In a week that witnessed the arrival of The Secret of Monkey Island: SE and Resident Evil 4 on the iPhone and iPod touch. Along comes the video game that started it all - for me at least - the Granddaddy of shooters. Space Invaders. Triumphantly returning in a newly-evolved incarnation; Taito splices Space Invader and OS 3.0 DNA to create a species surpassing spellbinder.
At only £2.99 Taito's Space Invaders Infinity Gene is a scrolling shooter that uses Space Invaders characters, but incorporates shooter elements from RayForce, RayStorm, RayCrisis games, and RPG elements.
Space Invaders Infinity Gene embraces a new OS 3.0 feature that allows applications to access your iTunes music library on the iPhone/iPod touch. Doing so, not only lets you listen to the latest Black Eyed Peas' single or relive childhood dreams of being The Last Starfighter. An algorithm creates a unique level design, which provides, potentially, infinite replay value. I played a level listening to "Boom Boom Pow" and the screen was transformed into retro razzle-dazzle with Tron neon as icing on the cake. No hint of slowdown whatsoever.
For all the abundant technological prowess, on display here, there's a fly in the ointment! For some inexplicable reason my iPod touch (2G) prompts me to repeatedly reboot due to lack of memory! Hopefully this memory management issue will be fixed in a future update that also ushers in so-called "augmented reality" with OS 3.1. Just in time for the rumoured iPod touch (3G) this upcoming gift giving season.
Quite possibly one of the best video gaming experiences on any platform: Space Invaders Infinity Gene should be on every video gamers "must-have" list.
***** out of *****
You are a truly evil man, for you mentioned this game on Twitter, and so off I hopped to check it out, and since then I have not stopped playing it! It is a superb evolution of the original, with endless variety, easy controls and the all-too-necessary growth in skill. But the genius of being able to play the game to your own music, AND that the game changes to each track, so you have an infinite number of levels and styles...well, huzzah for the developers. At long last a truly addictive game for the iPhone. I was beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about with games on the sleek touch-screen machine, but this game really does deliver.
ReplyDeleteNow...about giving me back all the time you stole from me...
:-)