Space Invaders
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😊 7.6/10
(GameBoy Color - US, Arcade)
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Developed_By:
Crawfish Interactive
Published_By:
Activision
Released On:
01 Jan 1999
Also available on:
Space Invaders is a classic arcade game remake by Activision, based on the popular Taito title. The game takes place after the Earth successfully repulsed an invasion from outer space in 1978. A new Tank has been created using the alien technology recovered during that event, and it's just in time to face another threat: the Invaders are back.
You can play either one or two players against the Invaders, who march down the screen in orderly rows and columns, at one of three skill levels. The game takes you on a journey through the Solar System, starting from Pluto and moving on to Mars, Venus, and finally Earth. Along the way, you'll encounter four common aliens (red, green, blue, and yellow), as well as seven less common ones. To gain special power-ups, shoot four of the same type of Invaders in a row.
The gameplay features additional power-ups, such as shields or double shots, which can be obtained by hitting Mother Ships that fly above the action. After fighting off several waves on each planet, you'll face a unique boss. If you manage to finish the game, you'll be able to play a reproduction of the original coin-op on the Game Boy Color.
UPC-A:
047875109209 (United States)
eBay Product ID:
1432 (United States)
ISBN-10:
1584160489 (United States)
Nintendo Media PN:
DMG-AIVE-USA (United States)
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Save Game Methods:
Password
Number of Players Supported:
1-2 Players
Miscellaneous Attributes:
Multi-Link Cable, Game Boy Compatible
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Typical $37.51–$42.70 (last 90 days)
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
This is a sci-fi action game where players pilot advanced "Tank" vehicles, originally designed to defend Earth from an alien invasion. The game likely involves futuristic combat and strategic maneuvering of these powerful hovercrafts.
Story
What Has Come Before
It was 1965 when humanity made its first attempts into space. The goal was both grand and simple: to go beyond the known world into the unknown.
In 1978, the unknown came to us. First Contact occurred November 22nd, 1978.
There were no little green men armed with cute, bug-eyed faces and funny walks. Instead there were attack ships, hordes of them. The fighting was fierce. They exhibited unnerving discipline. Wave after wave of tight-knit squads dropped on us with steady, malevolent intentions.
Initially, it seemed more than likely we would be overrun by the alien arsenal of powerful technology. If it were not for the capabilities of a then secret, experimental Tank, Earth would have surely fallen.
Our victory was hard won. Countless scores of courageous Tank pilots sacrificed their lives to the cause. Once the celebration quieted down, life, for the most part, returned to normal.
Origin of the Tank
Before the Invasion of 1978, there were those who believed there was a government conspiracy to cover up knowledge of an alien race. They were entirely correct. An alien scout ship had crashed in the desert, one of many scout ships that had been sent to monitor the Earth.
Even though there were many who had seen these ships for themselves, the governments of the world decided it was necessary to keep the reality hidden behind elaborate propaganda schemes designed to confuse the issues. They did so for the public's well-being and, in light of history, they did so successfully.
A very small, ultra-secret project was begun to design some kind of defense system. There was much debate over the design of this system. Thanks to Cold War military spending, the Pentagon already had plans for an advanced tank originally intended for conventional warfare here on earth.
In the interest of time, it was decided to adapt these blueprints. A select few of the best minds from the aerospace industry were brought in to convert the Tank's design to be able to fire rockets into the upper atmosphere.
Referred to only as the "Tank" due to the air of secrecy surrounding the project, it was quickly designed and rushed into production. Frankly, it was little more than a mobile box with a very large cannon sticking out of it.
The incredible firepower needed to successfully target the fringe of space greatly limited the maneuverability of the Tank. They were difficult to pilot and even more difficult to target with. When the aliens did arrive, we had little better than a small army of partially tested prototypes with which to defend ourselves.
Present Day
Based on wreckage recovered from the destroyed invaders, designs were begun on a new defensive unit. It took billions of dollars and decades to learn to use this new technology.
A new Tank was born complete with hover capability, multi-adaptive hard-points, and an electromagnetic shielding system powered by a nuclear core. For sentimental reasons it is still called the Tank, however, this vehicle is as far from a conventional tank as a complex organism is from a single-celled being.
More than twenty years later, the aliens have yet to return. Most people hope and pray they never will. If they do, we should be ready.
The bravery and persistence of the Tank pilots as much as, if not more than, the Tank itself which saved us back in '78.
How to Play
Starting Up
Turn off the POWER switch on your Nintendo Game Boy® System. Never insert or remove a Game Pak when the power is on.
Insert the Space Invaders Game Pak into the slot on the back of the Game Boy, label facing out. Press the Game Pak firmly to lock it in place.
Turn the Game Boy POWER switch on.
•
Note: Super Game Boy is not supported.
Controls
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Moves the Ship Left & Right across the playing field
•
Fire Primary Weapon
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Fire Secondary Weapon
Title Screen
The Title Screen will have three options: Play, Code and Options.
Up and Down on the Control Pad will select each option and START will confirm the selection.
Options Screen
The Option Screen will have four options: Credits, Skill, Sound and Done. Up and Down on the Control Pad will select each option.
Credits
When Credits is selected, Left and Right on the Control Pad will toggle between the number of continues the player can have during a game: 1-9.
Three is the default setting for the number of Credits and the player will have three lives per Credit.
