Seven months in development, Shinobi's Place has released "Invaders! Possibly from Space!" to the wild - free - for PC. It recreates Fry's fight against Lrrr's invading horde ("Increase speed, drop down, and reverse direction!") with so much more - episode dialogue, power-ups, and of course, the all-Rush mixtape soundtrack. That means at least three IPs infringed upon here. I can only hope that Taito, Fox, Matt Groening, and Rush can come to a quick agreement that something this awesome must be allowed to live. In case they don't, run go get it quick before it is C&D'd to death.

Invaders! Possibly from Space! [Shinobis-Place via GameSetWatch]

Note: Kotaku Approval Ratings have been moved to a semi-weekly frequency. Look for them at this time next week.

Yeah, yeah, taste isn't a temperature. That's been discussed before. Still, this tea service design won some damned tea-off for 2009, and should class up your joint if you are so inclined to buy it. Or serve tea to guests, a lifestyle decision I'm betting is well outside our readership demographic.

Space Invaders Tea Vessel [Gamergrrlz via Gizmodo]

The remake of the classic features a customizable "evolutionary tree" and the ability to play original stages based on your own music. It sort of looks like it's getting the shmup treatment.

My brother and I spent those sweltering days in Maryland, Thailand and Korea coming up with ways to torment one another and sometimes even have fun together. From the fabled pine cone wars faux fought in the nearby woods, to endless games of tag, cops n' robbers and spotlight, we never ran out of things to do.

I can't pretend that children today have those same sorts of childhood experiences. Many spend their days inside watching TV, reading books and even playing video games. That's not a bad thing, but it does lack some of the sweaty charm of a day spent running with friends.

Here, mostly for my amusement, is a collection of games meant to be enjoyed outdoors. I've taken some of my favorite video games and tried to turn them into the sorts of games you play with friends on the lawn, in a park or anywhere there's space.

Included are homages to Katamari Damacy, Super Mario Bros. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Frogger, and Metal Gear Solid. Enjoy, but don't blame me if you break something... even a sweat.

Instead of straining your eyes trying to read all of these, how about just downloading the PDFs instead?
Katamari StickWithMe
Pac-Tag
Leapfrogger
Dodge Space Invaders
Metal Hear Hide and Sneak
Super Hopscotch Bros.

Images remixed by Kotaku. Originals by Eleanor Campbell, Keith Ward and Robert Childress.

Katamari StickWithMe
Pac-Tag
LeapFrogger
Dodge Space Invaders
Metal Gear Hide and Sneak
Super Hopscotch Bros. Part 1
Super Hopscotch Bros. Part 2

Though, the invaders look different enough to hopefully stir clear of the ire of the game developer Taito's attorneys. Invaderesque characters are prevalent and nothing new, still this is a neat take on them. Neat song, too.

More tunes in the link below.

Röyksoppplus [Vimeo Thanks, PlayerX for the tip!]

Computer historian David Anderson of Portsmouth University told New Science that that it would be a "cultural catastrophe" to let old games become lost forever in the march of time. Sure, you can see a Super Famicom in a museum – but without it being able to see the games it played, it's doesn't really have much value as an artifact.

James Newman, one of the leaders of the UK's National Videogame Archive agrees. "We don't value our gaming heritage in the same way that we do books or movies - we're stuck with the model of everything being superceded," says Newman. The best-maintained collections of old games can be found on auction sites like eBay or in the hands of dedicated amateur collectors, he adds.

But it's not enough to just make it possible to play old games in a kind of arcade, says Newman. While basic games such as Space Invaders can be presented without much explanation, he explains, "more recent console games involve playing for many hundreds of hours and feature complex narratives that branch as you make choices. They can't be presented like that."

Similar projects are in development in the US with foundations like Preserving Virtual Worlds – but I have yet to see anything approaching an emulator that could play any game ever.

New software would play any videogame ever created [New Scientist]

You're looking at a mini replica Space Invaders table top arcade cabinet that's actually a piggy bank from Takara Tomy. The bank's LCD screen acts as the coin counter and lights up each time a hundred yen coin is entered. It holds 80 hundred yen coins, which is the equivalent of roughly US$89.

I love tabletop style arcade cabinets. Perfect for playing. Perfect for resting drinks on. Game developer Goichi Suda loves them, too. Learned that he has one in his office when interviewing him for Arcade Mania. One of this in your office — how cool is that?

Space Invaders Piggy Bank [JeanSnow.net]

Space Invaders Get Even will hit WiiWare on December 1 capping off the Space Invaders 30th anniversary product flood. While a price point wasn't provided for the standard edition of the four mission-long game, Square Enix did let us know that three mission packs will be released in the future for 500 Wii Points each. Yes, this is starting to sound like an expensive game, in the Square Enix WiiWare fashion.

The game is rated E10+, features high score leaderboards and is classified under the "Invade Action" genre. Excellent choice.

Meanwhile, through the mists of the ages, the Virtual Console gets two classic titles from the 16-bit era. Space Invaders: The Original Game for the SNES (800 points) is the original Space Invaders, enhanced with arcade cabinet emulation and a VS mode, while Forgotten Worlds for the Sega Genesis (800 points) is a classic Capcom scrolling shooter featuring 360-degree shooting goodness. And that's the week in Wii downloadables! Try not to sprain yourself tossing.

