Iconic as hell. The alien sprite alone is the poster child of the "So retro!" mindset. Gameplay is very generic but revolutionary for the time considering this game came out in the 70s which is absolutely wild. This game was the blueprint for multiple generations of games and gets most of its merits/score from that alone.
the song is better
https://youtu.be/5giGI4Y6Z_A
https://youtu.be/5giGI4Y6Z_A
You can probably categorise video game history into two distinct eras, Before and After Space Invaders. Sure Pong was THE game to kick things off, but Space Invaders was when the floodgates were soundly blown open.
Original versions cheated the colour pallete with overlays, but what does it matter? This game is a truly addictive masterpiece, all it takes is the sound of that unforgettable thrumming alien beat to transport you in time, paused at the entrance to an arcade again.
One button, two directions, and nothing else to do but fire upwards constantly, and therein lies the beauty. Avoiding the enemy bullets, utilizing the bases for cover, and getting the timing right to land a well-placed shot takes a great deal of skill. There's a reason this game is so well loved and still played by devotees some forty five years after its launch.
Original versions cheated the colour pallete with overlays, but what does it matter? This game is a truly addictive masterpiece, all it takes is the sound of that unforgettable thrumming alien beat to transport you in time, paused at the entrance to an arcade again.
One button, two directions, and nothing else to do but fire upwards constantly, and therein lies the beauty. Avoiding the enemy bullets, utilizing the bases for cover, and getting the timing right to land a well-placed shot takes a great deal of skill. There's a reason this game is so well loved and still played by devotees some forty five years after its launch.
Retro Yearly List #4 [1978: Space Invaders]
Playing this for the first time was a surprising experience. It's a classic and I can see why, almost everything here has been executed right on the general idea. It's a pretty challenging game but is not unfair, the atmosphere is great, as it's one of the first games to introduce background music, which increases its speed while the entire screen is being destroyed, and the controls and mechanics are on point, got pretty invested in this one.
Playing this for the first time was a surprising experience. It's a classic and I can see why, almost everything here has been executed right on the general idea. It's a pretty challenging game but is not unfair, the atmosphere is great, as it's one of the first games to introduce background music, which increases its speed while the entire screen is being destroyed, and the controls and mechanics are on point, got pretty invested in this one.
This is a tamer version of better arcades games in this vein to come in the future, but it's still cool. I like most of the sound effects and they bring out an urgency at points, and the faster enemies towards the end of a stage is exciting, but I do think the barricades are kind of unnecessary and take away from the dodging aspect of it. It also can be slow to start due to the age but I would say it's still solid overall.
7.0/10
7.0/10
I reviewed this as day 2 of my Arcade a Day series and my full review can be found below.
https://arcadedaily.wordpress.com/2024/01/02/space-invaders/
https://arcadedaily.wordpress.com/2024/01/02/space-invaders/
Even if Pong is the true definition of a retro game, Taito's Space Invaders would easily take the crown for being the most iconic piece of video gaming history. For such a simple premise with some of the earliest sprite work, an engaging challenge and the opportunity to get a high score, just be glad it isn't another paddle-and-ball game.
Arcade Week: Day #1
So it turns out I’ve played quite a few arcade games during my lifetime, and I was just gonna review most of these separately. But then I thought: remember the NES week? So I’m bringing it back but this time for Arcade games, and what better game to start it off with then Space Invaders!
In the game you play as a laser cannon which can only move horizontally as you try to shoot 5 rows of aliens that are slowly moving down the screen also shooting at you. You also have 4 stationary ‘bunkers’ (they’re basically shields) which survive a certain amount of fire. You also only have 3 lives, with the game ending either if they run out or the aliens reach the bottom of the screen and take humanity, in a less dark way then it sounds. And…that’s Space Invaders. A game inspired by media like Star Wars and made a similar amount of money. People were obsessed with this game and it’s not hard to see why. Overall, for one of the biggest arcade classics, it still holds up. Maybe it doesn’t hold up greatly and it is clearly dated but its ideas are still classics and can be enjoyed by anyone.
Classic, noises, those alien names are adorable
So it turns out I’ve played quite a few arcade games during my lifetime, and I was just gonna review most of these separately. But then I thought: remember the NES week? So I’m bringing it back but this time for Arcade games, and what better game to start it off with then Space Invaders!
In the game you play as a laser cannon which can only move horizontally as you try to shoot 5 rows of aliens that are slowly moving down the screen also shooting at you. You also have 4 stationary ‘bunkers’ (they’re basically shields) which survive a certain amount of fire. You also only have 3 lives, with the game ending either if they run out or the aliens reach the bottom of the screen and take humanity, in a less dark way then it sounds. And…that’s Space Invaders. A game inspired by media like Star Wars and made a similar amount of money. People were obsessed with this game and it’s not hard to see why. Overall, for one of the biggest arcade classics, it still holds up. Maybe it doesn’t hold up greatly and it is clearly dated but its ideas are still classics and can be enjoyed by anyone.
Classic, noises, those alien names are adorable