What if they gave a revolution and nobody came? What if everybody came and Taito didn't give a revolution?

Only your unconditional love for the original Space Invaders can save this game. I feel like I've got to get the word out on Space Invaders Revolution before people go out and waste their money on it. If you already have a version of the original you don't need this one. The very fact that it's on the DS and it includes the word "revolution" is misleading. There's nothing new here at all. It only includes the original game and the 2005 updated version. There are no features that take full advantage of the dual touch screen.

The inclusion of the original classic version of Space Invaders is the only thing that gives this offering any credibility. Apparently the development was overseen by Tomohiro Nishikado, the creator of the original Space Invaders. The port is near perfect, from the low-res graphics to the mind numbing sound effects that burn into your aural memory like a brand. All you have to do is listen to the opening tweedles and you're instantly transported back to 1978.

The old-school formula has been retained but at what price? I wouldn't pay more than a few bucks for a copy of Space Invaders on any system. It's fun for a few minutes but if videogames have taught us anything it's how to exercise our short attention spans. Space Invaders has been relegated to the classification of mini-game in my opinion for years now. It's the same patterns over and over with the difficulty level increased incrementally as the speed also increases.

Including the newest version of Space Invaders is an attempt to apparently lend some credibility to this title but the 2005 upstart doesn't fall far from the tree. It uses the same basic gameplay of the original version albeit with better graphics and some more challenging situations. The walls are closer in some levels, the enemies are smaller, sometimes they disappear and reappear and in some levels they have to be shot at in a specific sequence. These additions are so basic and bland that they feel as though they were made up on the spot; as if Tomohiro Nishikado was visiting the developers during a stopover and had to catch a plane in fifteen minutes. "Yes, make smaller." "That's it, make more faster." "Why not you go and get me American Pepsi? Now!!!"

Using the shoulder buttons to access the controls feels good. The tank moves smoothly and just as slowly as I recall. The only time you use the touch screen is to access the six different power-ups that you accumulate when you reach a certain score. So much more could have been made out of the touch screen. Personally I can't think of what that could be but that's not my #$%&+!# job.

To add insult to injury, there are no multi-player modes. There's nothing here that couldn't have been included on the GBA. Even the old GBC version is comparable if all you want is a pocket version of the old classic. If you're looking for a revolution, you've come to the wrong place - unless you just want to go around in circles.