When you think of the word "extreme," what's the first thing that comes to mind?  For most people, it's probably skateboarders, snowboarders, or Mt. Dew drinkin' rednecks driving lifted trucks.  It's unlikely that you'd ever lump Space Invaders in this category.  The original Space Invaders was black and white, and slow-paced in comparison to the Shmups (Shoot-'em ups) of today.  Thankfully, instead of re-releasing a classic that your father probably enjoyed, Taito went the extra mile and converted Space Invaders into an exciting new experience, much like Namco Bandai did with Pac-man in Pac-man Championship Edition. 

The new Space Invaders, Space Invaders Extreme was first released on the PSP and DS where it became an instant classic.  Its bright colors, plethora of power-ups, and funky beats combined to make Space Invaders Extreme an invigorating experience.  Thankfully, Taito didn't want console gamers going home empty-handed, so they ported this wonderful experience to XBLA.

I missed out on the portable versions of Space Invaders Extreme, so I can't really say how it compares to the handheld editions, but I can tell you that Xbox360 owners are in for a treat.  When you first fire-up Extreme, the first thing you'll probably notice is its pulsating soundtrack.  The game's funky beats will probably drive old-timers nuts, but for the rest of us, it creates a psychedelic effect that will enhance your gameplay experience.  The techno music is exciting fare, but even better are the graphical effects and numerous gameplay enhancements made over the original. 

Extreme's visuals may not compete with multi-billion polygon pushing blockbusters, but they're colorful and have a futuristic vibe.   When compared to the original Space Invaders, there is a stark contrast.  The neon lights provide for a neat aesthetic along with the music, but colorful visuals are just the beginning of what you'll find when you take the blue pill (or press the start button).

The enhanced gameplay of Extreme is the real crowd-stealer.  Instead of featuring fairly standard looking aliens that are plastered all over the pages of certain now-defunct gaming magazines, Extreme includes colorful species that come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  You'll battle giant aliens who can shoot huge beams, fast moving invaders, aliens that can become as thin as paper, and self-detonating enemies.  Some invaders are quite brutal (not to mention quick), so you'll have to employ a variety of tactics to take down your foes.  It's necessary to calculate who you'll attack ahead of time, in order to take the optimal course of action, but of course that window of opportunity is limited. 

Besides combating numerous enemies, there are many other additions that greatly alter the gameplay of Space Invaders.  New to Extreme are a plethora of power-ups.  These are obtained from defeating enemies, and each lasts for a limited duration.  You have to make good use of your power-ups, before your time meter on the right side of the screen expires.  Extreme's power-ups allow you to shoot long laser beams, spread shots, and explosive blasts.  These complement your pathetic pea-shooter rather nicely.  Unlike many modern shooters, you actually have to continually tap the a-button to fire, so gamers who care about their thumbs are out of luck.

Extreme's power-ups are welcome additions to Space Invaders, but how are the other gameplay modifications?  Numerous mini-games have been added to the core experience that greatly enhance the gameplay.  One mini-game is accessed by shooting down a yellow UFO.  This will take you to a separate screen where you play roulette.  Depending on what color invader you hit, you'll get a different power-up or penalty.  For example, if you hit a blue invader, all enemies that were previously on-screen will freeze for a brief period of time.

Besides roulette, there are several other mini-games that involve hitting certain types of enemies, dodging dozens of invaders shots before the time expires, and avoiding reflective projectiles that bounce off shielded enemies.  These mini-games are quite intense, and can give you valuable point bonuses.  Immediately after clearing one of these mini-games or "Round Starts," it's important to hit UFOs called "jackpots" to get enormous point bonuses. 

Points are important in Space Invaders not only for competing with your friends, but they're also necessary to gain access to the game's branching stages.  During each play through, you'll clear five stages, but depending on how many points you're awarded in the earlier stages, you may be able to access other levels.  At the time this review was written, my skills didn't allow me to test these other paths, but I've read that they have additional bosses.

Did I say bosses?  Yes.  Space Invaders Extreme includes massive bosses that would even make the Governator cower in fear.  Like in Gradius, each boss has a weak point that is often a jewel of some sort, and you'll have to take the boss apart pixel by pixel until you're able to access its core.  Some of these boss fights involve standard shooting, while others require you to reflect lasers off the boss' minions.  These fights are fairly strategic, and provide for a climactic end to each stage.  Unfortunately, you only get three to five lives per level (depending on how you've configured the game's options), so you have to be careful to make it all the way through a stage.  Losing all your lives will force you to start at the beginning of a stage.  This may seem overly harsh, but thankfully, Taito was kind enough to include a save feature at the end of each level, so you can resume where you left off.

Space Invaders Extreme is fairly short, unless you're the kind of gamer who loves to rack up a high score, so don't go into the game expecting a lengthy experience.  Luckily, some replay value is found in the game's branching stages and multiplayer.  The online community is now non-existent (at least when I checked), so you'll have to play with other players locally if you want some competition.  You can play with up to four players on one system, co-op and versus, so there are plenty of options for nice gamers, and those with a mean streak.  Since Space Invaders Extreme is fairly short, ten dollars might seem a bit pricey, but with the numerous gameplay enhancements that have been made over the original, I'd say that it's a steal.  So really, the only choice you need to make is whether you should get Extreme on a handheld system, or a home console.

Score: 8.0

Pros:

• Gotta love those pulsating beats
• Plenty of useful power-ups
• Mini-games add variety to the gameplay
• Branching stages
• Memorable boss fights
• Flashy visuals give a futuristic vibe
• Plenty of enemy types

Cons:

• More stages would be nice
• The online community is non-existent
• It's a shame that you can't hold down the button to fire
• The music gets repetitive after awhile
• The game doesn't tell you how to access other stages