| Space Invaders Invincible Collection | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Taito Gotch Technology |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Director(s) | Yuichi Toyama |
| Series | Space Invaders |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 |
| Release | Invincible Nintendo Switch
Switch, PS4
|
| Genre(s) | Fixed shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Space Invaders Invincible Collection is a compilation of various Space Invaders titles developed by Taito and Gotch Technology. It was released in Japan for the Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2020. [1]
The game was released in a regular edition and special edition, with the regular edition containing three fewer games than the special edition. The Special Edition, in addition to containing additional games, was initially only sold bundled with various premium physical collectible items. Also available for a limited time was a special Amazon Japan Prime Day exclusive pre-order bonus DLC game, the Sega Mega Drive (JPN) game, Space Invaders 90 [ broken anchor ]. [2] The Special Edition, containing the complete collection of games, was also released as a limited Famitsu DX Pack version, with different physical bundled items being the only difference. [3] A western release of the complete collection for Nintendo Switch, based on the Japanese Special Edition (but without the "Special Edition" subtitle), distributed by Strictly Limited Games, [4] opened pre-orders on June 28, 2020, [5] available with and without physical collectible items. Orders started arriving in June 2021. [6] [7] A Western budget edition of the collection, entitled Space Invaders Forever, was released in December 2020, for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, including only the most recent titles in the compilation. [8] The budget Space Invaders Forever got its first Japanese release (digital only) for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, on June 17, 2021. [9] A worldwide digital release of Invincible Collection (subtitled Special Edition in Japan) for Nintendo Switch was announced in 2021, [10] released in Japan on July 29, 2021 (with that region also finally getting a physical retail release without the physical collectible items on that same date). The western digital release was August 17 of that same year.
There are four editions of this collection. All titled as Space Invaders Invincible Collection, except for the budget release, Space Invaders Forever:
Almost all of the editions feature different games. The only collection on PlayStation 4 is Space Invaders Forever, which is also the only way to play Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders on a TV. All of the Switch collections have Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders appear as a separate icon on the Switch menu, only playable in handheld mode. The initial Japanese collections had this game as a download code only. [11]
| Title | Original Platform | Standard Edition | Special Edition | Forever | Invincible (International) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Invaders (b/w) | Arcade |  | | | |
| Space Invaders (color) | Arcade | | | | |
| Space Invaders Part II | Arcade | | | | |
| Majestic Twelve: The Space Invaders Part IV [ broken anchor ] | Arcade | | | | |
| Super Space Invaders '91 [ broken anchor ] | Arcade | | | | |
| Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders | Mobile game | | | | |
| Space Invaders Extreme | Microsoft Windows | | | | |
| Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE [ broken anchor ] | Arcade Event Game | | | | |
| Lunar Rescue | Arcade | | | ||
| Space Cyclone | Arcade | | | ||
| Space Invaders DX | Arcade | | | ||
| Space Invaders 90 [ broken anchor ] | Sega Mega Drive (JPN) | Switch Amazon Prime Day Bonus DLC | Switch Amazon Prime Day Bonus DLC |
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 77/100 [12] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Electronic Gaming Monthly |   [13] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5 [14] |
| Nintendo Life |   [15] |
Space Invaders Invincible Collection received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.
Mollie L. Patterson of EGM gave the game 4 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Space Invaders Invincible Collection certainly isn’t the collection it could have been, and definitely isn’t a collection for everyone, but it is still a great look back at the Space Invaders franchise for those interested in such a thing." [13] Jeremy Peeples of Hardcore Gamer rated it similarly and called it a "must-buy for anyone who has wanted to play more of the series", while writing, "Space Invaders Invincible Collection plays great, looks fantastic and showcases just how strong the franchise’s sound design has always been." [14] Gonçalo Lopes of Nintendo Life praised the compilation's fresh gameplay, online leaderboards, and customization options, but criticized the highly priced Special Edition, lack of docked mode for Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders, and the minimalist gameplay that would be inaccessible to a younger audience. [15]
Arkanoid is a 1986 block breaker arcade game developed and published by Taito. In North America, it was published by Romstar. Controlling a paddle-like craft known as the Vaus, the player is tasked with clearing a formation of colorful blocks by deflecting a ball towards it without letting the ball leave the bottom edge of the playfield. Some blocks contain power-ups that have various effects, such as increasing the length of the Vaus, creating several additional balls, or equipping the Vaus with cannons. Other blocks may be indestructible or require multiple hits to break.
R-Type II is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed and published by Irem. It was released in arcades in 1989. It is the sequel to R-Type, and the second game in the R-Type series.
Space Invaders Part II is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Taito. In North America, it was distributed by Midway Games as Space Invaders Deluxe. It is the sequel to Space Invaders (1978). The player controls a laser base that must destroy formations of descending aliens, while avoiding their projectiles. New features have been added, such as aliens that split into two when shot, an increased high score limit with the player able to save their name as initials, and short cutscenes in-between stages. It runs on the Taito 8080 arcade system.
Space Invaders Virtual Collection is a 1995 compilation video game developed and published by Taito in Japan for the Virtual Boy. It includes direct ports of the arcade game Space Invaders (1978) and its direct sequel Space Invaders Part II (1979), alongside 3D remakes that take advantage of the Virtual Boy's hardware capabilities. Both games feature a number of alternative gameplay modes, such as score attack and time attack modes.
