Enough Retro games to play three or four every day for a year

Retro cloud streaming platform Antstream Arcade has announced their vast collection of officially licensed retro games is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S ?later this month. As part of this, Antstream says games that had previously only been playable on Sony or Nintendo platforms will also become playable on Xbox through its service.

The extensive? collection includes retro titles all the way back to the Commodore era. Through the service, games will be playable without any sort of installa??tion or download required. Each week more officially licensed Retro titles will be added to the service.

[caption id="attachment_391655" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Antstream Arcade[/caption]

Xbox can finally join in on the Retro fun

Antstream Arcade is already available on PC, Mac, Linux, Android, Android TV, Firestick, Samsung TV, and via a web browser. This will be the first time the Retro collection will be available on consoles nativ??ely. Antstream CEO Steve Cottam created the?? service as an easy way to access games he loved growing up.

"Despite living in an age of incredible technology, I found it wasn’t easy enough to access the games I loved growing up and I wanted to be able to easily sh??are scores and compete against friends,�said Cottam in a press release. “We believe in the preservation and accessibility of all games, ??the great, the impossible and the forgotten or lesser known too, I’m very proud to bring the Antstream Arcade platform to the Xbox community�

Alongside the Retro catalog, Antstream Arcade also allows players to enter ?tournaments and challenge others to duels and community battles. You'll be able to acquire achievements and connect with others and show off your accolades via your profile.

Antstream Arcade releases later this month for $29.99 per year or via lifetime access at $79.99. The price includes all future games and features added to the service. Furthermore, Anstream Arcade is hosting a live stream on July 14 to highlight new games coming to the service and show off what more is to come. The ??service will be ava??ilable in Europe, the UK, the USA, Canada, and the Vatican City.

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Not on my Watch

Master chronokeeper Timex has teamed with old-school publisher Taito to release a new watch featuring the timeless style of the latter's 1978 arcade smash Space Invaders. The funky-looking fashion item is considered a vital component in the preve??ntion of three small bases from being overrun by waves of cute, pixelated extra-terrestrials... Well, it tells the time at any rate.

The Timex x Space Invaders watch is based on Timex's retro-chic T-80 model, and boasts a stainless steel bracelet, an Indiglo backlight screen, and an exclusive T-80 lens �featuring a slick black and red Space Invaders design. The watch features typical T-80 functions including a chronograph, timer, and alarm, alerting you to its presence with classic sounds pulled from the groundbreaking arcade phenomenon that ?didn't cause the ¥100 coin to go out of circulation whatsoever.

Available in Silver-tone, Gold-tone, and yer boy's favorite, Black, the Timex x Space Invaders watch is now available to purchase from worldwide Timex stockists, retailing for around $89 USD. This watch is the second of Timex's video game collaborations, following on from its Timex x Pac-Man model, which was released back in 2020. Here's hoping for Dig Dug!.. or, I don't know, Narc.

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Can I just go back to spending 10p a credit?

Taito has announced that retro collection Space Invaders Invincible Collection is finally headed westward on Switch. The localized port of the classic shmup compendium is now available to pre-order on the Nintendo eShop, ahead of its August 17 release date. Perhaps a little more eyebrow-raising, however, is the ??full retail price of $59.99. That's something.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v8jkkmjSOs

Originally released in Japan in the spring of 2020, Space Invaders Invincible Collection features 11 different variants of the alien-blasting franchise �from 1978's pioneering classic to 2018's Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE. Also included is a free download of 2017 mobile release Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders, for a total of 12 blip-blooping shooters. Custom dip switch???? settings and a selection of screen filters are available on most included games.

As a niche release, Taito will be looking to capitalize on every available sale, but given how similar many of these games are, as well as their admittedly slim retention value, 60 bucks sure is a mighty bill. Strictly Limited's range of physical editions at least included fun bonuses (including a reprint of the tie-in Space Invaders board game), but the price tag of this digital pre-order suggests that perhaps only the most devoted of? Earth's defenders should consider bagging this release.

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The chances of anything coming from Mars

Fans of one of the oldest, purest shmups of all-time, Space Invaders, have reasons to be cheerful today, as Taito has announced its intention to localise Nintendo Switch release Space Invaders: Invincible Collection in the west. Furthermore, the retro compendium will receive a physical release, courtesy of Strictly Limited Games.

Space Invaders: Invincible Collection collates 11 different variants of the alien-zapping shmup, from the 1978 original, through 1990's Super Space Invaders, 1994's Space Invaders DX, Space Invaders Extreme, and many other modern iterations. This release also contains the rare 2017 release Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders, which sees two classi?c arcade titles mix up their respective gameplay. Pew-pew.

Strictly Limited Games have three different editions currently in the works. A standard Limited Edition features a boxed copy of Space Invaders: Invincible Collection for Nintendo Switch. The Collector's Edition will include a copy of the game in a magnetic box, along with a soundtrack CD, arcade book, instruction cards, a sticker sheet, a pin, art cards, and six reproduction flyers. Finally, the Ultimate Edition includes all of the above, plus the Ultimate Space Invaders board game and "more special items." All of these editions will be available to pre-order from the Strictly Limited store from June 28.

Space Invaders: Invincible Collection launches in the west on Nintendo Switch later in 2??020.

Space Invaders: Invincible Collection coming west [Gematsu]

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Imagine a film where aliens are attacking Earth

Those Hollywood newshounds over at Deadline have revealed that Greg Russo, currently beavering away at the script for Warner Bros. upcoming Mortal Kombat movie, has been hired to pen a cinematic adaptation of 1978's Space Invaders. Yep.

Warner Bros. picked up the movie rights to Taito's groundbreaking arcade release several years back, and have been attempting to get the movie off of the ground for some time. Russo, who was signed up by production company New Line, will be adding Space Invaders to a long list of adaptations the writer has queued, including Death Note 2 for Netflix, Resident Evil for Constantin Films, and Saints Row for Fenix Studios.

