[DS]Space Invaders Extreme 2

[The Mole]

WOW!

This game is 100x more crazy and faster than the first title. Techno beats and colourful flashes still aplenty, this game is supurb. It sticks with the formula from the first Extreme game, but adds a few unique twists now that the game is DS only.

The first gameplay change is your bonus rounds happen on the top screen, while you are still playing the normal game. You have to shoot between or past the normal round to attack your bonus round. If you beat it you get some crazy bonuses. Not only do you get the extremely powerful bonus weapon, all the characters turn yellow. One hit and they are gone and they drop yellow boxes that give you bonus score and multipliers. Also while in this state, the top screen is home to UFO patterns for extra bonus points.

As well as this you also have something called bingo, i have not really worked out how it is activated or completed. Most of the time i fail. It is about filling your card on the top screen by shooting certain colour enemies. But each has a main colour and an outer colour. Complete this and you get a normal bonus round with added extra, Pink enemies. These give off huge scores when shot and you pick up the pink box.

The game is even faster than the first and good news it is again 90% English. All menus and voice overs are in English, even the level results at the end.

If you liked the first your going to love this BUY BUY BUY!!!

[Brodie]

Great little write up there mate - I've been umming and aahing over picking this up recently.

It's too expensive to justify at the current exchange rate, but your impressions are twisiting my arm! Must stop reading!

[The Mole]

For me its the best shooter on the DS. All the little things have been sorted that stopped the first one from being amazing. They listened to the fans.

For example if you die and have to continue, on a boss you start at the boss, not having to go through the whole level again.

You can still choose your hard or easy path from level 3.

This is only the score attack mode, i am yet to play time attact or explore online.

[Papercut]

Looking forward to this, come on Mr Postie.

Is there definitely no PSP version this time round? I enjoyed both versions of the first game.

[The Mole]

The way the DS version is setup it would not work on the PSP as it needs 2 screens. I remember hearing the PSP version sold very poorly, while the DS version did resonable. I guess they decided the redesigns that would have to be made to get this playable on the PSP were not worth it.

[Briareos]

Very nice impressions, I have ordered on their strength!

[The Mole]

Another neat little adition i forgot to mention, all your needed information is in the background of the lower ds screen, so its very simple to see what colour combos you have on the go and any mulitplaiers and bonus scores you get.

I also forgot to mention the black power up has changed to a fast shoot gun now which is extremely handy when you have a boos where you ned to his one area quickly.

[kryss]

There's a demo up on the Minna no Nintendo Channel if you have a J-wii.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Great write-up, The Mole.

I too loved the first one and am also of the opinion that it is by far the best shoot-em-up on the DS. Will be looking to order this as soon as I have some funds.

Any word on what the multiplayer mode is like? That was the only weak part of the first game.

[Julio III]

Sound good. I'm glad they've changed the not-redoing the whole level on a boss thing. Does this one support the paddle controller as well?

[The Mole]

Not sure on that score mate.

Multiplayer is something i don't explore much on the DS so can't really say. But it does have online functionality (leaderboards).

If you die on any part of the level apart from the boss you have to redo the whole level.

[kryss]

The main site seems to say that the paddle controller is supported for multiplay but not for online rankings.

[Briareos]

Been playing this quite a bit but not been able to work out the bingo system, anyone had much luck?

[The Mole]

Yeah same here, i never worked the bingo system out.

Warning, the final boss on the hardest difficulty is the hardest gaming task i have ever come across, i have tried 100+ times and just can't beat it on that difficulty

[Silvergun X]

The bingo system is a simple 3 in a line rule.

The outside colour of a square represents the colour of the first 4 enemies you shoot down.

The inside colour of a square represents the colour of the 4 enemies you have to shoot after that.

Pulling it off and completing the subsequent bonus round fills in that square.

Get 3 in a row to trigger off a bingo round with masses of items. Or if you're really cocky you can go for a two lines bingo, which i've not managed to pull off yet.