It seems like today was my lucky day. While doing a bit of shopping and wandering around Game Stop I picked up three great Taito packages.

First the old stuff. I grabbed PC version of Taito Legends 1&2 for around $12 total. I know what most people are thinking right now: “but you can get them all in MAME and for FREE!” that’s not the point. See, if I have the option I prefer to own legit copies of games. Sure the interface is a little annoying, but I don’t feel like I’m on the gray side of the law here. So far I’ve spent most of my time playing Elevator Action Returns, Ray Force, and a game I’d never really paid attention to yet turned out to be really excellent: Bonze Advernture.

I also found a typo on the back of the Legends 2 box!

So the other Taito game I purchased blew my mind twice: Space Invaders Extreme. My mind was initially blown when the Square-Enix logo was the first logo to pop up. I mean, I’ve know they bought out Taito, but it was still really strange and a bit heart breaking to see. I was yet again blown … by the gameplay. Now, while the game at it’s heart is still very, very much Space Invaders there’s been so much mixed into the formula that it feels really fresh, replayable, and stylish. I mean, everyone know’s that Space Invaders is now retro-sheik, but this oozes with nostalgic reference and modern aesthetic appeal.

The influence that effected SIE are easily identified: Rez and Ikaruga. I can’t simply say that SIE ripped off either game–they have been molded to fit inside of the vision we’re presented with. Auditorily Rez was about making beats and sounds that flowed with the music through player interaction. While it’s a more prominent feature in Rez than SIE, it’s still an easy connection to make. The other connection is a bit looser, but still just as easily recognized. The key “gimick” of Ikaruga is the way that you chain colored enemies to get a better score. This has been taken in by SIE and been expanded upon to be the catalyst that gives the player other weapon options, and also drives the score. Hell, if I didn’t know better I’d say that Jeff Minter had a hand in the game’s influence too.

Don’t take these comments at face value, honestly if I gave this game to my wife or many gamers who just don’t scratch too far beneath the surface they wouldn’t see these influence. The influences are ubiquitous. SIE has taken them and evolved them to fit what it needed for itself. It’s really a fantastic collaberation of the great things that the medium can do, all the while maintaing a violently faithful connection to it’s own roots. More so even than my (now) second favorite Space Invaders game: SI ‘95: Attack of the Lunar Loonies (aka Akkanvader).

Sorry Akkanvader.