There are no plot or casting details for Space Invaders as of yet, but this has to be the best example since 2012's Battleship of an simplistic entity being crafted into an extended big-screen narrative. Personally, I'm more than a little curious to see how Russo translates the video game's basic concepts into a blockbuster. I wonder who's gon?na play the bonus UFO?

Space Invaders is currently in pre-production at New Line.

Space Invaders on New Line launch pad [Deadline]

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Duh, Duh, Duh, Duh...

Few franchise names immediately recall the dawn of video games like Space Invaders. Legitimately a cultural icon, Taito's 1978 arcade, that didn't cause a shortage of the 100-Yen coin on release, has been referenced time and again?? in the 40 plus years sin??????????????????????????ce launch, with its influence still being found in many of today's top shmups.

Taito, via Weekly Famitsu, has announced that a new compilation is being put together for the Nintendo Switch, celebrating the legacy of this base-defending classic. Space Invaders: Invincible Collection will reunite the original game with various sequels, remakes and spin-offs, ??looking back at four decades of alien-shooting shenanigans.

Currently, only six titles have been revealed for the collection: Space Invaders (1978), Space Invaders Part II, Super Space Invaders '91, Space Invaders DX, Space Invaders Extreme and the first ever home release of 1980's Space Cyclone. More title??s will be announced in the future. A literal ?blast from the past.

Space Invaders: Invincible Collection is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2020.

Space Invaders: Invincible Collection announced for Switch [Famitsu / Ryokutya2089]

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40 Years of Space Invading

Almost 10 years ago, Space Invaders Extreme released for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable and blew people away. The game was a wild reinvention of one of the most iconic shmups ever made and it somehow transformed a 30-year-old property into a modern darling. ?To say it was a must-o??wn is an understatement, as you basically won’t find a single negative comment about the game on the entire internet.

Following that success, the game was eve?ntually ported to the Xbox 360 with an overhauled soundtrack and some slight upgrades done to the graphics. The 360 port included four-player co-op, an improvement over t??he original’s two-player option, and was a critical darling for how chaotic the gameplay became. Sadly, that new soundtrack really put a damper on the experience and the game wasn’t as widely loved as the DS original (the PSP version also had a different soundtrack).

Now, 10 years later, we’re getting a PC re-release of the DS original that contains all of the improved visuals from the 360 port, but actually lacks features present from the beginning. The gameplay is still highly addictive, flashy, and chaotic, but this new port feels like a missed opportunity to provide us the “definitive” edition of Extreme.

Space Invaders Extreme (DS, PSP, Xbox 360, PC [Reviewed])
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Square Enix (DS, PSP, 360), Degica (PC)
Released: June 17, 2008 (DS, PSP), May 6, 2009 (360), February 12, 2018 (PC)
MSRP: $29.99 (DS, PSP), $9.99 (360), $19.99 (PC)

In some weird twist of fate, I somehow never managed to play the original version of Extreme. I had told my mom about the game and she even owned it, but I spent? an entire decade knowing of its existence and never trying it out. When I say I was ??blown away when I first played this version, you know I’m being serious.

Space Invaders Extreme retains the very basic idea of what the original Space Invaders was all about while adding a huge touch of flair to the experience. Instead of simply shooting progressively descending enemies, you now can chain combos together, get different weapons, and even participate in bonus rounds. This is more of a score attack game with Space Invaders wind?o??w-dressing than a true sequel to the original.

That doesn’t mean the style isn’t retained, because the en??emy sprites and n??ew bosses are all fashioned after that classic ‘70s title. It is super fun taking a trip down memory lane, but having it showcased in a new manner. I especially love that the sprites seem almost lifted out of the original arcade game instead of completely overhauled to look more modern.

The main gist of Extreme is an “Arcade” mode that sees you going through five different levels to an eventual conclusion with a massive boss. After beating the second level, you can branch off into different paths that will increase the difficulty of subsequent leve??ls, making for four unique playthroughs if you follow a specific route. Accessing these routes requires getting an A rank for your score, so you’ll need to become proficient at the game to stan?d a chance.

The boss battles are a real show stealer, each doing something unique with their different setups. The fou??rth boss is a big pain in the ass, but his whole gimmick requires you get a power-up and ricochet shots off of incoming enemies to hit him, which adds a whole diffe??rent layer of strategy to the proceedings. It is a lot more involved than simply spamming shots and just waiting for the enemy to blow up.

One nice change from the DS original is that if you run out of lives during a level, you won’t be transported back to the beginning upon hitting retry. Your score will reset and you’ll likely lose out on an A rank (and a chance at going a different route), but this allows players to actually make it to the end of the game witho??ut spending hours perfecting their skills.

There is also an added rapid-fire button, which makes scoring combos a lot easier. The whole name of the game with Extreme is chaining kills together, which works whether or not you’re paying attention to enemy color. The higher your chain goes, the more points you’??ll score and the closer you’ll get to scoring an A or e??ven S rank on a level.

The enemy colors, though, will work by dropping the different weapons for you. If you chain together four red enemies, for instance?, you’ll get a bomb power-up that explodes on contact with foes. My personal favorite is the blue laser power-up, which literally shreds through enemies ??and allows for super quick chain building.

The bonus?? stages you’ll encounter come about once you hit specifically colored UFOs that fly over the top of the screen. You’ll basically play mini-games where a specific stipulation must be met (such as killing 10 UFOs or collecting 50 coins). Successful completion of these bonus stages sends you back to the main level with a “Fever” state, which gives you an even more souped-up version of your current weapon.

Understanding how this entire system even works takes a little time. When my friend and I sat down to give this game a shot, we had no idea what was even happening. That first blind experience makes me think of how the internet assumes Japan is this wacky-ass land full of odd customs and flashy lights. Space Invaders Extreme is the video-game equivalent of someone yelling “JAPAN IS CRAZY” at you??.

