Space Invaders Get Even

I had some leftover Wii points, and with a title like this, how can I say no?

Space Invaders Get Even is really cool for two reasons. The first, and this may not be cool to anyone but myself, is the revenue model. The game is split into packs of missions, each being two shooter levels and ending with a third boss level. The base game only costs $5 - and only comes with one pack of missions. Three additional mission packs are available for $5 each, and so one could say that the full game of 12 missions carries a $20 price tag; but you can buy fractions of it at your leisure. This is a really exciting evolution of the episodic distribution idea: the base game carries a price to recoup development costs, but is cheap enough so as to be almost free, and I wouldn't hesitate to think of it as a sort of demo. If a player is sold on the concept, he is then liable to buy additional levels for the game a'la carte, each in a bite-sized chunk that both stuffs Taito's coffers and satisfies the player's desire for new content. (I don't know if the game is architected to allow more add-on mission packs beyond the existing three, but that would really complete the business model.)

The second reason this game is cool is pretty much indicated by its title. Past the introductory narration, which is equal parts confusing and boring, Space Invaders Get Even is about exactly what it sounds like: the space invaders, after 30 years of living with the stench of failure, have come back to Earth for revenge. The scenario is sort of a post-campy setup, where, as you pilot the mothership with your nunchuk, you'll overhear terrestrial radio chatter like "we can't hit these 2D targets!" The invader ships that swarm around you can be directed into a number of attack formations that range from the expected, such as homing in on targets, to the hilariously bizarre, like forming the shape of a giant drill and plowing into an enemy.

The game plays like a vertical-scrolling overhead shooter with ground targets (in fact, you'll be firing at tanks more often than at helicopters). The playfield is also littered with military and civilian structures, and, Rampage/Blast Corps-style, you'll gain seconds on your level timer for causing wanton destruction. You also lose seconds for being hit, so blowing shit up is not just fun, but also meaningful to your goal of survival! My only real complaint about the gameplay mechanics is that, while they are initially hard to learn due to the number of attack formations you have, within a level or two you'll find out that about half of them are really ineffective and pointless.

What I don't like about Space Invaders Get Even is that, despite the new concepts and mechanics, the game is structured around high score pissing contests just as much as the original Space Invaders. Rather than unlock new abilities or features, your reward for killing everything or finishing quickly is racking up points, which are ranked globally in online high score tables within the game. If you like that sort of thing, then this game's implementation seems pretty good, but it's not really my cup of tea.

Nevertheless, I don't doubt that a boring evening at home could easily lead to me buying a $5 mission pack and invading Earth again.

Progress: Gave Up -- Finished basic level pack