Update: Sept 23, 2005
Short Summary
«©NCSX» Nearly three decades after defending the planet against alien invaders that spanned the horizon, a new threat from beyond the solar system appears. Jet to Pluto and combat the threat with twin turreted cannons and a powerful beat shot that requires perfect timing with the music in order to be effective. As the enemy fleet advances, more planets are defended with Neptune and Saturn served up next. In addition to the newfangled Space Invaders action, the original Space Invaders from 1978 may be enjoyed in its black & white glory and a multi-player VERSUS mode where the screen serves two players simultaneously or up to 4-players may link wirelessly.
Verbose and Lengthy
Taito digs up a classic and revamps the game with a 3D solar system, flashy cinemas, and rhythm shooting sensibilities. Four modes are available once the action starts:1 - CLASSIC
The original game that started it all in original black & white aspect ratio. There is an option to expand the screen ratio to widescreen and the ability to save/load, select NO BGM, and set the amount of lives and extend score parameters. The widescreen option merely stretches the entire screen across so that everything looks weird and out of place. 2 - MATCH-UP
Rotate the screen 90 degrees like Star Soldier and play a VERSUS game of Space Invaders where 2 players take one side of the newly elongated playfield and blast at aliens. Before the start of each bout, the level and amount of ships may be adjusted. To start the game, hit the top triggers. One player uses the D-pad side where the UP and DOWN arrows move left and right while the RIGHT D-Pad direction shoots. It's also possible to use the analog thumbpad to move left and right and shoot, all in one convenient control mechanism. On the other side, TRIANGLE AND X move right and left respectively while the SQUARE button shoots. Between the two players are a pair of massive Space Invaders and 16 smaller purple invaders against each player. When the purple invaders are shot, they bounce upwards and the aim is to delay their descent as long as possible all the while avoiding their shots. Whoever gets stomped first by the advancing aliens loses. 3 - FUTURE
In the intro to the game, the solar system is viewed from a fast moving camera which starts off at the sun before peeling away to take in Mercury, Venus, Earth, the red planet Mars, some rocks rolling in the asteroid field, Saturn, etc. All is dandy until the camera pans in on a fleet of menacing ships that are en route into the solar system. The first battle takes place on Pluto (Plute) where the player's ship docks in an installation before twirling around and thrusting into battle. As the aliens come into view, one realizes that it's a funky new 3D version of Space Invaders where the player's gun turrets are seen on the bottom of the screen while bopping alien invaders rotate up and down in a 360 degree playfield. Move left and right to view how they surround the player's ship. Blocks float in front of the player's turret which serve as temporary barriers. The aliens are four deep and fill the entire expanse around the turret and one must tap the "O" button to fire the left and right guns alternately while the TRIANGLE button fires the beat shot which is tapped in time to the music. A mother ship shadows the aliens from the background and replenishes the stocks of invaders that have been blasted away. While the soldier aliens may be destroyed with conventional shots, Mother can only be harmed with the beat shot attack. Whereas the original Space Invaders had a sense of urgency about it since aliens were stomping downwards, there is nothing of the sort here. The game rolls onwards with forgiving pace and moderation. You can spin around and look at the stars and the aliens won't come any closer or attack with any more fierce determination. They just sort of hang around, bobbing and weaving around while loosing a fireball or two. The UFO mother ship will continually release new alien invaders so the prerogative is to destroy the mother ship in order to advance to the next planet. To defeat mother, beat shots must be accumulated and timed to shoot the big bird from the sky. Sequential bursts of Beat shots are available as long as you time them properly with the music. If you miss a beat shot cue from the music, you'll hear an empty sound and read "Miss" on the upper left corner of the screen. Time it properly and a pulsing beam and satisfying phaser sound emits as the volley flies off into the distance to hit the ship. 4 - WIRELESS
Hook up with multiple players for Invader action. OPTION
Toggle Auto Save: On/Off
Data Save
Data Load
Help
Exit HIGH SCORE
View the scores of elite players. NCS Game Notes
• The L and R triggers change the perspective from a 3D head-on view to an isometric view. Press again to view the action from a perspective that's slightly further away and higher up. View the back cover and screenshots. Jan Code: 4988110022029 This document is ©NCSX 2005. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.
|