You’ll be shooting at ships, activating insane weapons, and hearing an announcer proclaim, “FEVER” or “LEVEL UP” and have no idea why anything is happening. When it does click, though, Space Invaders Extreme becomes a highly rewarding and deep shooter that just beckons you to kee?p pushing yourself. It’s no wonder people fell in love with this title. I managed to beat it four times in a row just trying to unlock every path and that was regardless of me trying to review the game.

The upgrades for this new PC version come in the form of much sharper visuals and an extra “E” difficulty path. Everything is crisp, the backgrounds are mesmerizing and trippy, and the a??nimations are smooth as can be. It is pretty similar to the 360 version, just with support for even higher resolutions than 1080p and some extra levels. Sadly, you can’t customize that resolution in the menu, or an?ything for that matter.

I would be surprised if the game ran poorly for anyone, but there isn’t much in the way of menu options for Extreme. You can turn down the music, but you’d have to be insane to want to silence this thumping score. You can’t customize the controls and while controller support is present, there are no b?utton prompts for 360 or PS4 gamepads.

The biggest omission, though, is the lack of multiplayer. Since I knew about the 360 port having co-op gameplay, I got my friend pump?ed up to try it out with me only to discover there isn’t anything beyond the main game. Sure, a “Freeplay” option exists to let you try out individual levels and you can share scores online, but there are no multiplayer options whatsoever.

That wouldn’t be the wo?rst thing in the world, but this new PC version costs $20. It is double the price of the 360 version, which has more features and even some downloadable content to expand the game. While I think it's great and a pretty good deal for $20, the exclusion of modes doesn’t make any sense.

If the price were a bit cheaper, or if even online multiplayer were included, I’d readily recommend this port without a problem. As it stands, while Space Invaders Extreme on PC is solid and certainly looks and sounds the best out of any available version, the l?ack of such an awesome mode just sours my opinion on it.

Hopefully we can get co-op in an update or even as DLC, because I&rsqu??o;m still eager to get back in and shoot 40-year-old aliens.

_{[This review is based on a retail build?? of the game?? provided by the publisher.]}

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This is long overdue

Taito and Degica have been teasing something Steam-releated for Space Invaders' 40th anniversary. I kept my expectations in check, hoping for ports of the more? recent games. That's ha?ppening!

Space Invaders Extreme is up first with a February launch on Steam that includes "a brand new World Ranking System for Arcade Mode." If you never played this on Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, or Xbox 360, it's a treat. I've always loved more modern takes on classic arcade games like this and Pac-Man Championship Edition?. Hopefully the sequel will follow if PC players embrace this port.

Another Taito game, Groove Coaster, will release on Steam later this year. It's also a Space Invaders spin-off like Extreme, but ??it's much more of ??its own thing -- it's a straight-up rhythm game.

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'The invasion is coming to Steam'

A no-frills teaser site has surfaced for a Space Invaders project launching in 2018. Whatever the mystery ga?me is, it's headed to Steam. Taito and Degica Games also had this to say:

If you have ever played a video game (if you are reading this you almost certainly have) then you likely have Taito to thank. It has been 40 years since they released their monumentally influential arcade title, Space Invaders, an?? indisputable founding-father of modern gaming.

To celebrate this occasion, Taito and Degica are bringing the invasion to Steam in?? 2018. Stay tuned for more details at the beginning of the new year!

In recent years, we've gotten excellent new takes on the classic ranging from Space Invaders Extreme to Infinity Gene to Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders. I hope to see something along those same lines.

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Great on the bus, the train, or the shitter

For as much promise as?? the technology has, mobile gaming is pretty goddamn stagnant. The medium is rife with apps meant to test your patience more than your skills and goad you into opening your wallet for a shot at a li??ttle more. It’s no wonder so many Destructoid readers are adamant and vocal in their distaste for the medium and I am right there with you. Every time I see a primetime commercial for Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire or Lineage 2: Revolution, I shake my head wondering where it all went wrong. What happened to the industry that gave us Rolando? Or Edge? Or Canabalt, Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, Crayon Physics Deluxe and 80 Days?

The truth is that industry is still out there, it’s just overshadowed by the giants of mobile and underfunded by a consumer base unwilling to pay even the most meager amounts of money for a game. I log onto Google Play and see a fucking Russian Grand Theft Auto knock-off has more than 100k downloads because it’s free-to-play, but something as beautiful and brilliant as Old Man’s Journey is at a fraction of that. Why? Because the developers had?? the “gall” to charge a fiver for the culmination of their years&rsq??uo; work?

The mobile market isn’t going anywhere. It&?rsquo;s only going to grow more gargantuan going forward as the top franchises from PC and consoles make the jump. As consumers, we can either sit idle and bitch as our f??avorite franchises are dumbed down to clickers and “simulators,” or we can do what we always say we do by voting with our wallets to reward those developers who actually give a shit, and who make our commutes, waiting rooms, and break times all that more bearable.

These are the nominees for Destructoi??d’s Best Mobile Game of 2017:

• Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders
• Campfire Cooking
• Dandy Dungeon: The Legend of Brave Yamada
• Dropmix
• Fire Emblem Heroes
• Monument Valley 2
• Thimbleweed Park

The post Nominees for Destructoid’s Best Mobile Game of 2017 appeared first on Destructoid.

Hey, listen!

Hello, beautiful people! I'm your host Chris Moyse and I welcome you to the latest Community Interview! This entry sees me chat with a member of our flock who has only been signed up for half a year! So let's learn more about a newcomer who has already firmly planted themselves within the comments and Qposts of Destructoid.

Grab a drink, put your feet up, and let's chat to our very own starchild: the navi is a lie

OL: Welcome to the interrogation chamber, where reputations are destroyed and minds are broken. Help yourself to a cupcake and tell us; who the fuck is the navi is a lie?

Navi: Well, thanks for the cupcake and may I say; I love the ??grim and hopeless look you’ve got going on here. Behind the name lies Jason, a pretentious and nerdy teen. I'm sti?ll in high school, live in CT, and want to get out of here as soon as possible.

OL: Gah, so young, It feels like every day I get older. What's in a name?

