Space Invaders Extreme has soul

Space Invaders Extreme has soul.

It’s a modern reimagining of Taito’s now decades old, genre defining single screen shooter, that iterates, evolves, and reflects on its own lineage respectfully, whilst adding an audiovisual wrapper that modernises the packages with a noughties futurism. It leverages the original’s inherent simplicity and crude but charming character to ensure that its outwards mechanics are immediately parsable, allowing it to then innovate behind the scenes to create a layered, score chasing experience.

The franchise’s core and character is never lost, no matter the fireworks that may temporarily cloud your view. The invaders approach in wonky, mechanical patterns, juking left and right before dropping line by line towards your ship. Just as Tetris Effect, despite its trappings of synaesthesia, is always recognisable as 1984’s Tetris, so too is Extreme recognisably 1978’s Space Invaders.

Super Destronaut DX has no soul.

It’s again a modern reimagining of Taito’s now decades old, genre defining single screen shooter, but beneath its flash, it feels derivative and reductive.

It may come across as a bit apples to oranges, but mechanically, Super Destronaut barely passes as an OG Space Invaders sequel, let alone a title that releases 30 plus years after its inspiration (and a good decade after Extreme).

Aliens move horizontally across the screen, and gradually move towards the player’s ship at the base of the screen. Each is slightly angular and wonky; amalgamations of the original invaders that exist in a sort of cover-version-that-doesn’t-quite-infringe-copyright kind of way.

So far, so 1978 coin-op.

But then we get to the choices which actively strip that shmup classic of its character. Taking out the special ship at the top of the screen swaps out your weapon rather than granting a points bonus as in the original. Fine. Except all of which remove any reason to play skillfully, with a barrage of missile fire guaranteeing safe passage to the next wave. There are no bases to hide behind at the foot of the playfield, which seems to be pushing you to play aggressively a la 2016's Doom using melee attacks to innovate beyond the genre's reliance on snapping to cover. Except, the sluggish AI means you can happily play with the fire button locked whilst rocking left and right on the d-pad. No strategy. No reason to even focus on the screen beneath the spewing pixel particles left behind by the assailants.

I fucking LIVE for this sort of noughties futurist aesthetic.

Extreme explored both these amendments to the core's formula as well, but did so with an acute awareness of how to balance flashy newcomer accessibility and potential for hardcore scorechasing.

Space Invaders Extreme had the benefit of established 'characters' and audio cues, sure, but its developers also had the decency to revisit these golden assets with ideas outside of pure nostalgia.

Ships have been colourised. And in slapping primary colours onto the little fuckers, Taito introduce a combo system. Shoot a mix of colours, and you'll make decent progress, shoot a run of ships of the same colour, and your multiplier and score get a boost. How do you use that super weapon whilst maintaining a decent combo and score? Can you use the safety of the bases to wait out a perfect shot to continue your chain of little red lads?

Destronaut is a 'my first shooter' project you'd chuck out after a week messing with Unity or Game Maker Studio. Extreme is a mic-drop re-imagining of a 30 year old game.

Space Invaders Extreme has soul.