Space Invaders Revolution

SCORE: 62

Does the ESRB even have a clue as to how to rate a video game? Space Invaders Revolution on the Nintendo DS is a shooter. That means you shoot a lot of alien ships, and make them explode. The ESRB gave this game an ‘E’ for Everyone rating with no descriptors. That is right no descriptors. I shoot something, and there is an explosion and the ESRB can not figure out how to write the word: “Violence” in some form. No wonder so many parents feel the ESRB is a broken system. Well thankfully Family Friendly Gaming is around to correct as many of the ESRB mistakes as we find. Your friendly neighborhood video game reviewer is here to give you the low down on this retro rehash.

Graphically Space Invaders Revolution is barely better than the original game, which is over twenty years old. I am not a graphics hound, but a little more progress would have been nice. The backgrounds have been improved over the last twenty years as have the menu screens, but the core action is abysmal. There is cartoon style violence as you are shooting aliens who are marching down very slowly to the earth. We have to shoot them all, or they will destroy the earth. Not too sure how, except by scaring us with their horrible graphics. There are 3D graphics in some of the little movies, why not in the game play?

Remember the old school, school sounds from the original Space Invaders? Well it is back, and just as repetitive as they were two decades ago. Thankfully the explosion sounds are also present. I found the music to be okay, but certainly not anything I would hum later. Mastiff should know that classic sounds can be kept as well as updated in the same game. Unfortunately they kept it safe, and made no changes.

If you like the Space Invaders action, and like the concept of some different backdrops, then you will enjoy replaying this game. There are a couple of options, and different ways to play it. A few small upgrades are allowed, and different areas of the world are unlockable. Space Invaders Revolution can be found pretty cheap so it may be worth your money, but you really have to be into this kind of a game.

After twenty years it would be nice if there would have been some improvements to the controls. Your ship moves left and right. It would be difficult to mess that up. Mastiff got the controls right on, but needed to work on some different and better level designs. Something like being able to get behind the aliens and fire at them from above would have been a nice inclusion.

You are defending the earth from hordes trying to just kill off everyone, but using violence to achieve that goal. No sequels if the game stays the same, but if major improvements then a sequel would make sense.
- Sam

Graphics: 58%
Sound: 60%
Replay/Extras: 67%
Gameplay: 59%
Family Friendly Factor: 65%
System: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Mastiff
Rating: 'E' for Everyone

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