Navi: Zelda and Portal are some? of my favorite games so I melded them together. I also really hate Navi and everything that damn fairy stands for. It's also a philosophical statement: Everything we know, like the Navi, could be a lie. Yeah, I just wanted to seem clever while referencing my favorite games. People seem to really?? like it, so I think I made a good choice.

OL: It's quite the eye-opener when you step behind the curtain of the front page. Have you enjoyed your stay at Destructoid so far?

Navi:? I love it! The people are super-awesome and I’ve been writing much more which I love. I also get to talk to some awesome peeps.

OL: Glad to hear you've settled in. Have any of those "awesome peeps" stood out to you as kindred spirits?

Navi: Well, a few people that stick out to me are Hypno Coffin, who’s super funny and nice. Orochileona may be the nicest person I’ve ever talked to over the internet. SrChurros for having the best damn icon. Greenhornet214 for being a fellow Star Trek fan, and all the other people whose po??sts make me? laugh.

OL: Awww, thanks for the props (I'll PayPal you the ten bucks later). As a newcomer, do you have any suggestions that could help improve the 'Toid?

Navi: The private messaging system needs to be overhauled. There are a few other t??hings in the mobile version that could be worked on, but overall there aren’t too many issues I can think of.

OL: So, will you be sticking around with us for the foreseeable future?

Navi:&?nbsp;Yes, of course! I have tons of C.blogs plan??ned!

OL: Let's learn a little about your good self, Navi. WHO ARE YOU?

Navi: I am a human who plays way too many video games, reads way too many comics a?nd books, and drinks lots of coffee. I work at Starbucks, and enjoy spewing my pretentious opinions all over the Internet. I have anxiety and depression which makes being a normal human pretty difficult, but I push through.

I’m an introverted person but also the type that smiles at grandmas. I like to think of myself as a bit of an intellectual chap. I consider myself a film & TV buff. A few of my favorite films are: 2001 A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, Rushmore, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Clerks. My favorite series' are FLCL, Star Trek: TNG, Rick and Morty, and Twin Peaks. I’ve also been called a hi??pster on many the occasion, so there may be some truth to that. I have ??an amazing girlfriend whom I love more than anything.

OL: I love Twin Peaks too. Who is Best Girl?

Navi: The Log Lady, obviously.

OL: Well, my log does not judge. Any hidden talents?

Navi: I pl??ay piano and drums, as well as ?some other musical instruments.

OL: Piano and drums? Aren't they two of the hardest instruments you could choose?

Navi:&??nbsp;They are pretty difficult, but I’ve been playing them both for quite a while.

OL: I've tried to learn piano at various points in my life, but I think I'm done trying now.

OL: Speaking of practice, you're currently working hard to become a game developer. How is that quest going for you so far? What is it that interests you in it as a career?

Navi: It’s going well! I have been working on learning how to code which I enjoy so much. I don't know why, but it clicks with me; it can be really soothing. As for why this career path, it’s a mix of wanting to explore interesting mechanics and themes that haven’t been utilized yet. Gaming is a relatively new field, and there are so many new concepts to be unearthed, I want to help? push it f?orward as an art form.

OL: It's definitely a fascinating, if complex, avenue of interest. Are you working on any projects right now?

Navi: I am! A Twine game called You Clicked the Wrong Link. It's in early stages but I’m really motivated. It mixes text adventures like the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Zork, and Depression Quest with some simple logic puzzles. It has cyberpunk themes? and some Albert Camus-style philosophy. It’s been a blast to work on, I’m super excited for people to ?play it. Well, all two of them that see it.

OL: Sounds really interesting, and quite personal. I'll definitely check it out when it's done. What's the next stage for your own development as a dev?

Navi: I want to go to college (continuing to create games until then) and then hopefully wor??k independently or work within a small team designing games.

OL: If you could work on any current game series, or remake a classic game yourself, which would you choose?

Navi: I'd love to work on either Fallout or the Pokemon series as they are super inspirational to me. I'd also like to work with Edmund McMillen, Zoe Quinn, or Jonathan Blow as they are some gaming idols of mine. I'd like to make a sequel to Streets of Rage, because it'd be turned into an awesome parody whist keeping their tight game mechanics. That, or a remake of Live a Live because that is one of my favorite games - super underrated. More people need to play Live a Live. Go play Live a Live.

OL: Umm.. Well I can't right now, but I'll try to check it out later. If you had unlimited funding and talent, what would be your ideal dream project?

Navi: A remake of Live a Live. Just kidding. I want to make a pen-and-paper style sci-fi exploration, set in procedurally-generated outer space. I want to make it so that every last choice changes the way the ship, crew, and other factions see you. Basically a mix of D&D, FTL, Mass Effect, and Star Trek.?? Not the most original idea, but it’s a dream of mine.

OL: Let's talk about your gaming history? What was your first console/computer?

Navi: I’ve been into video games literally all my life. I grew up with the PS2 and the GameCube which my parents owned, b??ut I had access to the NES, SNES, and N64 as my grandparents had a bunch of old consoles. The first console I owned personally was the DS. Today I play everything, from low-key indie titles to modern AAA releases. Essentiall?y, I’ve played pretty much everything, always.

OL: That's quite a history of formats and a variety of games from all sorts of budgetary and stylistic backgrounds. What are some of your favourites?

Navi: That's a hard question for me as I may be kind of infamous on this site for my top ten that I repeatedly rewrite. A few of my favorites are: Fallout New Vegas, Binding of Isaac, Diary of a Spaceport Janitor, Majora’s Mask, FTL, FF7, Depression Quest, Doom, Pokemon FireRed, Portal, Hotline Miami, Yar’s Revenge, Missile Command, The Stanley Parable, Don’t Starve, Quake 2, and Braid. I c??ould ?list even more but those are the ones that come to mind.

OL: What does a game have to do to really "grab" you?

