After some extended consideration, I’m forced to conclude that there is either something wrong with Space Invaders Extreme 2, or something very wrong with me. And while I’ll admit that the latter option is a given for anyone even slightly familiar with me, that shouldn’t distract us entirely from the first possibility. It’s a conclusion I reached after several hours of forced gameplay, during which I came to realize very quickly that I simply wasn’t having any fun.

It’s an odd situation, because at this same time last year I was playing the first SIE so often, that you’d have been safe to assume I feared it might be taken away from me. I played it in a box, I played it with a fox. I played it with a mouse, I played it in the house. I didn’t just play it here or there, I played it pretty well everywhere. And, well, you get the idea.

So, it should be the easiest thing in the word to rubber stamp a passing grade on a sequel doing more of the same, possibly lighting up a cigar afterward while kicking back at the game journo clubhouse and moving on to something people actually care about, because, this has absolutely nothing to do with more expensive titles desperately in need of my two cents. And really, who cares if SIE2 is good or not? It’s just a cash in sequel.

But I kind of care.

Keep that in mind by the way. I kind of care, insomuch as this gut feeling is difficult to explain without putting the game directly in your hands. That’s a big problem here, because this is entirely a feeling or knee-jerk reaction, a sense from deep in my bones that this followup loses the point of the original. And how can I ask you to trust my instincts, given the many things I’m on record for having loved already.

Here’s one thought - Space Invaders Extreme 2 amplifies noise for the sake of doing so. The pulsing dance club patterns constitute a complete distraction rather than an accentuation. Even the voice has been changed for some reason, and not for the better. I realize that’s an odd complaint, but here we are.

Better still, here’s an actual tangible problem. The game itself seems possessed of a thesis based around the idea that the original game wasn’t as good as I believe it to be. This idea becomes apparent when you realize that there’s a bingo feature occurring. And my immediate thought is that if you find yourself playing Space Invaders Extreme and suddenly feel so bored that bingo becomes a viable alternative, turn off your DS and go play bingo!

I want to emphasize that the charms of extreme haven’t lost themselves. This is not a case of being a malcontent over receiving more of the same. There’s something entirely detached about this sequel instead. But there’s also no smoking gun that I can point an accusing finger at directly.

This is entirely a case of tinkering around with elements that worked incredibly well, for no other reason than to justify the creation of a sequel.

Remember the bonus stage that would be triggered in the original, bringing the player to an entirely new screen? That’s gone now, in favor of a system that places the bonus targets on the top screen of the DS while waves of Invaders still attack from the bottom screen. Was this the change that screamed out for a sequel?

So, in conclusion, there is indeed a problem with Space Invaders Extreme 2. Enough of one that I felt this writeup deserved a customized title to illustrate the point.

Given the nature of the experience, this will probably come across as an entirely glib take on the game - and that’s fine, go get your hands on a copy and tell me why I’m wrong.

There’s nothing for me to get overly existential about here. The devil isn’t in the little details, but in the fact that they’ve been changed without any real additions to enhance the experience, making the only thing extreme about this release my reaction to the choices regarding those changes.