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Oo... it's been a while. Space Invaders arcade machines first started to appear in the chip shops of this fair land way back in 1979 - probably before most of you were even born! This new kind of entertainment swept the nation and, along with the likes of Pac-Man and Pong! started the videogame craze we all enjoy today.

Almost twenty years on, it's time to reminisce with a whole new version of the classic Space Invaders thanks to Crawfish and Activision. They have taken the basic template of the game and given it a good kick up the butt! The graphics are very modern, the sound effects and music are similar to the original, only updated, and they've added all kinds of new power-ups and options.

The first thing that's different when you start a game is the choice of three ships. They have ratings for shield, thrust and weapons so you can choose the one you think best suits your playing style. Then it's straight into the manic action on level one - and when you consider that there are hundreds of levels hidden away in this tiny cartridge, starting out on Level one is quite daunting! Don't worry though - there are passwords every few levels, so you shouldn't have to start from scratch *too* many times!

I found playing Space Invaders again really fun, and although I imagine the game will start to get a bit boring after about level 70-something, it's a great game to keep with you for a quick blast now and then.

Graphics 80%
Souped up from the original.

Sound 60%
A true retro feel.

Playability 80%
Classic gameplay.

Lastability 40%
Good in short bursts.

Overall 69%
A good update to an aging game.