Navi: The first is uniqueness, whether mechanically, in its story, or otherwise. That is what makes me notice you in the sea of video games. You have to make me think - before, during, and after playing. There needs to be games that make you think, but there is, obviously, a place for fun. There has to be A Clockwork Orange and Starship Troopers, Citizen Kane and Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Games can be all of ??those things??. Be interesting, different and/or entertaining.

OL: What do think of the industry as it stands today? It gets a lot of abuse from the internet, do you think it's justified?

Navi: Both sides need a boost of originality. AAA games can just be FPS games with "deep narratives," which just means dark and depressing, whilst indie games are devolving into, "Turn this genre into a Roguelike!" or, "Copy Undertale! That did well!"

This seems a cynical view but, in positive terms, AAA games are becoming unique and tackling new subject matter. On the indie scene, games continue to elevate the medium by tackling unique themes and mechanics, as in Papers Please, Darkest Dungeons, and Firewatch. It’s an amazing time ??to be into video games and it will just keep getting better.

As for the internet, I am all for criticism as it elevates the genre and keeps gaming on track. Everyone has a voice and that just means that better games will be made and we w?ill have better connection with th??eir creators. However, I do not like the harassment or the entitlement that can come with it. Overall, I think the positives in the industry are outweighing the negatives.

OL: I agree, there's some serious negativity, but the good is VERY good. What one game is really underrated?

Navi: *Ahem* Live a FUCKING Live.

OL: You have an passion for science. What elements of the subject interest you the most?

Navi: My interests pertain mainly to space, astrophysics, biology, and technology. Learning was kind of drilled ??into me as a kid. When I went to my dad’s house, we would watch documentaries on any subject. My mom is an English teacher, so a love of learning was naturally instilled in me. I love using logic and scientific methods. Science is a major part of my life and I feel it always will be.

OL: You're an amateur astronomer, right? What is it about star-gazing that fascinates you?

Navi: It's just so intriguing to me, and it engages me more than anything else. It's something I can understand, that I always want to learn more about. I love telling people a?bout it as well. Astronomy gives me an intense feeling of optimism, and I need some optimism in this world.

OL: That's a really cool concept. Your viewing of life, light-years away, can bring you personal joy here on Earth.

Navi: Yeah, I really feel like it gives me a "home." I like how it makes all my personal issues feel small in the enormity of the universe. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it just makes me happy and gives me comfort that everything wi??ll be ok.

OL: No, I get it, I really do. So you would say it even goes as far as to help your with your mental struggles?

Navi: Oh absolutely! Learning and studying ast??ronomy has helped me through my hardest times. It’s something to get my mind off of my troubles as well as being something that I’m genuinely intrigued with.

OL: Have you seen anything crazy-cool through your telescope?

Navi: I sadly do not ha?ve one yet, but I'm saving up. My productivity will dip, but it?'s worth it.

OL: Would you like to go into space yourself, if the opportunity arose?

Navi: Absolutely. If we could develop the tech, I would love to see Neptune up close and personal. That would be a dream come true, it's my f?avorite planet. Anywhere out there would be incredible.

OL: It's not impossible, and you're young enough that you could see such a reality in your lifetime. Does your interest in the sciences cause skepticism in you over spiritual matters?

Navi: Very much so. I am an atheist and I always look for p?roof or more logical solutions to things. I have found that using logic and skepticism have helped me through this wild life and helps me explain and understand things.

OL: Have you interacted with community members such as Gamemaniac3434? He's a fellow science lover, even if he is covered in germs and microbes.

Navi: No ?I haven’t, but I shall have to. And it’s ok, I am a germ-covered man as well.

OL: You've told me in the past that you're a big reader. What do you you enjoy reading?

Navi: I'll read almost anything. I have found sci-fi, history, graphic novels/comics, ?dark comedy, philosophy, and poetry are what I gravitate toward the most.

OL: Just like your favourite games, that's a real plethora of genres. What book do you see yourself re-reading forever?

Navi: I could re-read Cosmos&nbs?p;by Carl Sagan forever because it is such an amazing and inspirational novel.?? It just makes me so optimistic and happy. I highly recommend it.

OL: You're the first interviewee to mention a love of poetry. Who are your favourite poets?

Navi: E.E Cummings by far. My favorite poem it would have to be his Humanity I Love You. ?I also really enjoy Charles Bukowski, Emily Dickinson, Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath, and Langston Hughes.

OL: You clearly have a scientific eye for the universe and technology, but you're also heavily inspired by poetry and fiction. You seem to have a pragmatic view of the world, but also a romanticism about fantasy and imagination. It's almost a natural contradiction. Is that a fair way to describe you?

Navi: I would say so! I think I am both very left-and-right brained as I do think very logically and systemati??cally, but I also adore art a?nd I am extremely creative. It makes for a very interesting mindset.

OL: It's time for the Final Five: Which fictional universe would you choose to live in?
Navi:&nb????????????????????????????sp;Gotham, to see the exploits of Batman first-hand and argue with anyone who doesn’t like him.

OL: Disney '90 -'95 or Disney '11-'16?
Navi: ‘90-’95 because Fuck Yeah Toy Story.

OL: Are you confident in your life choices so far?
Navi: Yes, but I am not confident in that answer.

OL: Is the hot dog a sandwich?
Navi: Yes. B??ut putting it in sandwich bread is gross.

OL: What's the one ethical lesson everybody should learn at school?
Navi: Don’t be shitty t?o people, and if ??you are, they can be shitty right back to you.

OL: We're halfway through 2017, how's your year going so far?

Navi: I’d say it has been one of the craziest years of m?y life, but it has been an adventure and I love a good adventure.

OL: Navi, this interview felt like we've been buddies for ages. You're warm, optimistic, and smart. I didn't catch a glimpse of your self-professed pretension. Your contribution to the Qposts has been great and I look forward to your C-blogs and seeing where your passion for game design takes you. I'm happy to have met you and I'm glad that you're a part of our community.

Navi: Thank you so much, sir! I feel like you have become a close, important buddy to me. I can't thank you enough for that. I shall make sure I design good games for you and others to p?lay! But that?? means so much to me I can't put it into words.

