The extreme parts kick in when you start encountering all of the juicy little upgrades Taito has thrown into the game. Defeating four of a certain color of enemy will drop a temporary weapon upgrade of the same color, an addition which introduces even a little strategy into the mix. A red drop gives you access to a bomb attack, which is perfect for enemies with shields, while a green drop's extra-wide shot is better suited for speedier enemies, for example. You'll find yourself aiming for certain colors in order to snatch a favorite weapon, though you'll have to be quick with the firing and precise with your aiming if you want to nab it before the enemies come crashing down on you.
The enemies themselves come in a variety of flavors. Some are fast. Some are extremely fast. Others have shields, while others will burst into three or four new enemies when destroyed. Some even act as bombs, taking out whatever is around them, making it possible to clear a wave with one well-placed shot. And let's not forget the bosses, of course, which take the basic concepts of the gameplay and often force you to do some creative shooting in order to defeat them.
The enemy you'll probably be most keen to defeat, however, is the flashing space ship that often slides across the top of the screen. Shooting it will activate a small bonus round where you'll be challenged to complete a variety of tasks, all of which involve destroying a certain number of enemy ships before the timer runs out. You won't be penalized for failing, but emerging victorious is definitely recommended, as you'll teleport back to the level in the delightfully destructive frenzy mode.
Frenzying will give you some extra-powerful weapon to blast through the waves with, one that lasts longer than normal for some intensely satisfying killing sprees. It's also in this frenzy mode that Space Invad
ers Extreme's unique (extreme?) aesthetics are most evident. Vibrant colors will warp in and out, pulsing with your shots, and every weapon that fires from your cannon will add on a powerful new sound to the thumping techno track in the background. Keep up the constant shots and you'll be rewarded with a hard-hitting beat that really helps draw you into the action. There's a certain power in knowing your every move is providing the orchestration for your rampant destruction.You'll have five levels to blast through, though every one of them after the first comes in separate parts, which you'll have to unlock by racking up a certain number of points as you go. This is where Space Invaders Extreme's already excellent portability comes into play. Completing a level once will allow you to choose it later for a quick burst of play, inviting the gaming on the go the DS excels at. Alternatively, you can go back through the original Arcade mode to work on your high score and try to unlock any level sections you have remaining. Honestly, the Arcade mode is just a delight itself to blast through whenever you're on the go, as dying is merely a temporary roadblock. You can jump into the game again from the last level you completed, meaning you have as many tries as you like to blast your way to the end.
Starting over from the beginning is also viable, given that earlier levels don't last more than five minutes. Later levels can be brutally challenging, though developing your skills over hours of play will help mitigate that. No matter what level you pick, though, Space Invaders Extreme is a delightful thing to play whenever you're out and about, as even if you can't hear the soundtrack or don't care much for the visuals the title that lays beneath is an absolute blast to experience.
