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Hands on with Space Invaders: 30th Anniversary on mobile

Space shooter of the thirtieth kind

Hands on with Space Invaders: 30th Anniversary on mobile

It's incredible to think that what once required a huge arcade cabinet can now run on a device that fits in your pocket. Whether having old skool games on your mobile can pull you away from the smoky cloister of the arcade is debatable, yet Square Enix is willing to give it a try with a remix of one of the most popular arcade titles in history.

Space Invaders: 30th Anniversary reprises the groundbreaking top-down shooter in mobile form, with a new look and added content. And despite its age, our look at this upgraded shooter has us eager for its early 2008 release.

Space Invaders, as remade for mobile, is actually two games in one. Classic mode perfectly ports the original arcade game, whereas Modern mode remixes the space shooter with contemporary graphics and new stages. Both modes offer the same simple, yet intensely challenging gameplay that accompanies the Space Invaders name. However, there are distinctions between the two that might lead you to favour one over the other.

Classic makes an honest attempt to distill the core arcade game onto mobile. Blocky graphics and mono-sound remain intact, portraying your tiny spaceship as it plows through waves of alien enemies. Movement is handled via the directional pad. There isn't a need for a shooting button since your ship automatically fires its lasers. All you need worry about it sliding left and right at the bottom of the screen in order to eliminate each row of enemies.

Modern mode follows the same basic formula, giving you control of a spaceship that moves back and forth to destroy aliens that scroll from the top of the screen. But two key differences exist between this and the Classic game: an enhanced presentation and new stage structure. A shiny silver ship replaces the flat one of old, which now flies over nicely detailed backgrounds depicting moons, asteroids, and other galactic fare.

Beating Space Invaders involves getting through five stages of alien ass-kicking. In Modern mode, these stages differ depending on your performance in the preceding stage. Although each playthrough features five levels, there are around a dozen variations thanks to a branching stage tree. This ought to lend some re-playability to the game beyond upping your high scores.

Successfully beat the game in both Classic and Modern modes and you'll get a treat. Square Enix plans on including two extra games that can be unlocked by completing the game and achieving a set high-score.

Which games? Well, the decision hasn't been finalised yet, apparently. Regardless of the two that are offered, they're likely to further extend the value of Space Invaders. Certainly, between its new Modern mode and unlockable games, there should be plenty of reason to celebrate this classic's 30th anniversary come early next year.

Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.