OL: Well, the final words are yours, so grasp the mic:

Navi: I'd like to open up to you, Dtoid member reading this: You are awesome. Thank you. All the members of this wonderful website I have spoken to have been kind and have helped me in some?? way, small or large. There are comments I have gotten that have literally changed the ways I have looked at issues going on in my life. I don't know where else I could have found that.

Thank you to the people who aren't on this website that might be reading this. You know who you are. You rock and have helped me too. And I can??'t thank you enough. I am not a religious man but I have no idea what blessed me with such wond??erful people to interact with. So, thank you. And keep being rad. And keep playing games. And always remember...the navi is a lie.

The post jbsgame.community Interviews: The Navi is a Lie appeared first on Destructoid.

At the National Museum of Play

Can I get an extra-long drum roll, please? (Actually, you know what, let me fetch that. Here we go.)

The Strong National Museum of Play has named the second batch of games for its World Video Game Hall of Fame: Grand Theft Auto III, The Legend of Zelda, Oregon Trail, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders. These are said to have "significantly affected the video game industry, popular culture, and soci??ety in general." I buy that for all six, albeit to varying degree?s.

The games were whittled down from a list of 15 finalists which also included the likes of Final Fantasy, Street Fighter II, and Minecraft. Better luck next year, John Madden Football.

As a reminder, and to stress that this hall of fame is in its early days, the prior six inductees were Pong, Pac-Man, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Doom, and World of Warcraft. I'm curious to see how the list grows after these first several years. The exact timing of what gets in might be off depending on your personal tastes and when you grew ?up, but I would say that every selection so far is worthy.

The post Six more titles ??made it into the World Video G??ame Hall of Fame appeared first on Destructoid.

Mobile game announced for Japan

I was too young to get into Space Invaders, influential as it was, but Arkanoid is my jam. Taito is working on a mobile game for iOS and Android that combines the two properties, according to Game Watch, and I'm loving the sound of it (minus the regrettable "mobile" part). The company held a press conference for the announcement and this happened. Also, this and this.

In Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders, you'll use the paddle-esque Vaus to a?bsorb incoming attacks until your meter is full and you can the??n fire that energy back in ball form to wipe out the invaders.

The title w??ill debut in Japan this winter. I hope it'll release worldwide and, if I'm really pushing my luck, also come to platforms besides iOS and Android. 3DS or PS Vita would be just lovely.

[Via Anime News Network]

The post Arkanoid vs. Space Invader?s should have happened years ago appeared first on Destructoid.

'I am terrible at videogames'

Tomohiro Nishikado, the creator of the arcade classic Space Invaders, was just interviewed by The New Yorker, and he admits that he isn't very good at playing games, and that if "it been left up to me, Space Invaders would have been a far easier game."

The article is a great read with lots of awesome facts and trivia about Space Invaders and its designer, including things like how Nishikado was inspired by Breakout, and how the enemies became aliens partly because of Star Wars.

Another interesting anecdote menti??oned in article is how the game was blamed for crime sprees in England, with police claiming it had caused "doubled housebreaking figures." Even back then people were blaming kids and videogames for all the wrong in the world.

THE SPACE INVADER [The New Yorker]

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Mo' games

In March, New York's Museum of Modern Art added 14 videogames to its Architecture and Design collection, with the intent of acquiring 40 over the next few years. The initial group was a varied sample, from Tetris to Vib-Ribbon to Canabalt.  

Among the hopeful additions are Grim Fandango, Chrono Trigger, Space Invaders, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario 64. However, the newest additions come mostly from the 70's and 80's, outside of the wildly popular Minecraft, including a console addition: the Magnavox Odyssey. Architecture and Design supervisor Paul Galloway said of the recent selections, "[i]n the infancy of this field a small number of visionaries laid the groundwork for where we are now: a??n in??dustry of tremendous range and creative output."

So: the Magnavox Odyssey (1972), Pong (1972), Space Invaders (1978), Asteroids (1979), Tempest (1981), Yar’s Revenge (1982), Minecraft (2011). Anyt??hing else you think needs to make? it into those hallowed halls? 

Video Game?s: Seven More Building Blocks in MoMA’s Collection [MoMA]

The post MoMA adds ??retro pioneers, Minecraft to its a?rt collection appeared first on Destructoid.

Marching bands have done videogame covers in the past, but it looks like Ohio State has just raised the bar in how to perform a truly great gaming themed performance. The band began with Space Invaders, followed it up with Pokemon, and hit other games such as Mario, Halo, and more.

The Zelda portion wa?s quite astounding, especially with how well the band moved? while performing the song.

The Ohio State University Marching Band vi??deo ga?me show [NeoGAF, via Sidequesting]

The post Marc?hing band doe?s an amazing videogame-themed show appeared first on Destructoid.

Above is merely the first two frames of a massively vertical comic chronicling the life a green Space Invader. Created by Ehud Lavski for Dorkly, it ought to make you think about your actions towards gaming's standard cannon fodder. Are they truly evil? Do they have families? Doesn't it seem odd that S?pace Invaders, Goombas, Moblins, or other such low-level grunts could potentially have these rich personal h?istories, yet it takes but a matter of seconds to extinguish their lives?

Who is the real monster?

The Invader [Dorkly]

The post Who knew Space?? Invaders could be so deep and emotional appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're an Android owner like myself, chances are you're probably more than a little envious of all the great games that wind up on the App Store. Luckily, every so often one of those titles makes its way over to the Droid Market and helps make life on the Wild West of mobile devices a little more bearable. Such is the case this week with Space Invaders: Infinity Gene. 

It's taken two years but Taito's latest shooter is finally making its way onto Android devices. Infinity Gene isn't only a brilliant reimagining of a classic series, but is absolutely stunning and features a fantastic chiptune soundtrack. Android-owning shmup fans that have yet to play the game on iOS or the HD console version are in for a real treat. 

Space Invaders: Infinity Gene is landing on Android devices tomorrow for $4.9?9. 