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO WIIWARE GAMES AND TWO VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Nov. 17, 2008

The ever-growing library of games on the Wii™ Shop Channel truly offers something for every gaming occasion, as seen in this week's new additions. Want to settle in for a few single-player laughs? Check out the latest hilarious Strong Bad adventure. Socializing with friends? Target Toss Pro: Bags lets you play with as many as 15 of your pals. Gathering with family? Even your grandparents can enjoy the arcade classic SPACE INVADERS®. And the side-scrolling action of FORGOTTEN WORLDS™ provides a wickedly fun diversion for solo gamers and fantasy-loving groups alike.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a broadband Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare™

Strong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3 (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Move over, generically buff action heroes. Strong Bad is here to show you how it's done in his hand-crafted cinematic masterpiece, Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective. You play Dangeresque, a dirty cop in pursuit of a little action and several big sacks of cash. Can our hero stay alive long enough to defeat his arch-nemesis, save the world and get the girl? Looks like he's gonna have to jump.

Target Toss Pro: Bags (Incredible Technologies, 1-16 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Target Toss Pro: Bags is a new video game based on beanbag toss, the nation's hottest backyard and tailgate sensation. Bags – or Cornhole, as it's called in some parts of the country – originated in the Midwest in the 1960s and has since become a staple at outdoor social events from coast to coast. Similar to horseshoes, Bags is a deceptively simple yet extremely competitive game where players try to toss beanbags into a hole in a slightly raised platform or "box" for points. Whether at a tailgate party or a summer barbecue, the game has become a social focal point, and the unmistakable thud of bags hitting the box is now a universal party soundtrack.

Virtual Console™

SPACE INVADERS: The Original Game (Super NES™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Experience one of gaming's iconic franchises in this perfect rendition of the arcade classic. Take aim at the field of invaders relentlessly marching toward you. Move quickly but carefully, using the barriers for protection as you avoid missiles fired by the aliens and try to destroy all of them before they reach the bottom of the screen. Further enhance the nostalgia by choosing from several modes that simulate different versions of the arcade game (such as upright cabinet or black-and-white). Or if you want to prove your superior skills to a friend, try the new VS mode and see who can stop the alien menace the quickest. All in all, it's pure gaming at its best, now with no quarters required.

FORGOTTEN WORLDS (SEGA GENESIS, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): FORGOTTEN WORLDS is a one- or two-player side-scrolling shooter made by CAPCOM. It was one of the first games to incorporate 360-degree aiming and shooting. This SEGA GENESIS version provides the same impact and intensity of the classic arcade game. In the 29th century, without warning, warships broke through the sky, loaded with fiendish aliens. They rained down fire, bombs, missiles and napalm, leaving the land barren and inhospitable. Humanity was enslaved and Earth became known as the Forgotten World. In a hidden place, a group of brave humans raised two male children in secret. They brought up the young men as warriors, training them for battle. The two warriors emerged as armed machines of might, strength and super power – the Nameless Ones. Fight the hateful invaders as the powerful Nameless Ones. Collect Zenny to upgrade your weapons and satellite, and free the planet.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

This anime clip was produced to help promote Taito's arcade centres. That and celebrate this game's 20th anniversary (which is this year!). One things for sure: these aren't your father's Space Invaders.

[via Technabob]

GameSetLinkDump: Calvin Tucker's URL Jamboree [GameSetWatch]

The first thing Tristan and I spotted when we hit up an arcade in Kagoshima was this cool button pressing “game.” The free kiosk had you tap a big yellow button as quickly as you could for a set time, tracking each of your taps. Once you finished, it displayed the total number of button pushes recorded at that station. The one we messed with was nearing 4 million when we saw it.

We also saw these fliers up for something called Taito Thanks Day, which featured big Space Invaders and a toothy green critter.

Finally, making our way through the sea of UFO Catchers and such found at most Japanese arcades, I spotted these special anniversary Kit Kat bars. The wrappers features little white Space Invaders. I’d like to think that the candy was somehow different as well, but I really, REALLY suck at these type of games and decided to give up after spending six bucks or so trying to win a friggin candy bar.

Despite all of the hoopla surrounding the game’s anniversary, the one thing I didn’t notice was the actual game, like anywhere. Seriously, couldn’t Taito splurge a little and send out some of the original cabinets to arcades to help push the promotion?

The space invaders took off in their spaceship shooting their lasers at some ships. A laser hit their ship; it crashed. The space invaders got out just in time! When the ship blew up, the fire was so bright it looked like a sun! They built a bigger and better ship. It took 10 weeks to build. As time went by, the ship got bigger and bigger! The time came when the space invaders invaded earth! There were no bad things, like fires or stealing. They made some friends and had to get their computers help to take off. They went to ziron home base, 50,0000 miles from earth.

Whew! So glad to know that when the space invaders finally do come, there will be no bad things like fires or stealing.

Nov. 2, 1980 [Alt Japan]