Few games are almost as old as video games themself, but Space Invaders is one of them. This leaves me asking the obvious question, do we need more? Well, Space Invaders Forever attempts to answer that question with a collection of three games that all offer something different from the original formula to varied rates of success. Included in Forever are Space Invaders Extreme, Space Invaders Gigmax 4SE, and Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders.
The first and really only game worth playing in this collection is 2008’s Space invaders extreme. Extreme does as much as it can to keep the classic space invaders’ gameplay fresh. During each stage, you will get game-changing power-ups and enter unique bonus rooms for extra score or powerups to prevent the gameplay from getting stale. There’s also a more diverse and innovative range of enemies than classic space invaders here that adds a bit more strategy than just mindless shooting. But where extreme really excels is with its trance-like presentation similar to the likes of Rez or Tetris Effect. Your actions sync to the amazing soundtrack and flash visuals entrance you more than a Space Invaders title has any right to.
Second in the collection is Space Invaders Gigamax 4SE offering a multiplayer experience with a large playing area, and… well, that’s about it. There’s nothing special about this version of the game other than the multiplayer, but with the plethora of local multiplayer games out on the market at the moment, it’s hardly worth playing for the five minutes of novelty fun you might be able to get before switching to something more enjoyable.
Finally, we have Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders, and if that title sounds familiar to you, it might be because this is the highly popular mobile game that was released in 2017. It’s a crossover between Arkanoid and Space invaders and mixes the gameplay from both franchises perfectly, creating an experience that makes it satisfying to clear levels due to the added skill reflecting the pellets requires. However, this game cannot be played in docked mode on the switch, and you have to play using touch controls with the button held vertically. This personally made it basically unplayable for me having to undock the switch, take off the joy-cons, and use the touch screen felt like such an unnecessary task when I could play on my phone. I’m not sure why they decided to go with the game for the collection and not something that would be better suited to the system. It’s also strange how this title is treated as a separate game on the switch menu, unlike the other two, which are under one app.
Overall, Space Invaders Forever seems lacking in any real thought, while extreme is a delightful trance trip. Gigamax 4SE offers so little, and Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders is a frustrating addition to the collection that feels like a complete afterthought that they threw in to try and justify a very hefty price tag. No extras are included in the collection, which is also a shame and adds to how bare-bones the experience is.
