on higher difficulty levels for a few bonus planets) is the strange alien monster from the artwork of the original game.

This version of Space Invaders is a solid variation on the original game.

Fun

The orginal Space Invaders coin-op is a true classic – the game that proved so popular in Japan, the country ran out of 10 yen pieces. So, when Activision revealed they’d be attempting to give the game a ‘fresh look’ for the new millennium, we expected the same gut-wrenching feeling that came with wathcing ITV’s ‘Secont-rare Celebritires Sing The Beatles’. Thankfully, Space Invaders is much better than we expected.

Mark Green, N64 Magazine #44. Review Score: 73%

Remake or remaster?

This hasn’t been included in any Space Invaders collections, and it really should. Perhaps rename it to Space Invaders X for clarity, though.

Official ways to get the game.

There’s no official way to get this version of Space Invaders.