TI Invaders

• Release Date: 1981 11
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Fixed Screen Shooter
• Similar Games: Space Invaders (Arcade), Alien Invaders Plus! (Odyssey 2), Space Invaders (PlayStation), Spectron (ColecoVision), Galaga (Game Boy Color)

Game Description

One of the best Space Invaders clones ever produced, TI Invaders is indeed very similar to the 1978 coin-op classic. The rock solid gameplay is supplemented by a number of new features to jazz up the potentially tired formula, including automatic fire and Carnival-like bonus rounds in which players shoot a flying saucer that gets smaller each time it is shot. Also, four-legged aliens, round purple creatures and other colorful enemies begin appearing after the second round of play, helping keep the graphics and the shooting action from growing stale. It's fun to get past as many levels as you can just to see what creatures will attack next. A more subtle difference is the scoring system for the spaceships that fly across the top of the screen. Hitting them on the side will net 25 points while a direct hit to the middle scores 300 points. Since players gain a new ship with every 10,000 points (another difference between the two games), this makes accurate aiming that much more important.

Roots & Influences

As you might suspect from the title, TI Invaders is very similar to Space Invaders (1978), the first videogame to feature invading enemies.

Review: Overall

Why Atari never took Texas Instruments to court over this game is a mystery. After all, it is more similar in name and in gameplay to Space Invaders than K.C. Munchkin is to Pac-Man, and Atari didn't waste any time suing Magnavox to have K.C. removed from store shelves.

Despite its many similarities to Space Invaders, TI Invaders does bring some new elements to the gaming table. When the action begins, the invaders look almost exactly like the aliens from Space Invaders, but with each wave you defeat, a row of worm-like creatures, which are harder to hit than standard enemies, takes their place. Then comes blinking, four-legged aliens with glowing eyes, then round purple creatures, then who knows what. It's fun to get past as many levels as you can in this game just to see what creatures will attack next.

The ship you control is quicker in this game than the one in Space Invaders and it shoots faster. You can even hold in the button for automatic fire. One of the biggest differences between the games is that TI Invaders includes a bonus level between each wave. It is similar to the bonus level in Carnival in which you shoot a bear that runs back and forth across the screen and gets faster and faster each time you hit it. However, the ship in this game gets higher and smaller each time it takes a bullet. This bonus round -- like the game -- is not very original, but it is enjoyable and challenging.

Another challenge is the yellow control ships that fly across the top of the screen. It is not enough to simply destroy them. Hitting them on the side will net you a measly 25 points, but a direct hit to the middle results in 300 points. This could be crucial considering the fact that you get a new ship every 10,000 points. In Space Invaders, one additional ship is all you can earn.

TI Invaders is derivative, but you can find enough positives to make it a worthwhile addition to most any shooter fan's library. The bonus rounds break up the action nicely, the variety of invaders helps keep the game from becoming monotonous or predictable, and the basic nuts 'n' bolts gameplay is solid.

Review: Enjoyment

As soon as new enemies begin replacing the standard invaders, the game heats up. The shooting action will definitely hold your attention.

Review: Graphics

The aliens are varied and colorful. Animation is decent.

Review: Sound

The heartbeat from Space Invaders is ineffectively replicated, but the marching sounds are decent. The effect when you destroy an alien is tepid, but when your own ship gets hit, it is explosive. Fired missiles make an interesting sound.

Review: Replay Value

This is a blatant {*Space Invaders} clone, but it offers enough differences and challenges to make it a good game. In fact, the action can get quite intense.

Review: Documentation

The manual is simple and to the point.

Production Credits