A New Kind Of Space Invaders
Even if you’re too young to remember the 1978 arcade classic, Space Invaders, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of it. You might have even played it at an arcade or an online gaming site. It featured an army of invading aliens marching in lockstep from left to right across the screen, making their way to your hapless spacecraft. The object of the game was to pick them off one at a time before they closed in.
They moved slowly at first, but gained momentum with each level cleared, making it increasingly difficult to evade their advances. It was simple but effective.
I can’t say the same for Space Invaders Galaxy, the latest entry in the franchise. The game begins in the Hanger, a hub that offers upgrades for your numerous ships. This is accomplished by cashing in coins and diamonds that are acquired through score achievements and level progression.
There are a total of four ships to choose from: Thunder Fighter, Storm Purge, Nether Soul, and Flame Phoenix. They all have their own unique special weapon, though. Thunder Fighter is your only option at the outset of the game. You can unlock upgrades early by purchasing them for real-world money, a feature I found distasteful and wouldn’t recommend using.
All Hail the Broken Features
The majority of the game’s upgrades are simply to make the experience more comfortable, essentially wiping the challenge. For any player sticking around long enough, you will eventually need them because Space Invaders: Galaxy becomes unfair very quickly. I say unfair because it’s not difficult. I made it until level seven, only losing three lives, but after that, it’s time to open your wallet.
Shady business practices aside, there are some fun aspects. I quite enjoyed the Flame and Thunder Wingman upgrade, which radically transforms your aircraft into a vehicle of fire-spewing awesomeness. But that isn’t enough to save this mess. The gameplay itself resembles Galaga more than Space Invaders. The player’s ship is continually flying at the screen, attempting to evaporate as many enemies as possible—a trademark formula of Galaga. Truthfully, it has nothing in common with its original predecessor.
Demon Hunter Who?
This isn’t a button masher because there are no buttons to mash. Fire and lasers continually stream from the ship, and it’s the player’s job to maneuver the vehicle to avoid a barrage of enemy attacks. With so much flying around the screen, it still ran smoothly, encountering no dropped frames within its SNES-era graphical landscape.
The game takes you through thirty-two levels in your fight to rid the galaxy of a random foe named Demon Hunter. I didn’t know who he was, where he came from, or why I’m supposed to be angry enough that I would chase him across the universe. I found myself pursuing Mr. Generic through the many brief levels—each one lasts only around one minute.
It’s worth mentioning that many of the features are unavailable. Don’t expect to play online with a friend, or take part in a challenge. Also, at the time of this writing, it appears the game has been pulled from the Play Store. I was able to download and install as recently as one week ago, but a new search turned no results.
Missing In Action
Not only is Space Invaders: Galaxy missing many of the aspects that encompass a quality gaming experience, but the game itself is literally missing. It doesn’t seem to be available any longer for download. I would’ve advised players to steer clear of this game, but now there appears to be no other choice.
Is It Hardcore?
No, not at all
Upgrade your spacecraft and fight your way through the universe in your pursuit of a generic foe.
