Why must our memories be defiled so? Why can't the past remind the past? Why... Hang on, that CG intro is actually rather good. And the game's not a dismal third-person effort as we suspected, but rather a surprisingly faithful recreation of the original. Intriguing.

Rarely has a pained scowl transformed into a fascinated pout as quickly as our first moments with Invasion Day. Sammy seems to have taken the high road, and rather than sullying the 25-year-old arcade inspiration, the developer has just had some fun with it. Now you can choose one of three characters with whom you must battle through fifty stages in sets of ten, each ending with an impressively large and fearsome boss.

There's actually a story, of sorts, worked through in cut-scenes, and an astonishing loyalty to the feel of classic Space Invaders, considering the innovations - which include power-ups, a healthy rogue's gallery of otherworldly oddballs and, of course, those bosses.

The whole thing could have gone horribly wrong but since it's underpinned by the timeless, frantic side-to-side-while-hammering-fire gameplay, it works - on its own necessarily limited terms. It would be naïve to ignore the fact that its appeal is partly in exceeding inevitably low expectations, but when you consider that the original game is an unlockable bonus, and, of course, the cheap price, it's kinda hard to knock.

Graphics 60%
Detailed, if static, post-apocalypic fare.

Sound 40%
Little more than gunfire and alien squeaks.

Gameplay 70%
Unbelievably, a respectful update of a classic.

Lifespan 50%
Pretty limited action, but still addictive as hell.

Overall 60%
We didn't expect to like it. We were prepared for a rant. We were wrong. It's a good, gun, cheap, little game.