You know what arcade games need?
Quarters, they need quarters.
You know what they don’t need?
Cut scenes.
Polygons.
Modernization.
That’s a stupid word and a stupid thing.
And usually, when you try to modernize arcade games, all you really do is ruin them.
And that’s stupid.
So when I tell you I didn’t expect much from this, that’s me being real.
Turns out, it’s also me being stupid, ‘cause this game’s not stupid.
It’s Space Invaders for the—oh, that’s right—Nintendo 64.
So Space Invaders was released in 1999.
I mean, not originally.
It was originally released in 1978.
And in that time, a lot had changed.
I mean, the original game was released a year before the original Alien, which is an amazing
movie.
When this game came out, the latest Alien movie was Resurrection.
Which is an awful movie.
I mean, you have Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder.
I’d watch anything with those two, and Sigourney Weaver.
How do you screw that up?
Well, it was the late 90s, that’s what we did.
Freaking boy bands and polygons.
Yet somehow, this modernized Space Invaders…ended up not sucking.
Even in 1999.
Even with polygons.
Winona Ryder has nice polygons.
So why does this game work…when other updated arcade sequels do not?
What makes this different from, say, Frogger Beyond?
Well, see…there’s a difference between updating a game and…modernizing it.
And there’s also a difference in what you try to change.
So for example, you want to update the look?
Hey, that’s cool, maybe throw in some new modes…
But when you try to update the gameplay?
Or I guess, more specifically, when you try to change it?
That’s when things go wrong.
Space Invaders doesn’t need to change.
So Space Invaders doesn’t change on the Nintendo 64.
Instead, it updates the presentation and throws in some new gameplay elements.
So it adds to the classic, instead of taking away…
Or…making the frog talk.
Now, what doesn’t work?
Well, about that presentation.
I mean, it’s what you’d expect from 1999…with the dull colors and the grittiness.
And it’s done well, and everything.
It looks okay.
But…and this is more about personal taste…I would’ve preferred a more colorful, and
even cartoony game.
Or better yet, scrap the polygons and just do some awesome sprites.
But that’s just me.
I suppose there’s a big market for…brown on brown, and muted colors.
Especially in 1999.
And again, to its credit, the game looks pretty sharp on the Nintendo 64.
Really, the only nitpicky thing is that…the explosions are just sprites over the polygons.
And that looks kind of crappy.
Fortunately, though, the gameplay is still Space Invaders, and it’s still awesome.
It’s got the same simple premise, the same simple controls…use the d-pad to move, shoot
with one button and fire your special attack with the other.
So it’s got that arcade simplicity that made it such an addictive game in the first
place.
And for that reason, it really stands out on the Nintendo 64.
You know, this is a system known for its bigger games, and its long adventures…
So to just pop in Space Invaders…I mean, that’s kind of a different experience from
a lot of the most popular Nintendo 64 games.
And for that alone, it’s a really great addition to your library.
Oh, but I mentioned the special attack…that’s one of the additions.
In fact, there are a couple additions here, and they complement that classic Space Invaders
gameplay nicely.
So the main gimmick is that…all the enemies have different colors.
And if you shoot four of the same colors down in a row, you get that color’s special attack.
And every color has a different one.
And some of them are really cool.
There’s a boomerang attack, and one that leaves a toxic cloud behind…and these attacks
add a really interesting layer of depth to Space Invaders.
And there are some really cool boss battles, too.
And some of them get insanely tough, as the game goes on.
I mean, personally, I would’ve liked something that looks and sounds a little more retro…but
it’s hard to find anything to objectively criticize here.
This is just an awesome arcade update, and on the system you’d least expect to find
it on.
That’s the cool thing.
This was an era when games really started to move away from stuff like this.
So it’s a cool juxtaposition in that way.
It’s also a pretty cool game.
If you’re still looking for games to add to your Nintendo 64 collection, give Space
Invaders a look.
Also, might want to look into a GameShark, too…this sh*t gets pretty ridiculous.
A huge thanks to our friend Theodore from Honolulu, Hawaii for sending us Space Invaders,
for the Nintendo 64.
A great example of an arcade update done right.