The post Space Invaders:?? In??finity Gene invading Android tomorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

Space Invaders Infinity Gene stands alongside Pac-Man Championship Edition DX and Galaga Legions DX as one of the best modern re-imaginings of a classic arcade title. All of those games share a certain subtle rhythm that sneaks into your brain.  It looks like the next game from Infinity Gene's creator may not be as subtle with the rhythm. It's called Groove Coaster, and all we know is it's promised to be "an exhilarating next-gen groove game", and that Taito ?is promoting it with an image of a space invader wearing headphones.

I really hope that the game does for Space Invaders what Bit.Trip BEAT and FLUX did for Pong. The blending of simple, skills-based gameplay with a focus on rhythm rarely fails to enthrall. I'm guessing that, like Infinity Gene, the game will hit the iOS first, and come ??to PSN and XBLA sometime after. Stay tuned t?o Destructoid for more as it comes in.

Space Invader Infinity Gene Creator Unveils New Game: Groove Co????aster [AndriaSang]

The post Rhythm-based Space?? Invaders? Get ready to Groove Coaster appeared first on Destructoid.

A big-screen adaptation of-- WHYYY??YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?

??'Space Invaders' Video Game Head?ed to Big Screen (Exclusive) [The Hollywood Reporter]

The post Transformers producer t?o co-develop Space? Invaders film appeared first on Destructoid.

[Update] Contest closed! Winners are???? Hma42 and 3ofDiamonds!

Space Invaders Infinity Gene turns the retro arcade shooter you knew into an amazing new experience. Part of what makes the game so addicting is the awesome soundtrack which was finally released not too long ago. The album is made up of 25 tracks and contains songs from the iPhone/iPod Touch, Xbox Live Arc??ade and the PlayStation Network version of the game.

We're giving away the soundtrack AND Space Invaders Infinity Gene for the iPhone/iPod Touch to two of you this weekend and ?to enter, just answer this question: Who is the composer of Space Invader's Infinity Gene's music?. 

You can find the answer on the official website and once you do, email your answer to [contests closed]. Then?? leave a comment on this post stating you've sent us an email. Don't put your answer in the comments!

You have until May 8 at 11:59PM to enter and co?ntest is open to everyone. Good luck!

Track List

[Infinity Gene Evolutionary Tracks]

1 Ancestor

2 Selection Complete

3 Survival Complete

4 Mutation Complete

5 Reproduce Complete

6 Manipulate Complete

7 Strategy Complete

8 Program Complete

9 Lifegame Complete

[PS3™/XBOX360 Tracks]

10 Great Mother

11 Child

12 Shadow

13 Anima

14 Hero

15 Devi

16 Trickster

17 Wise Old Man

18 Persona

19 Animus

20 Scarecrow

21 Unconscious

22 Strategic Deletion

[iPhone/iPod touch Additional Tracks]

23 I CAN NOT APE

24 BURN ALT AIR

25 BEFORE TEN ORB

The post W??in Space Invaders Infinity Gene ??and the soundtrack! appeared first on Destructoid.

If you have an iPhone, you may have played Space Invaders Infinity Gene when it came out late last year. Why are we excited about a port then, you ask? Why, HD, of course. That, and the ability to use a gamepad rather than your iPhone's touchscreen. Kind of brings the whole experienc?e from "awkward" to "awesome" (although I do admit the iPhone version is really good for a no-controller game). And since I am an admitted addict to downloadable content, I volunteered to be the first to lay my mitts on this stylish new version of the game.

Based on the concept of evolution, Infinity Gene opens with the iconic intro level to the game you remember from the arcade, but soon morphs into an entirely different animal, challenging the player to earn upgrades and eventually go sailing from a flat playing field into a three?? dimensiona??l world of brilliant vector-levels. Sound like your cup of tea? Hit the jump, and we'll help edge you towards your own evolution.

Space Invaders Infinity Gene (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Developer: Taito Corporation
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: September 14th, 2010 (XBLA), September 15th (PSN)

I remember the first time I played Space Invaders Extreme 2 on my DS -- I was not remotely convinced that it was going to hold my interest. Until I heard the music, that is. New design goes a long way for these iconic games. Infinity Gene performs in a simi??lar manner when it comes to bringing something new to the table, not only providing solid music but gorgeous new graphics to complement it.

To start off, your ship will only be able to move left and right, but as you blast ships and rack up points, you'll fill up a little meter at the bottom of your screen. Once you fill it up all the way and finish a level, you'll get a cool little white flash and the screen will say "EVOLUTION", making you feel super accomplished and kind of like shaking your tailfeather a bit. Its so Darwin up in he?re, yo.

One of your first unlocks is full screen movement, which is cool in that it does really make you feel as if you are watching the classic arcade game evolve into something new -- a cool feeling for a gamer that's been around as long as I have. ??It only gets better from there, though. As you complete each level, you'll see a little growth tree that fans out its branches and shows you your progress. If you unlock anything special, you'll see that here too.

As you blow things up, you'll not??ice little gene clusters floating around the screen. Grab them to make your weapon more powerful. If you get hit they'll fly all over the screen, but you have a chance to chase them down before they vanish, which is another feature of the game I really love.

The console version of the game offers several upgrades the iPhone version does not have, such as additional weapons, an increased lives limit, unlockable bonus stages and music. Of course there are leaderboards as well, but the new modes distracted me from them for a while. My favorite was the Music Mode, which will generate stages based on the music you have stored on your PS3 or 360. I tried this with some wacky stuff such as Vola and the Oriental Machine's new album Principle, and I had some serious fun watching the levels it came up with. A Challenge Mode is also available, which is 99 challe??nge stages -- ought to keep you busy for a while.

There are times in the game when the monochromatic imagery suffers that same issue as the iPhone version did. You're not always sure what's going to kill you and what's just a part of the constantly moving design, but then again, its hardly a design flaw ??-- it ju?st means you're going to have to play the level through a few times before you get fully acclimated. The levels are very short at first, but you'll see a serious ramp up in difficulty by the time you get further in.

