Titan Attacks!
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3DS
| Titan Attacks!

Titan Attacks! has a bit of a problem in the naming department. While something like Shadow of the Colossus lives up to its name by having you literally overshadowed by colossi, only a small portion of Titan Attacks! is given over to actually, y'know, attacking titans.

You see, Titan Attacks! is essentially a riff on the Space Invaders formula, so hulking bosses - while present - are not the primary order of the day here.

Instead, for the most part you're simply swatting away what are essentially troublesome space-gnats, little and nimble things which move in packs and swarm your tank as it strafes along the bottom of the screen.

Invasion alert

There are a few enemy types to mix things up: you've got your fairly standard, slowly-descending alien drones, extra-small types with skittish movement patterns, as well as more traditional-looking flying saucers which fly briskly above the action and are worth big points.

There are a few others - including asteroids which break apart when shot, paying homage to another space-faring arcade classic - but a personal favourite is the enemy type which hurtles towards you suicidally, before exploiting some sort of infinite-loop glitch exclusive to its species and reappearing at the top.

Also, unlike Space Invaders, the enemies here don't simply explode into nothingness when shot.

Some do, yes, but others do interesting things. Sometimes the wreckage of a downed ship will begin to hurtle towards you, leaving you to either simply dodge or earn a skill bonus by shooting it in mid-air.

Other, sneakier extra-terrestrials will try to parachute to safety. You'll have some money deducted from your kitty if you allow them to escape, but you can earn some extra readies by capturing them alive.

So there are multiple enemy types, but what else does Titan Attacks! have over on the humble Space Invaders? Well, in what's possibly the game's most transformative aspect, the money you earn on the battlefield can be used to buy upgrades for your tank in between enemy waves.

From 'Xtra Bullets' (old-skool spelling and all) to add-ons which give you additional cannons and firepower, you can see your tank progress from lowly weakling with a sluggish rate-of-fire to a spruced-up killing machine as you progress.

Vintage upgrade

This means there is some semblance of tactical play, or at least positive steps in that direction, allowing players to decide which area they wish to deposit their points into.

There's an interesting gambling game you play with yourself, as shields - essentially lives - are also up for sale.

Say you're down to one shield, but you're also saving up for a pricey add-on; should you swallow your pride and ensure safety, or try to survive the next wave without wasting cash?

It can be a big gamble, too. Each planet boasts 20 enemy waves, culminating in boss fights against the titular titans. And it's Game Over when you die, so one slip-up and you'll find yourself retreading your footsteps.

The bosses are no pushover either, at least for my limited ability, so you'll likely find yourself going back and forth fairly often.

That's the point, though. Titan Attacks! won't be the most jam-packed 3DS title this year - in fact, it's a pretty slender package in terms of pure content - but it's geared perfectly towards short play sessions and replayability.

The tank upgrade system exists to be experimented with, and there are leaderboards for you to test your ability against other players.

Overall, Titan Attacks! is a more satisfying experience than I thought possible for a game which follows the Space Invaders model so closely in 2015. But lovely design and some smart tweaks make this an evergreen joy.

Titan Attacks!

The simple pleasure of Space Invaders, with changes fit for modern eyes and thumbs. An utter joy to play
Score
Matt Suckley
Matt Suckley
Achingly contrarian. Proud owner of an N-Gage and a PSP Go. Matt spends most of his time writing about indie games of which you've never heard. Like that one, yes. Matt is an English student, and largely terrible at games. Go figure.