Arcade Archives: Space Invaders

[tepidsnake]

This week's Arcade Archives release is... Space Invaders (Taito, 1978)

Arcade Archives (previous-gen consoles)

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Arcade Archives 2 (current-gen consoles)

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Both the black & white and colour versions are included. Preference Settings allow players to display the number shots (officially caled BEAMS) fired, the current value of the UFO (the relationship between the number of shots fired and the UFO score value is explained in the manual, as well as the rainbow effect and the Nagoya Attack) and the current stage on the side of the screen. The Display and Sound Audio also have some extra options- Custom Screen Settings has three different cellophane settings and three different lunar backgrounds available (only in the black & white version) and Custom Audio Settings lets you switch between two different UFO flight sounds, reproduce white noise and adjust the individual volume levels for every single sound effect in the game.

One day, in 1978, Earth was suddenly attacked by alien life forms known as the Space Invaders. Vast numbers of them enveloped the planet like a cloud. The future of humanty looked bleak. But working in secret, Earth scientists developed a weapon that turned the tide- the Core Cannon. Equipped with a laser beam that could oblirate the Invader in one shot, could the cannon drive off the invasion, one alien at a time...? (Hey, have I heard this intro somewhere before?) Even with such a powerful weapon on our side, as well as defensive barricades that slowly get destroyed by laser fire, the Invaders will keep marching on, closer and closer, and faster and faster as you take them out... In black & white, in living colour, amongst the darkness of space or on the surface of our moon, the battle wages on, unendingly, relentlessly, and maybe it's still going to this day...
 

... I don't have to explain Space Invaders to you, do I? This is like, one of the video games, one of the most successful and popular arcade games ever, with the Crab Invader going on to become a symbol of video gaming itself. I know some people were disappointed that this is the 500th Arcade Archives release (mostly because they were setting themselves up for disappointment by maybe being a bit too out there with their guesses) but to that I say, if you're going to mark the occasion, isn't a symbolic game like this a good pick, really? This was actually one of my guesses for what the 500th game was (my other guess was Mobile Suit Gundam, the Allumer game- wish I'd emailed my guess in now!) to keep my expectations in check.

In any case, this is actually quite a bit more feature-rich than the version included in Space Invaders Invincible Collection, with cellaphane and lunar backdrops included which were missing from Invincible as well as more screen and audio options in general. The sound does seem a little strange at first, but it's been a good few years since I've played an actual Space Invaders cabinet (there used to be an antique store / museum place called Botany Bay that had a few Invaders cabs, I was kinda nice at it) and so maybe all the other rereleases have the sound just a smidge wrong, but it's not my pace to say. Anyway, I'm one of those freaks who still enjoys a round of Space Invaders now and then, If it's not to your liking, there's like 499 other ACA games to pick from, try one of those!