Controls[edit]
- Joystick: Use the 2-way joystick to direct the cannon along the bottom of the screen; it cannot wrap around from one side of the screen to the other.
- Firing Button: Use this button to make the cannon fire bullets up at the invaders; you can only fire one at a time but you shall never run out of them.
- 1 or 2 Player Buttons: Push these buttons to begin a one or two player game.
Characters[edit]
Cannon[edit]
Because this game is a carbon copy of the original, you shall once again control the original cannon (which will be coloured blue in the "Colorized Cocktail" and "Versus" modes), and must use it to destroy the space invaders' formation; direct the cannon left and right, to choose a position to fire from, then time your shots so that they arrive at the location of an invader that you are trying to hit. Use the shields to protect the cannon from enemy fire - but, be aware that both your (and the invaders') fire may chip away at the shields. Getting hit by any invader's bullets will result in the loss of one life; however, an extra life is once again awarded at 1500 points by default. The yellow cannon in that image to the right is Player 2's in the "Versus Mode" - and both cannons can be killed any number of times in this mode (as you must not let the invaders reach the bottom of the screen).
Invaders[edit]
The three original invaders (which will be coloured as magenta, turquoise and green in the "Colorized Cocktail" mode, and may also be coloured as yellow, red, blue, green and pink in the "Versus Mode") still behave the same; they remain in formation as they advance towards the bottom of the screen. The entire formation will move to the right or left, until the far column reaches the side of the screen - then, the formation moves down one row, and returns to that opposite side of the screen. The lowest invader of every column will fire bullets down to the ground; if any one invader manages to reach the bottom of the screen, the game will immediately be over, regardless of how many lives the player has remaining. But in "Versus Mode", the other player will receive a silver (for Player 1), or gold (for Player 2) coin - and once one player has received between three and five coins, they will win. Killing a yellow, red, blue, green or pink invader in "Versus Mode" also causes the following effects to happen (to the other player, when it's a blue one):
| Colour | Effect |
|---|---|
| Yellow | The entire formation drops down one row (indicated by a downward-pointing arrow appearing on screen and an orchestral hit being heard). |
| Red | The entire formation drops down four rows (again, indicated by the downward-pointing arrow appearing, and an orchestral hit being heard). |
| Blue | Your opponent's entire formation drops down one row (indicated by a downward-pointing arrow appearing on screen and an orchestral hit). |
| Green | Sends the whole row to the top of the screen, while the rest of the formation drops down two rows (indicated by an upward-pointing arrow). |
| Pink | Sends the row to the top of the screen while the rest of the formation drops down four rows (again, indicated by an upward-pointing arrow). |
UFOs[edit]
The original saucers (which have been known as "UFOs" since 1985, and shall be coloured magenta in the "Colorized Cocktail" mode), appear randomly over the formation; they appear on one side of the screen and cross over to the opposite side. During this time you can attempt to shoot them for bonus points - and the point value that is awarded once again appears to be random, but it can be controlled to some extent by counting your shots. In "Versus Mode", if either player shoots one, it shall swap both players' formations over; this can either make your current situation improve or worsen.