Go ahead and watch this video. It doesn't do the game justice (like show the giant Invader bosses), but I think it'll give you an idea of what exactly I'm dealing with, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UfB1_Jznvg

I'm not that good at shooting games. Any kind, and I'm usually just "meh"; I can't beat Perfect Cherry Blossom on Normal without continues, First Person shooters disorient me, and Contra 4 makes me want to eat my own head. The only game I'm good at that involves shooting is Space Invaders, and only because it's piss easy. It was designed back when we didn't have the crazy, twitchy multitasking that we do now.

So why the hell is this game so much fun? Better yet, why is it kicking my ass?

SIE can best be described as a cake: Space Invaders is the cake, Lumines/Meteos is the frosting, then you've got a tiny bit of Warioware on the side. Just a speck. Music syncs to your actions, so it feels like you're mixing a beat as you play, and different instruments pick up when you do better. The graphics are funky, and the Invaders still look exactly the same, albeit in technicolor. Shooting four of the same color nets you powerups like a quadruple barrel gun or a laser beam, and you trigger all sorts of bonuses and side effects like having a second ship shadow your movement and shoot with you to cover more ground.

When you shoot a flashing UFO (there are multiple colors that act differently), the game stops, takes you to a dualscreen playing field, and gives you 10 seconds or so to complete a task like shoot 10 Red UFOs or destroy a wave of foes. Complete the challenge, and you get taken back to the level with a powered-up powerup (Super Quadruple Cannon!) It's crazy and keeps things fresh.

Then there are the enemies. These little fuckers sure have evolved over the past 30 years. Sometimes they just shoot bouncing lasers. Sometimes they divide when you shoot them. Sometimes they have reflectors that bounce bullets back at you. And once in awhile, they cut the bullshit, stop zigzagging, and charge right at your motherfucking ship. Enemy waves come in specific patterns for each level (the levels branch out to encourage replay) so your task is to find the most strategic way to collect certain powerups and clear the screen. It's really addicting, and gets pretty challenging after the second level.

The bosses are pretty cool, too. Invader sprites are enlarged to fit an entire screen, and you have to take them down by chipping away at them, bouncing bullets off of enemies to hit them, or whatever. It feels fresh (even though it really isn't) and makes levels feel a little more climactic.

The game isn't out in the states yet, but it's VERY import friendly (menus are in english, sans small descriptions of what stuff like ARCADE MODE and STAGE SELECT are). It's also combatable with the Taito DS paddle, which the 1Up Show says is very precise.

In the end, SIE is a lot more fun than I'd expect from a Space Invaders game. It hasn't seen too many facelifts (has it received any?) but it's a diamond in the rough. A rough filled with lame, thrown together games that haven't aged well. This lady's had some work done, and she is fiiiiiiine.