Space Invaders: My Play Watch, a fascinating specimen was created by F84 with the cooperation of Taito.
The Apple Watch has been a popular technological companion since the first generation was launched in the first half of 2015. Series 10 was launched over a week ago with notable new features alongside the stylish black colour option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, much to the approval of the technology gurus. A few days afterwards, a port of Space Invaders, the classic shooter game from 1978 on My Play Watch was revealed on its Kickstarter page. Space Invaders: My Play Watch, a fascinating specimen was created by F84 with the cooperation of Taito. As intrigued and enlightened its backers seem, especially those who shall hopefully be rewarded with “Early Bird” packs this December, there is no doubt that many players out there would still prefer playing on a bigger screen by the power of two hands, yet I have nothing against this concept in terms of combining old school gaming with the functionality of modern technology in some way. Shortly after the reveal of a crazy collaboration between Chucky and Hello Kitty that blends cuteness with creepiness, we shall discuss the potential of the first edition of Space Invaders: My Play Watch before more tricks and treats throughout this year’s Halloween season, including Venom: The Last Dance, The Sims 4: Life & Death and a bloody version of the YouTooz figure based on Blitzo from Helluva Boss at this year’s Comic Con in New York.
It’s always fun to play Space Invaders! It’s the old-school title… Retro gamers enjoy… Those darn creatures must be destroyed!
The idea of playing Space Invaders on a smartwatch sounds like a nostalgic memory yanked from the brain and smeared all over a technological advancement in the current era. As gamers, plenty of us suspected that the feeling of playing a game on a smartwatch would be about as degrading as any of the Tiger Wrist Games ever since the announcement of the newly nostalgic experiment in August, but with the game on a slightly bigger screen and touch screen and crown controls, the awkwardness is likely to feel reduced, considering how plenty of Apple Watch owners have played notable games on such a small screen, such as Subway Surfers. Aside from the melody of those familiar sounds blaring more than a fashion accessory, there is also a short list of health and fitness features, including a calorie burn count and a heart rate monitor for players who want to balance their love for gaming with improving or maintaining their fitness. Despite how some of my fellow gamers and I would prefer to play a port of an old school game on a smartphone or tablet and one can always use their My Play Watch to check how calories they have burnt throughout their jog or workout more often, I can safely say that playing Space Invaders on a smartwatch is nowhere near as bizarre as playing Doom on a pregnancy test.
With a Watch body available in red, blue or yellow and any of two band designs depending on the single pack they will be included in, the design of the My Play Watch is strikingly similar to the appearance of an Apple Watch, leading to trust from consumers who may have a relative who owns one. Interchangeable and adjustable band designs are a big plus for someone with small wrists and a sucker for customisation like me. Perhaps the second edition will come in a pack with a green Watch body (or a pink one, especially for Wednesdays).
And of course, the digital format of the time will always be on display, just like in the Animal Crossing Clock and Mario Clock applications on the Nintendo DSi.
In conclusion, a port of Space Invaders on the My Play Watch seems trendy in a nerdy way that blends nostalgia with proactivity and is about as quirky as playing Pac-Bar, a unique version of Pac-Man for the Touch Bar on a MacBook Pro. The goal to fund the combination of old-school gaming and reliance on a smartwatch was achieved and if its sales are successful enough alongside mostly positive reception, there could be another edition of My Play Watch featuring Pac-Man, another arcade classic that we ought to celebrate the 45th anniversary of next year. In the meantime, Fortnite fingers are building islands for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to fight on and it will not be long until some of our Disney devotees will celebrate the launch of the tenth season of Disney Speedstorm featuring Jack Skellington and his love interest Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas while Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft premieres on Netflix. Some say that being too nostalgic can distort proactive thinking, leading to bitterness and toxicity, but not many can go wrong with the classics, yet being modern can at least be swell sometimes and trying something new can be fun.
A hardcore player might sense some discomfort in looking down at a small screen but at least there is no port of Space Invader Frenzy, which might make the experience hazardous to those with photosensitive epilepsy due to its flashing sprites.
