Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Encyclopedia
Space Invaders Infinity Gene is a shoot 'em up
game released as part of the Space Invaders
franchise. The game blends the series classic characters and gameplay with the concept of evolution. The game was developed by Taito Corporation
and distributed by Square Enix
. The game was first released for iOS on July 27, 2009, and was later released for Xbox Live Arcade
and PlayStation Network on September 2010, and for Android in September 2011.
. However, this soon gives way to Charles Darwin
's theory of evolution, setting the tone for the remainder of the game. At the start of the game, the ship features the general controls of being able to move left and right and shoot. However, by progressing through the game and earning 'genes', the game goes through evolution, introducing new aspects such as being able to move the ship in all directions. As the game progresses, evolutions unlock various features such as new weapon types, an increased life limit, as well as unlockable music and bonus stages. During the game, players can shoot down UFOs to release DNA which, when collected, increases the effectiveness of their selected weapon. The DNA will scatter if the player loses a life. Players can chain enemy kills to increase their score, and also perform 'Nagoya Attacks', in which the player can pass through certain enemy fire the moment it is launched.
The game has several modes. Normal Mode, which sees the player travelling through the game and evolving; Challenge Mode, which features 99 challenge stages; Bonus Mode, featuring levels that are unlocked by evolving; and Music Mode, in which levels are generated from music tracks found on the hard drive. The game features real-time ranking, showing players their current position on the leaderboards.
The XBLA and PSN versions have several additional features from the iOS version, including HD support and added weapon types.
as a whole and integrated his findings into the game; stage names and terminology reference evolution. Ishida hoped that showcasing the evolution of the series from its original form to a modern one would increase interest in the shoot 'em up genre.
In designing the gameply, Ishida felt that simply combining the classic elements of Space Invaders with newer ones from Trance Pinball would not resonant well with the current generation of games, and decided that updated visuals were necessary to successful mix the elements. As a fan of rhythm games, he wanted to fuse the musical and visual aspects of the game and include direct interaction between the two—a general goal Ishida had since joining Taito around 10 years prior. The development staff drew inspiration for the game's visual from music video
s for techno
songs. Ishida also drew inspiration from Metal Black
, a 1991 Taito shooting game; he commented that the game has an "element of 'evolution' as well". Ishida avoided the style of gameplay because he felt that it would have limited the game's audience. He believed that the intense difficulty of bullet hell games dissuaded beginners and wanted Infinity Gene to serve as an introductory shooting game. Instead, Ishida aimed to capture the "flashiness" of the genre in the game's visuals. To increase the "fun and exhilaration", he wanted the game to only look like it has extremely intense battles. The staff applied this to the different game modes, with an emphasis on the Music mode.
gave the game a score of 8.7, praising its smooth controls and replay value. Eurogamer
gave the game 9/10, calling it 'the crowning achievement' of the series. Destructoid
gave the game a 9.5 score.
The HD version for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network has also received positive reviews. IGN gave this version a score of 8.0, calling it 'a package that's worth purchasing'. Gamespot
also gave it 8.0, praising excellent level design. 1UP.com
gave the game an A- rank.
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
game released as part of the Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
franchise. The game blends the series classic characters and gameplay with the concept of evolution. The game was developed by Taito Corporation
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
and distributed by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
. The game was first released for iOS on July 27, 2009, and was later released for Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and PlayStation Network on September 2010, and for Android in September 2011.
Gameplay
The game begins with the classic appearance of the original Space InvadersSpace Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
. However, this soon gives way to Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
's theory of evolution, setting the tone for the remainder of the game. At the start of the game, the ship features the general controls of being able to move left and right and shoot. However, by progressing through the game and earning 'genes', the game goes through evolution, introducing new aspects such as being able to move the ship in all directions. As the game progresses, evolutions unlock various features such as new weapon types, an increased life limit, as well as unlockable music and bonus stages. During the game, players can shoot down UFOs to release DNA which, when collected, increases the effectiveness of their selected weapon. The DNA will scatter if the player loses a life. Players can chain enemy kills to increase their score, and also perform 'Nagoya Attacks', in which the player can pass through certain enemy fire the moment it is launched.
The game has several modes. Normal Mode, which sees the player travelling through the game and evolving; Challenge Mode, which features 99 challenge stages; Bonus Mode, featuring levels that are unlocked by evolving; and Music Mode, in which levels are generated from music tracks found on the hard drive. The game features real-time ranking, showing players their current position on the leaderboards.
The XBLA and PSN versions have several additional features from the iOS version, including HD support and added weapon types.
Development
Space Invaders Infinity Gene was developed by Taito, with Reisuke Ishida as the director. Following the 30th anniversary of the original game, Taito challenged its employees to reinvent Space Invaders. Ishida—a fan of the Space Invaders series and shooting games—had primarily worked on Taito mobile phone games, such as Trance Pinball, a pinball game with musical elements. He handled Infinity Genes graphical design and applied an atmosphere similar to Trance Pinball. Realizing that younger generations may be familiar with the characters but not the gameplay, Ishida wanted to convey the evolution of Space Invaders and made that the game's theme. After deciding on the evolution theme, he researched evolutionEvolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
as a whole and integrated his findings into the game; stage names and terminology reference evolution. Ishida hoped that showcasing the evolution of the series from its original form to a modern one would increase interest in the shoot 'em up genre.
In designing the gameply, Ishida felt that simply combining the classic elements of Space Invaders with newer ones from Trance Pinball would not resonant well with the current generation of games, and decided that updated visuals were necessary to successful mix the elements. As a fan of rhythm games, he wanted to fuse the musical and visual aspects of the game and include direct interaction between the two—a general goal Ishida had since joining Taito around 10 years prior. The development staff drew inspiration for the game's visual from music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
songs. Ishida also drew inspiration from Metal Black
Metal Black (video game)
Metal Black is an arcade shoot 'em up released by Taito. It is the end result of "Project Gun Frontier 2," being made by the same development staff, though it bears little resemblance to the original Gun Frontier. It is more similar to another Taito shooter, Darius.Players control the Black Fly on...
, a 1991 Taito shooting game; he commented that the game has an "element of 'evolution' as well". Ishida avoided the style of gameplay because he felt that it would have limited the game's audience. He believed that the intense difficulty of bullet hell games dissuaded beginners and wanted Infinity Gene to serve as an introductory shooting game. Instead, Ishida aimed to capture the "flashiness" of the genre in the game's visuals. To increase the "fun and exhilaration", he wanted the game to only look like it has extremely intense battles. The staff applied this to the different game modes, with an emphasis on the Music mode.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Hirokazu Koshio, with extra tracks by Soundwave. The tracks are separated between Genetic, Adaptive, and Evolution. Genetic tracks are reminiscent of the older 8-bit arcade game, while Adaptive and Evolution tracks have a faster, fuller, more modern style.Reception
The iOS iteration of the game has received critical acclaim. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game a score of 8.7, praising its smooth controls and replay value. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
gave the game 9/10, calling it 'the crowning achievement' of the series. Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
gave the game a 9.5 score.
The HD version for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network has also received positive reviews. IGN gave this version a score of 8.0, calling it 'a package that's worth purchasing'. Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
also gave it 8.0, praising excellent level design. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
gave the game an A- rank.