Developer: Gotch Technology
Publisher: Taito, Inin Games, Strictly Limited Games
Platform: Switch
Tested on: Switch
Space Invaders Invincible Collection – Review
Even though many younger gamers may be somewhat unfamiliar with the 1978 source material of Space Invaders, the name will immediately sound familiar to many. The game somewhat paved the way for many of the arcade shooting games we have come to know and love over the last few decades, and it seems the series has not kicked the bucket yet. With a new release still being made to the franchise in 2018, it seems that Space Invaders is still captivating the hearts of many gamers around the globe. With the release of Space Invaders Invincible Collection on Nintendo’s Switch, it seems you’ll be able to experience the history and evolution of the series on the go. As this is a bundle of ten different games, we’ll try to paint a global picture, rather than dive into each game separately.
Space Invaders Invincible Collection is, as we just mentioned, a collection of entries in the Space Invaders franchise that range from the original 1978 release to its newest 2018 release, Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE. The first offers the classic gameplay of the franchise, while the latter expands further on it, making it a proper co-op spectacle for up to four players simultaneously. In-between you’ll also have a few more obscure releases, such as Lunar Rescue, but for the most part, the overall gameplay mechanics stay the same. You will be very limited in movement, only able to dodge incoming projectiles and hopefully shoot all descending aliens before they touch the ground. In the aforementioned Lunar Rescue, this changes a bit, but the overall idea behind the game is still the same.
Graphically, most games in the collection look very crisp and clear, even though many of the said releases are played in very tiny windows with most of the screen being unused. We reckon that this is because of the original games’ arcade roots. The newer releases, however, use the full screen. Old releases, when playing handheld, can have the screen flipped sideways, which allows you to play them in portrait mode, but without a proper stand, this might not be the easiest way of playing the game. Solutions such as the Flip Grip may offer a bit of solace here. Nonetheless, the controls of the games prove to be straightforward, only booting them up may take a few moments to get adjusted to, as many of the games ask for you to ‘insert credits’.
We wish to make a small remark when it comes to Space Invaders Extreme. Even though we very much enjoyed the bombastic experience of the latter, some may want to immediately dive into the menu to tone down the explosive background(s), or turn of the animations of said background(s), in order to be able to play the game. This title may cause a sensory overload to some, even causing migraines for certain players.
As a whole, this collection is a lot of fun. Granted; some of the older releases may not entice a younger generation to try them out for longer periods of time, it’s still nice to see how it all started, and these games may provide you to have fun gaming sessions, be it by the (alternating) co-op gameplay they have to offer as well. Perhaps the price tag may be a bit too much to justify actually getting this collection, but sadly, these releases only come in their bundled form, thus forcing you to dish out the money for the entire collection. We do believe that you’re getting a solid amount of content, albeit not for its current asking price.
Conclusion
Even though this collection is certainly an intergalactic blast for fans of the series, or for those looking to work their way up the online leaderboards, we do feel that the asking price is very high for what you’re getting. We believe that the content is very solid and that Space Invaders Invincible Collection is a great release, neatly bundling the franchise’s releases from 1978 till now. Sadly, most are just glorified ROMs of antiquated games being sold at a premium price, with a very minimal amount of work invested in them. Some of these remarks aside, we see this one becoming a hit for those looking to experience the series as a whole, or for older gamers who want to relive the classics of their youthful gaming days. This one is certainly worth looking into if you’re a fan of the series, but we still suggest waiting for a price drop.
Note: Players who buy the game via the eShop will be able to download Arkanoid vs Space Invaders for free.
Space Invaders Invincible Collection - Review,
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