Revivals of classic franchises are a useful means of reading the temperature of the video game industry: Pacman Championship Edition channeled Peggle’s neon, crack-addled aesthetic in 2007 while Elevator Action Returns channeled Contra and Metal Slug’s run ‘n’ gun conventions in 1994. That’s why today’s post is going to probe Space Invaders: Invasion Day (aka Space Raiders in the US) on PS2, which is less interesting for its gameplay than what it reveals about trends in videogame storytelling in 2002.

I have to say, the screenshot of a CG-rendered busty woman on the game’s back cover is what piqued my interest in this game, so to speak. So much that I bought it right then and there on the spot. (Admittedly, at £1 it was hardly a big investment.) “How low would Taito go to try and make Space Invaders hip with the kids?”, I wondered. Very low, it turns out. Let’s get the gameplay out of the way: thoroughly uninspiring all round, a (very) poor man’s Sin and Punishment. The game’s presentation, on the other hand, is fascinating. It’s so telling of its era you really have to laugh. Continue reading →