Space Invaders Invincible Collection

In the year 1978, Japan’s citizens fell prey to the never-ending onslaught of Space Invaders. Of course, these were not actual alien invaders from space that struck the island country, but rather digital creatures from a video game that everyone in Japan lined up to play. Developed by Taito Corporation, The Space Invaders, “Invader Craze” phenomenon meant that Japanese players could find a Space Invaders machine to play almost anywhere they turned. The phenomenon was just as big overseas, and though the game concept was often copied, Taito quickly released several sequels throughout the years. With over 11 games in the series, it was tedious to find an easy way to play the official Space Invader games. Thanks to Space Invaders: Invincible Collection, though, it’s effortless to check out the entire series and brush up on some quick Space Invaders facts in one extraordinary collection.

Games included:

• Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – black and white version

• Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – color version

• Space Invaders Part II (1979, Arcade)

• Lunar Rescue (1979, Arcade)

• Space Cyclone (1980, Arcade)

• Majestic Twelve: The Space Invaders Part IV (1990, Arcade)

• Super Space Invaders ’91 (1990, Arcade)

• Space Invaders DX (1994, Arcade)

• Space Invaders Extreme (2008)

• Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE (2018)

As soon as you get past the title screen, you are presented with instant access to each game, displayed with its original logo and some fascinating factoids about each game as well. Anyone who was thoroughly addicted to an older Space Invaders game will find instant satisfaction playing it again. If you are one of those players that found the concept of Space Invaders too slow and primitive, you should still give this collection a chance, especially with Space Invaders Extreme.

Space Invaders Extreme kicks the original game into high gear and adds incredible visuals and sounds for an experience never seen in a Space Invaders game before. If you enjoyed the soundtrack from Rez or WipeOut, you’d be right at home here with the terrific techno beats the game offers. From shooting your laser to blowing up Invaders, each action you perform will add a beat or note to the music. The pulsing visuals are constantly changing on each stage and look glorious on the Nintendo Switch’s built-in screen or when the console is docked.

While I appreciated the tiny bits of history listed under the comments section of each game, I would have loved to see more complete details of these games by those involved in making them. Taito is a phenomenal company with such tremendous video game history, and it’s sad that the history of Space Invaders from the creator side isn’t celebrated more in this collection. Despite the lack of any informational extras, the game is a solid collection of Space Invaders history, and “Extreme” is well worth the investment by itself.