What happened here? Did the creator of the original Space Invaders go into a coma for 10 years without anyone telling him? The improvements Space Invaders ’91 makes over the original – updated graphics, giving the enemies slight variations on the classic “over then down one row” movement pattern, and letting them shoot in different directions – are so minor that you would expect to see them in a sequel that was released no more than two years later. Ever since the original Space Invaders came out back in the late 70s, countless other shooters were created, each making its own little refinements to the formula. Space Invaders ’91 basically ignores the decade’s worth of evolution that took place within the genre it created, and as a result, feels embarrassingly behind the times.
If you want to go for nostalgia, then just re-release the original. But if you’re going to try making a “new and improved” version, you’ve go to do a hell of a lot better than this.
Revoking the Sega Seal of Quality 