Space Invaders Invincible Collection (Switch)

Space Invaders Invincible Collectable is the latest compilation title by InIn Games focusing on funnily enough Space Invaders, does this offer enough value to purchase over the previous title? Read on to find out. 

So I’ll just open this review with a direct bit of honesty and say that if you own the previous title released on Switch, you should stick with that as you have the best this title has to offer already. 

If you missed out on Space Invaders Forever but have a hankering for some Invaders action then this title has you covered! It contains 10 titles including the 3 that were previously released on the Forever collection. 

Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – b/w

Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – color

Space Invaders Part II (1979, Arcade)

Lunar Rescue (1979, Arcade)

Space Cyclone (1980, Arcade)

Majestic Twelve: The Space Invaders Part IV (1990, Arcade)

Super Space Invaders ’91 (1990, Arcade)

Space Invaders DX (1994, Arcade)

Space Invaders Extreme (2008)

Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE (2018)

Arkanoid vs Space Invaders (2017)

Obviously you have to be a pretty hardcore fan of Space Invaders to need all these different versions of the games and while the latter versions such as Majestic Twelve and DX add stuff such as the amusing parody mode, power ups and enhanced visuals, they are all by large the same game as the original.

The emulation for the titles is spot on and features several extras such as Save States, Challenge modes, display options and the ability to play the games in Tate mode. 

Lunar Chase and Space Cyclone are here as well to help break up the gameplay loop but neither of them are really stand out titles I went wild over, in fact the only titles I really spent any considerable time in this around were Majestic Twelve and DX as I really enjoyed the Taito legacy being shown off in the Parody mode. 

It’s a great title for fans of Space Invaders but ideally should have come out like this the first time round and not in the smaller Forever release, Extreme is still the brightest gem on display but Majestic Twelve is very close behind it, while I wouldn’t say this has converted me fully to the church of the Space Invaders I did have a good bit of fun here and it’s a nice way to represent an iconic franchise. 

Below is content from my Space Invaders Forever Review 

Space Invaders Extreme is aptly named as it is what is says on the tin, Space Invaders turned up to MAX!. 

The visuals are almost epilepsy inducing, the audio is loud, fast and upbeat. The gameplay has also seen a most righteous upgrade with special upgrades changing your shots, various mid game bonus stages, new Invaders and even boss aliens to take down.

The game puts you on a standard arcade tower/path and allows you to choose how difficult you want to go and also diverts you in regards to what rank you pull at the end of a stage. On the gameplay front it really is Space Invaders with a few tweaks to make it more “relevant”, the power ups add a bit of strategy to the mix as does the colour chaining system.

It is a good bit of old school addictive fun let down by the fact it is a single player only experience, easily the title I spent the most time with on this package and the one that keeps bringing me back when I’ve put my Switch down.

Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE is your multiplayer Space Invaders allowing up to 4 players to take on a gigantic wave of Invaders and tackle boss fights. While not as flashy as Extreme it is still a touch different than your standard game of Space Invaders.

The main issue with this title is that if you are playing it solo, it’s a drag, the screen is far too big and there are far too many Invaders to take down meaning it gets insanely boring really quick when playing on your own, bring a friend or two and it does capture that magic from the originals other than that it isn’t really all that impressive. 

Arkanoid vs Space Invaders closes out our collection of games and is a port of the mobile title of the same name. Fusing the gameplay of Arkanoid (breakout as i know it) with the enemies of Space Invaders it’s an interesting title with quite a bit of celebratory umph to it.

Instead of bouncing a ball to destroy blocks and the Invaders, you bounce back their attacks which have different properties. You build a metre and are given a special arrow attack which also acts as a ball to dispatch foes and walls alike. 

There are many iconic Taito characters you can pick from the annals of history such as Bub and Bob which gives you an incentive to try and 3 Star each stage. 

The game is by nature a mobile title and this means stages are over very quickly and the title while fun feels slightly shallow. The game is single player only and requires touch controls and the switch to be held in Tate mode, quite a hand cramper in prolonged gaming sessions!.