The dark side of digital
When WiiWare (and subsequently, portions of DSiWare) were shut down, a good chunk of gaming history was lost.
It was such a shame, losing a ton of greats like Contra ReBirth, in an instant. This is why game preservation is so important. Alas, one such lost game, Space Invaders Get Even, was touched upon in a recent Wccftech interview with Yuichi Toyama, director at Taito.
Not just an obscure release, Space Invaders Get Even came out in 2008 and is one of the aforementioned “lost” WiiWare titles. Taito never actually revived it on any platforms, and although it wasn’t a massive hit, it had a decent-sized audience, and was a fun little take on the Space Invaders formula. In short, you could be the aliens, as you rampaged across cities in a very…well…Rampage or King of Monsters-like fashion.
Speaking to Toyama, the game isn’t currently in any talks to get a re-release, but according to Toyama: “This is another game we’ve considered and if we see enough demand, we’d love to be able to release it. The biggest issue with Get Even is the control method: the game was designed to be played on the Wii Remote, so we need to work out a solution to deliver an enjoyable play experience. What do you think is the best way to go about this? We may be able to replicate the controls by making good use of the Nintendo Switch’s touch screen functionality.”
Ever cheeky, Toyama also low key pitches a battle royale take on the formula, throwing this thought out into the universe: “Or maybe a game in which players become Invaders and invade the earth could be designed differently. For example, how about a game where 55 players come together in formation and invade the earth?” He even immediately notes “there are no plans to release this at the moment!”
Still, I’d love to see this, and all the defunct WiiWare games, return in some form.
Space Invaders Forever Interview With Taito Development Team [Wccftech]