Not satisfied with the broad control options the DS usually affords, Taito has resurrected the classic arcade “paddle” controller. Working with both their upcoming retro styled Arkanoid and Space Invaders Extreme titles, it’s a sizable beast, sticking out of the GBA cart slot. Difficult and unwieldy, one initially wonders why they bothered as it’s a bit difficult to get a good grip of whilst still getting a good view of the screen.

The build of Arkanoid on offer was a disappointingly vanilla affair, offering bland ball rebounding antics with none of the flair of previous DS titles in the genre. Once you get used to it, the paddle is surprisingly fun though, offering precision control and allowing a variation of speed (from super slow to lightning fast) that the DS’s d-pad (or even touch-screen) simply cannot match.

Space Invaders however is where things really take off. Retro remakes have disappointed so many times, but this one is an exception. Moving away from traditional Space Invaders, this new iteration embraces other classic shooter influences from the likes of Galaga and phoenix, mixing these with very modern (and impressively destructive) power-ups. The dial brings a real joy to the game, offering the precision to escape any situation, IF you’re good enough.

Arkanoid should be hitting Japan this December while Space Invaders Extreme is sadly not due until February. A western release is not currently scheduled.