Space Channel 5: Part 2 is a music video game developed by United Game Artists. A direct sequel to the 1999 game Space Channel 5, the game was published for Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 in Japan in February 2002 by Sega. The PS2 version released worldwide in 2003 by SCEE and Agetec. The game later received a high-definition port to Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2011 from Sega.
Space Invaders Extreme is a re-vamped incarnation of the classic arcade game Space Invaders. The DS and PSP versions were released to mark the 30th anniversary of Space Invaders which saw its original arcade release in 1978. An HD version of the game has been remastered by Backbone Entertainment for Xbox Live Arcade with new four-player multiplayer modes and visualizer backgrounds by Jeff Minter, it was released on 6 May 2009 as a wrap-up to the 30th anniversary. The game is played at a fast pace with an electronic soundtrack and sound effects.
iam8bit, Inc. is a media production and merchandising company, video game publisher and artist collective based in Los Angeles, California. iam8bit hosts an online store that primarily sells collectible vinyl records of video game soundtracks, but also sells t-shirts, artwork, pins and other merchandise. iam8bit also frequently collaborates with Skybound Games to produce physical editions of independent video games. The company also owns an art gallery in Los Angeles that hosts various exhibitions annually.
Space Invaders Get Even is a video game by Taito for the Wii. Originally intended as a retail release, the game was released as a downloadable WiiWare game instead. It was released in Japan on August 26, 2008, in Europe and Australia on November 7, 2008, and in North America on December 1, 2008. Outside Japan the game is published by Square Enix.
Space Invaders DX is a 1993 fixed shooter arcade game developed and published in Japan by Taito. It has been re-released for several consoles since, including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine Super CD, and Sega Saturn — several of these conversions use the name Space Invaders: The Original Game. The player assumes control of a laser base that must fend off waves of incoming enemies, who march down in formation towards the bottom of the screen. It is the fifth entry in the long-running Space Invaders series. DX contains four variations of the original Space Invaders, in addition to a multiplayer mode and a "Parody Mode" that replaces the characters with those from other Taito franchises. Home ports of DX received mixed reviews for their high price point and general lack of content.
Space Bust-A-Move is a puzzle video game developed by Lancarse and published by Taito in Japan, and Square Enix worldwide for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in Japan under the title Space Puzzle Bobble on December 18, 2008. It was later released in North America under the title Space Bust-A-Move on July 28, 2009, and in Europe under the title Puzzle Bobble Galaxy on August 28, 2009. As with Arkanoid DS, Space Invaders Extreme and Space Invaders Extreme 2, the game is compatible with Taito's paddle controller.
Sega Genesis Classics is a series of compilations featuring Sega Genesis video games released for Windows, Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The collections are split into "Volumes", with the first four receiving both physical and digital releases and the fifth volume only being digitally released.
"Invader Invader" is the sixth physical single by Japanese singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It was released on May 15, 2013, in both regular and limited editions. The song "Invader Invader" is used for the G.u. clothing retailer commercials in Japan while the second track, "Point of View", was used for Fuji TV's 2013 afternoon news program "Ageru TV".
Arkanoid vs Space Invaders is a paid mobile game developed by Taito and published by Taito in Japan and Square Enix worldwide. As the name suggests, it is a crossover between Arkanoid and Space Invaders and has gameplay elements adapted from both games. The game was released without any prior announcement by Square Enix internationally on May 17, 2017. It was re-released on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as part of Space Invaders Invincible Collection and Space Invaders Forever.
Darius Cozmic Collection is a compilation of Darius scrolling shooter titles. It was released in Japan for the Nintendo Switch on February 28, 2019, and on PlayStation 4 on March 5, 2020. A worldwide release on both platforms followed on June 16, 2020. The Arcade arc of the collection was released in 2021 on Steam.
Namcot Collection, also known as Namco Museum Archives, is a 2020 video game compilation published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Originally released in Japan for the Nintendo Switch, it was localized for international territories as two separate collections, Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, for the Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows. Namcot Collection includes a wide array of video games published by Namco for the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System, with save states, achievements, and homebrew ports of Pac-Man Championship Edition and Gaplus.
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a 2021 action role-playing video game developed by Team Ladybug and co-published by Playism and Why so serious? for Microsoft Windows. Versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S were also released. It is based on Ryo Mizuno's Record of Lodoss War series, taking place before the events of The Crown of the Covenant. Controlling the high elf Deedlit, who finds herself in a strange interconnected labyrinth filled with her past foes and companions, the game focuses on exploration and searching for items and power-ups in the vein of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, fighting bosses and minibosses. During gameplay, the player also locates two elemental spirits and swaps between each one.
Space Squash is a 1995 sports video game developed by Tomcat System and published by Coconuts Japan Entertainment in Japan for the Virtual Boy. The player assumes the role of a robot called Peatron to defeat a group of space pirates that have taken over the planet Animal Star on a intergalactic squash tournament. Its gameplay involves Peatron ricocheting a ball across a three-dimensional court and defeating the opponent on the other side in order to proceed further in the tournament.
Capcom Fighting Collection is a fighting game compilation by Capcom in celebration of the Street Fighter series' 35th anniversary. The collection includes arcade versions of ten fighting games originally released by Capcom between 1994 and 2003, including all five Darkstalkers games. It was released on June 24, 2022 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. A follow-up focusing on the Marvel vs. Capcom series, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, is set for release in 2024.