Blasting bosses also seems quick at first, but don't worry ... you're going to really like it once you get to the ones that take you more time. The game evolves from simple, bare bones to a full on shmup with bullets flying every which way, and I think you'll find plenty to both challenge you and keep you coming back. For $9.99, this seems like a pretty good deal to me, and something you'll be able to get a lot of replay ou??t of.

Score: 8.0 - Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound ev??eryone, but is worth your time and? cash.)

The post Review: Space Invaders Infinity Gene (PS3/360) appeared first on Destructoid.

Space Invaders: Infinity Gene, a stylish update to the c??lassic arcade game, will see a PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade release in September. Currently, you can only get this title for iPhone/iPod Touch (or Japanese mobile phones), so this is exciting news, for sure.

More than that, Infinity Gene kind of rocks. And much like Space Invaders Extreme before it, this seems like a natura??l fit for the console digital distribution market. Taito hasn't come out with a price -- or anything more concrete date-wise than "September" -- but we'll keep you posted.

Space Invaders: Infinity Gene Set For September [Siliconera]

The post Space Invaders: Infinity Gene on XBLA/??PS??N in September appeared first on Destructoid.

Above, you see a design conce?pt for a Space Invaders-themed couch. It is a beautiful thing constructed using glass, leather and awesome. Though not in production, this piece? by Igor Chak absolutely should be.

I'm in the p?rocess of moving, so furniture is something that's at the forefront of my mind at the moment. Were my situation different, if every couch, chair and bed weren't tinged with the thought of having to actually pick up and carry it somewhere, I might want this bad boy more. As it stands, I already want it pretty badly.

It also looks startlingly uncomfortable. Chak says on his website that this is not the case, as it's lined with memory foam, but I still have a hard time believing that. It is sleek and sexy, however, and that could make all? the difference.

Space Invader Couch [Igor Chak via Geeky Gadgets]

The post Have a seat on a Space Invader appeared first on Destructoid.

You know, for every amazingly totally superbly fantastically awesome piece of gaming clothing we post about here at Destructoid there are probably about a million crappy gaming t-shirts we don't post about. I'm changing that here and now with this Space Invader t-shirts from artist Jimiyo and Tee Fury.

These are butt ugly. Not only is the "in real life" space invader not that cool or?? original looking, but? the size and placement of everything is far to large. And that neon green. I know it's supposed to be repping the original game, but that is not a color anyone should really be wearing that much of unless they're going to some sort of 80s party. I'm sorry, but shirts like this are why people think that gamers have no fashion sense.

And before you go ahead an call me a douche for simply posting about something so I can tear into it, I will just say that if you like the shirt now you know about it and you can buy it so free advertisement done. And, yes, it was kind of a dick move on my part. I'll bu??y them some White Ca??stle.

The post Ugly gaming clothes: Space Invaders IRL appeared first on Destructoid.

It's officially reached that period in time when the day crew has run out of things to talk about. You know, the point where we find quirky, questionable-to-some stories before Conrad shows up to sav?e the day. Yep, it's also known as Shirt Time. Or so the legends say??.

"Let the Game Continue" by Eduardo San Gil is today's contender. It's currently being offered at Threadless for the usual $18 asking price. I'm pre??tty sure if you buy the shirt, you'll spontaneously become happy whenever you stand next to a crumm??y brick wall.

And for those of you wondering about the irrelevant thumbnail for this post as shown on the summary/mobile version of the site, just know a completely separate article fell through, and this was the backup. I couldn't let the picture go to waste. /Man behind the curtains

The post The truth behind Tetris, as expla??ined on a nifty t-shirt appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm not home at the moment, rather blogging from the?? road. Normally, this would not matter, as a netbook is really all I need to do this job in short spurts. T?hen I see a trailer like the one above and suddenly I feel the immense lack of an Xbox 360 in my immediate vicinity.

As soon as I get back home, I'm firing up the 360 to download this Indie Game. Called Crossfire, it's a sort of Space Invaders clone that adds the ability to hop back a??nd forth between the top and bottom of the screen. And, as you can see, it features co-op gameplay because clearly things weren'??t going to be insane enough with just one person involved.

Looks chaotic and fun to me. Crossfire is avai?lable now ??on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 240 MS points.

The post C?ros??sfire looks like Space Invaders and Geometry Wars appeared first on Destructoid.

After last week's Blosics 2 physics box bonanza I was in the mood for a dark and deep puzzle adventure game this week, but Gateway ended up being way too short, and its sequel is barely more than a buggy remake. So this week I decided to take a stroll down Topher lane and unleash an Ikaruga typ?e of game upon you. Chalk this round up as more of a Monday Mindf+ck than a Mind Teaser.

Lucky for you, and even more so fo??r me, this Web flash space shooter skill game utilizes saved progression after each level is completed. Feel free to quit and take a much needed mental break after a while and come back later right where you left off. It also has the basic mechanic of giving you coin rewards for killing more enemy ships and then using them to buy dozens of upgrades for your ship.

I'm only on level 5 out of? 13 and I'm already starting to say "Oh boy, here we go" so I'm going to take a break before moving on. If you beat the game tonight or later this week, definitely share your high score in the comments below!

You can play Starmageddon here on Newgrounds.

The post Monday Mind Teasers: Starmageddon appeared first on Destructoid.

Space Invaders are mean little bastards, but at least they're predictable. That is until Aliens start popping out of their chest. Then you're screwed.

Today's Shirt.Woot combines one our favorite retro games, Space Invaders, with the classic movie series, Aliens. Aliens are dicks on their own, but Aliens that now have pew pew ??pew lasers abilites? Not even an army of Pre??dators can stand up against that kind of a menace!

As with everything on all of the Woot sites, there's only a limited time to grab this shirt before they run out of stock. And like all Woot shirts, the Alien Invaders shirt is just $10 with free shipping.

The post Today’s Shirt Woot will make your chest explode appeared first on Destructoid.