Skill
When Skill is selected, Left and Right will toggle between the difficulties: EASY, NORMAL and HARD.
Skill affects the speed of the enemy fire. In Easy mode the enemy fire will be relatively slower than Normal mode and in Hard mode the enemy fire will be faster than Normal mode.
Normal mode is the default Skill setting.
Sound
When Sound is selected, Left and Right on the Control Pad will toggle between ON and OFF.
The default volume setting for Sound will be ON.
Code Screen
The Code Screen allows the player to begin the game after the last completed episode. When a new episode begins, a code reflecting the status of the game (lives, ship type, episode number, etc...) is displayed on screen.
This code can be entered in the code screen by using the Left/Right/Up/Down Buttons on the Control Pad. When the entire code is entered, press START to begin the game.
Select Ship Screen
The Select Ship Screen will consist of a header: "Select Your ship." Each ship will be displayed on screen one at a time along with the ship's name and statistics.
Left and Right on the Control Pad will scroll through the three available ships and the START or A Button will select the ship. When a ship is selected the game will start.
Defender
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Benefits from a blend of average speed and armor.
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Can maintain Weapon upgrades for six seconds.
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Moves at normal speed.
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Shots move at a normal speed.
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Needs to collect one Armor pickup to fill all of the Armor Upgrade slots.
Stinger
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Benefits from exceptional speed
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Can maintain Weapon Upgrades for nine seconds.
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Moves slightly faster than the Defender.
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Shots move faster than the Defender's.
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Needs to collect two Armor pickups to fill all of the Armor Upgrade slots.
Juggernaut
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Benefits from exceptional armor.
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Can maintain Weapon Upgrades for three seconds.
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Moves slightly slower than the Defender.
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Shots move slower than the Defender's.
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Juggernaut begins the game with full armor slots.
Ship Upgrades
Armor Upgrades
If the player collects a shield pickup they can fill an armor slot and upgrade their armor.
When a ship's armor slots are full and the player collects an additional shield pickup, they will become invulnerable for a limited period of time.
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon upgrades are achieved when the player collects a weapon pick up. The duration of the upgrade will vary from three seconds to nine seconds depending on the Weapon handling of the ship.
Secondary Weapon
In addition to the upgrades there will also be a Secondary Weapon. The secondary weapon is a shield boost that, when activated, radiates a local shockwave on either side of the ship, to defend laterally.
This weapon is linked to the shield slots and can only be activated when the user has a full shield slot. The main function of the Secondary Weapon is to tackle lateral attacks from enemies. It will be activated by pressing the B Button.
Points System
Points are awarded for every alien that is destroyed and are listed for each enemy in the Enemy section of this document. For every 5000 points that the player achieves they will be rewarded with an extra life.
Controls
Control Pad Up/Down
navigate through menu options
Start
accept menu selection
Start, Select, A and B Buttons simultaneously
reset to the Space Invaders title screen
A Button
Fire Primary Weapon
B Button
Fire Secondary Weapon
D Pad
Moves the players ship left and right across the playing field
double tapping in either direction
perform The Dash (evasive maneuver)
Enemies & Characters
Class I Invader
A basic invader worth 5 points.
Class 4 Invader
A basic invader worth 5 points.
Class 3 Invader
A basic invader worth 5 points.
Class 5 Invader
A basic invader worth 5 points.
Class 6 Invader
A basic invader worth 5 points.
Bomber Class Invader
The shots create a small explosion on impact with the ground that can kill the player.
Seeders Class Invader
Drops bombs that transform to small worm-type creatures on impact with the ground.
Cloaker Class Invader
Standard attacks. At random intervals it will cloak itself and will no longer be visible, though it can still attack and be destroyed.
X Class Invader
Is only vulnerable in the center where a core joins four bodies together.
Berserker Class Invader
Requires two shots to destroy: one to make it berserk and the next to destroy it while berserk. When berserk it will turn red and start shooting rapidly.
Kamikaze Class Invader
When attacked will fly down directly in a final attempt to kill player.
Dodger Class Invader
Will dodge player shots if there is room on either side of it.
Ice Class Invader
Shoots ice shots that do not destroy or damage the player but will freeze the player on the spot.
No Intelligence On This Particular Alien Class
Not much is known about this hidden alien class; it is up to the player to discover this hideous creature.
Mother Ships
The purpose of this enemy is to provide pickups and a high score bonus if destroyed, and it does not attack.
Items & Weapons
Laser Boost
Gives the default shot a boost allowing two shots on screen at a time.
Trident
Releases a shot that splits into two on impact.
Bolt
Releases a bolt of electricity that jumps from one enemy to another. Will take out a total of eight enemies.
Solar Flare
A flash of energy that paralyses all on screen enemies for 10 seconds.
Hammerhead
This powerful shot passes through all aliens.
H Blast
Releases a shot that creates a horizontal blast on contact with one of the aliens. Destroys all the aliens in the row.
Shuriken
Fires a shuriken that slices the alien in half. The two separated halves fly apart and kill anything they hit.
Bubble Up
Shoots bubbles that trap enemies and takes them to the top of the screen. When they reach the top of the screen, the bubble bursts and the enemy falls helplessly into the alien formation, killing whatever it hits.
Shuttle Raid
Collecting this pickup calls on your fleet for aid. A shuttle flies across the top of the screen and disposes of as many aliens as it can.
Maximum Shot
A single shot will destroy all onscreen enemies.
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