Official Score
Overall - 60%
60%
This game doesn't have as much challenge to it as Chopper 1 which is a good thing. Don't get me wrong, the game can still get hard, it is just more bearable now. With infinite continues and plenty of power ups you will likely want to come back and revisit the game once or twice.
Much like Chopper 1, The Next Space is an old school arcade game. SNK also brought this one back in the form of a mini on the PS network. The Next Space will run you for 2.99 which you would end up spending at an arcade to play it anyway. Is it worth picking up or should you stick to Galaga?
Gameplay
Just like Chopper 1 this game is a scrolling arcade shooter. This time though you are in space, if you couldn’t tell from the title of the game. This time you will be fighting aliens. The objectives are the same as Chopper 1 reach the end of the zone and kill the boss. The enemies will swarm you and keep a barrage of fire coming your way. You need to dodge the fire and kill the enemies.
While this seems easy you have to hit the button every time you want to fire and can’t hold it down. This can get annoying quickly.
One other thing that should be mentioned about the game play is the power up selection. It is an arcade game so the selection is limited but it is a pretty good selection none the less. The power ups will also change what your ship looks like which is a bonus.
Sound and Graphics
For the graphics, you of course go back to the retro arcade look. Lots of bright colors from the weapons and explosions and a dark background with some stars. The enemies and your ship has some good color to it as well. The change of color on the weapon upgrade is a nice addition. The background is used every level which is a bummer but the rest of the game looks good.As is with most retro arcade sounds it will be hit and miss. You may get nostalgia over the old arcade sounds or you might feel like the synthesized sound is annoying. I liked the electric sound background for this one. But some people may feel this is a little outdated.
Replay Value
This game doesn’t have as much challenge to it as Chopper 1 which is a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, the game can still get hard, it is just more bearable now. With infinite continues and plenty of power ups you will likely want to come back and revisit the game once or twice.The Next Space makes a pretty solid return. If you liked the old arcade top down shooters then you should pick this one up for the low price of 2.99
