Space Impact
Space Impact | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Nokia |
Publisher(s) | Nokia |
Platform(s) | Mobile phone, J2ME, Symbian S60, N-Gage Classic/QD, N-Gage 2.0 |
Release date(s) |
‹See Tfd› |
Genre(s) | Shoot 'em up |
Space Impact is a video game series found on several Nokia Mobile phones, with the first game making its debut as part of the built-in games on the Nokia 3310, after which it was carried on to numerous future Nokia phones, including Nokia 3320, Nokia 3330, Nokia 3350, Nokia 3360, Nokia 3390, Nokia 3410, Nokia 3610, Nokia 5210, Nokia 5510, Nokia 6310, Nokia 6310i, Nokia 6510, Nokia 8855 and Nokia 2100. The Nokia 3310 WAP enhanced versions (3330 and 3350) and the Nokia 3410 versions gave the possibility to download extra Space Impact chapters via the phone's WAP connection.
Sequels for the original game, such as 'Space Impact 2' and 'Space Impact Plus' appeared on later phones, including Nokia 3510, Nokia 3530, Nokia 3510i and Nokia 1100, Nokia 1101, Nokia 2300 respectively.
Starting with Nokia 7210, the sequel 'Space Impact 303' came available not pre-installed on the phone but available as an J2ME applet via download from the Nokia website. Phones with dedicated pages for this game were Nokia 3220, Nokia 3100, Nokia 6100 Nokia 6610, Nokia 6610i and many other phones that shared the 128x128 resolution screens. Phones with the 176 x 208 resolution screens, such as Nokia 6630, Nokia 3650, Nokia 6600, were later provided with a re-sized version of this game available for download.
With the appearance of Symbian S60 phones, the games shifted from J2ME applets to full-fledged Symbian S60 applications, designed to be more detailed and complex when compared to their prequels. The first game on this platform was 'Space Impact Evolution', specifically made for the Symbian S60 1st Edition platform, which appeared on (Nokia 7650) and then other Nokia multimedia phones of the time. Its sequel 'Space Impact Evolution X', had two versions: one bundled exclusively with the N-Gage Classic and the N-Gage QD (on the "Extras" folder of the Support CD) and another made for Symbian S60 2nd Edition devices.
Recently, Nokia has revitalized the series with the emergence of 'Space Impact Light' (Symbian S60 3rd Edition) and 'Space Impact: Kappa Base' (N-Gage 2.0), as well as 'Space Impact: Meteor Shield' (Symbian S60 5th Edition), with Meteor Shield being the first game in the series to feature 3D graphics and the first not to feature the classic shoot'em up gameplay mode.
Gameplay
The player has the ability to freely move horizontally and vertically (with a few exceptions on some platform-like levels in Space Impact Plus) but can not increase the speed of the screen's auto-scrolling feature. Powerups can be picked up while going through the levels (such as missiles, bombs, and energy beams) and the player can use them when the regular projectiles are of little effect against the enemy.
As each level is played, various enemy ships confront the player, some of them following strict paths, others following the ship itself and others shooting it (with the latest games the player can encounter sub-bosses midway through the level too). On the first game there are eight levels, set on different planets and underground areas, with a boss at the end of each level.
After losing all lives, the player is awarded a score and depending on how many enemies killed, how many powerups picked and how many levels the player passed, that score can be placed on the Top Scores page in the game's menu.
Clones and remakes
Recently, various clones and remakes of the game have been made for the PC, many of which offers an accurate emulation of the original game.
Mobile clones
In late 2012, a remake was released under the name Space Defense, designed by ByQ Develop for Android devices. The game features all eight levels and graphics from the original game, as well as virtual emulation designed after Nokia 3310's buttons and screen layout.
There is also another remake, known as Space Squids designed by Bolopix. It still retains the original graphics, but unlike Space Defense, the game offers more conventional touch-based controls typical with many mobile games and features different levels with new kinds of enemy, many of which are taken from original sequels Space Impact Plus and Space Impact 2 with several alterations. In addition, Space Squids was also made available for Windows Phone, with no alterations from the original version.
Both games can be downloaded from Google Play for free and Windows Store (Space Squids only)
External links
- Space Impact Kappa Base's official website
- Space Impact Kappa Base Review on OVI Gaming
- Space Impact Meteor Shield description and screenshots on ROVIO
- Space Impact Meteor Shield review on NOKNOK
- Space Impact 303 description on Download.com
- Space Impact PC (realistic Space Impact remake for PC) - discontinued