Space Invaders Infinity Gene

Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Title screen
Release date	2009
Developer	Taito
Publisher	Square Enix
Platforms	XBLA, PSN, iOS, Android

Space Invaders Infinity Gene is a Space Invaders game that focuses on the concepts of evolution, released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and the Android and iOS devices. The graphics are vector-based, and largely match the look and feel of the original game. As of 2017, Space Invaders Infinity Gene cannot be found/played on the app store since the release of iOS 11 which ended the era of 32-bit games.

The game opens with the following quote, hinting at the evolutionary themes of the game:

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." - Charles Darwin

The game is dedicated to "everyone who loves games, and Charles Darwin."

Gameplay

Players control a ship on the screen by dragging their finger around the screen. The player must avoid fire from the alien ships while destroying them with their own weapons. The well-known UFO now drops neurons that allow the player to upgrade their current weapon, until they are destroyed. Some levels scroll from top-to-bottom, adding walls that the player must avoid to the obstacles. Many levels feature one or more boss ships, labeled as "unexpected enemies" or "formidable enemies" ("huge enemies" in the iOS versions).  

A chain system rewards rapid destruction of enemy ships. Players earn an additional 0.1 multiplier for each chain achieved. 

Immediately after an enemy fires, their shots are briefly transparent and can be passed through. Moving through a transparent shot earns the user 3000 points. This maneuver is called a "Nagoya Attack."

Each stage records the high score, best chain, and Nagoya Attack achieved. After a stage is completed, points are accumulated into a "Gene" gauge that, when filled, triggers an "Evolution", which gives the player new selectable weapons (such as homing lasers or wave beams), new abilities (most notably, the ability to move vertically), bonus stages, and extra content in the main menu. Evolutions that are earned in later stages can be used when replaying earlier stages. Most stages have multiple features to be unlocked by a second, third, or even fourth completion. These unlockables range from new weapons and secret stages to extra lives and art galleries, each one an extension of the player's evolutionary tree.   

Other Features

In addition to the 38 primary levels, players can utilize "Music Mode" to generate a random level on the fly matching the length of the music. Due to limitations of the iOS API preventing access to the raw music data, it is not clear whether the levels are truly synchronized with the music.

A sound test and graphics gallery mode are unlockable via gameplay.

iOS 11

On September 19, 2017, with the release of iOS 11 for iPhone and iPad, Apple reported that they will be dropping support for 32 bit or unsupported apps. Many 32 bit games which also included Space Invaders Infinity Gene was pulled from the app store following that date. There is no reliable information when Space Invaders Infinity Gene may come back to Apple iOS devices later on.

Levels

Stage 0

• Common Descent

Stage 1

1. Adaptive Radiation
2. Genetic Diversity
3. Subspecies
4. Silent Mutation
5. Founder Effect
6. Apoptosis

Stage 2

1. Frameshift Mutation
2. Radioisotope
3. Preadaptation
4. Homologous Recombination
5. Introgression
6. Necrosis

Stage 3

1. Gene Duplication
2. Horizontal Gene Transfer
3. Self-Organization
4. Nonsense Mutation
5. Struggle For Existence
6. Descent With Modification

Stage 4

1. Suppressor Mutation
2. Conformation
3. AT-Rich
4. Genotype
5. Loss of Function
6. Autolysis

Stage 5

1. Organizer
2. Codon
3. Canonical Genetic Code
4. Phenotype
5. Perikaryon
6. Cleavage

Bonus

The bonus mode levels (known as extra levels in the iOS versions) are unlocked as evolution rewards.

iOS/Android

1. Neutral Mutation
2. Discontinuous Replication
3. Antimorph
4. Amorph
5. Leading Strand
6. Base Excision Repair
7. Missense Mutation
8. Tumor
9. Replication Fork
10. Point Mutation
11. Neomorph
12. Allele
13. Proof-Reading Repair
14. Mismatch Repair
15. Gene Cluster
16. Hypomorph
17. Orc
18. Genetic Drift
19. Nonstop Mediated Decay
20. Order for Free
21. Gain of Function
22. Teleomorph
23. Point Deletion
24. Interstitial Deletion
25. Terminal Deletion
26. Nucleotide Deletion
27. Gene Deletion
28. Chromosomal Deletion
29. Programmed Cell Death
30. Locus
31. Ganglion
32. Oligodendroglia
33. Missense Deletion
34. Neutral Deletion
35. Silent Deletion
36. Frameshift Deletion
37. Nonsense Deletion
38. Suppressor Deletion
39. Knockout Moss
40. Indel
41. Nucleus
42. Diastereomer
43. Polar Deletion
44. Dynamic Deletion
45. Homologous Deletion
46. Quantitative Deletion
47. Translational Deletion
48. Reciprocal Deletion
49. Pomato
50. Snagger

360/PS3

There are five blocks of six levels each for a total of thirty levels in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. The levels are:

Block 1

1. Neutral Mutation
2. Discontinuous Replication
3. Antimorph
4. Leading Strand
5. Point Deletion
6. Allele

Block 2

1. Tumor
2. Missense Mutation
3. Point Mutation
4. Replication Fork
5. Neomorph
6. Order for Free

Block 3

1. Amorph
2. Proof-Reading Repair
3. Interstitial Deletion
4. Base Excision Repair
5. Orc
6. Nonstop Mediated Decay

Block 4

1. Gain of Function
2. Mismatch Repair
3. Gene Cluster
4. Hypomorph
5. Nucleotide Deletion
6. Ganglion

Block 5

1. Oligodendroglia
2. Teleomorph
3. Genetic Drift
4. Gene Deletion
5. Diastereomer
6. Nucleus

Music

Music mode is unlocked as an evolution reward. However, in the iOS versions, it is a default mode. It allows a player to import music into the game which will play during a level. It also uses that music to create a visualization that renders underneath the vector graphics for the game. In order to use this mode an audiofile, such as an MP3, must be on the storage device or hard drive of the console.

Challenge

The normal mode has several different minibosses. Most of them make appearances at scripted moments in the normal mode, but many of them show up randomly in later levels. The only exception is Nameless which appears in level 5-6 only. However, it can appear at the end of a level randomly in Challenge mode.

Traps

Traps, known in the iOS versions as Chimeras, must be unlocked as an evolution reward.

Each stage has been split into two acts. The three stages are Darius, Night Striker, and Metal Black.

Darius

1. I Can Not Ape
2. Captain Neo

Night Striker

1. Burn Alt Air
2. Urban Trail

Metal Black

1. Before Ten Orb
2. Born To Be Free

Bosses and Minibosses

• Sol
• Diffuser
• Jolyne
• Satoru-UFO
• Diffuser2
• Spider
• Teleporter
• Vanity
• Gluttony
• Greed
• Wrath
• The Moon
• The Sun
• Gigantic UFO
• Ladybug
• Mandala
• Unknown
• Centipede
• Hornet
• Progressive UFO
• Mosquito
• Octopus
• Butterfly
• Axon
• Water Strider
• Crab
• Ultimate UFO
• Squid
• Vertebrate
• Nameless
• King Fossil
• Great Destroyer
• Twilight Mirage
• Apartheid

Enemies

• Elements
• Revolver
• Cell
• Expander
• Liner
• Tentacle
• Fortresses
• Hatch
• Envy
• Scratcher
• Assailant
• Kite
• Sluggard
• Stormer
• Gusher
• Conspirators
• Sprinkler
• Swindler
• Crawler
• Sloth
• Pride
• Keeper
• Oppressor
• Shadow
• Lust

Weapons

Not all of the weapons are available initially. By default the only weapon available is Rapid. The rest have to be unlocked through evolutions. Asterisks denote weapons are exclusive to the console version of the game.

• Rapid - rapidly fires OP beams.
• Search - fires curving lasers toward the enemy.
• Wave - fires a shockwave that spreads horizontally.
• Lock-On - locks on to enemies at the front and back and fires a homing laser.
• Gravity - fires a black hole that increases in power as it sucks in enemy shots.
• Round - fires an energy blast that destroys enemy shots located opposite to the ship's direction of travel.
• Field - Automatically attacks enemies within an expanded field. The power of the attacks will increase if the field's size is cut in half.*
• Option - Probes known as 'options' accompany the ship, eliminating enemy fire and attacking at your command.*
• Variable - Fires an angularly adjustable laser cutter.*
• Boomerang*
• Silver Hawk - Fires a large wave attack as well as four bullets from the ship in an x pattern.*
• Inter Gray - Fires large orbs towards the enemy.*
• Black Fly - Emits a narrow shockwave similar to the Wave, except it deals constant damage much like Field*
• R-Gray2*
• Classic - fires a power beam that stops the time around enemies. (Cannot be powered up.)

Collection

The collection includes the game's soundtrack which was produced by Taito Corporation's in-house band, Zuntata (also known as Cosio). Some of the songs have multiple remixes. The sound effects are in a file labeled 'SE'  

(Mixes labeled as 4 and 5 are exclusive only to the console version). 

Tracks

• Selection
  • Genetic Mix
  • Adaptive Mix
  • Evolution Mix
  • Mix 4
  • Mix 5
• Survival
  • Genetic Mix
  • Adaptive Mix
  • Evolution Mix
  • Mix 4
  • Mix 5
• Mutation
  • Genetic Mix
  • Adaptive Mix
  • Evolution Mix
  • Mix 4
  • Mix 5
• Reproduce
  • Genetic Mix
  • Adaptive Mix
  • Evolution Mix
  • Mix 4
  • Mix 5
• Manipulate
  • Genetic Mix
  • Adaptive Mix
  • Evolution Mix
  • Mix 4
  • Mix 5
• Strategy
  • Genetic Mix
  • Adaptive Mix
  • Evolution Mix
• Program
  • Genetic Mix
  • Adaptive Mix
  • Evolution Mix
• Lifegame
  • Genetic Mix
  • Adaptive Mix
  • Evolution Mix
• Great Mother
• Child
• Shadow
• Anima
• Hero
• Devil
• Trickster
• Wise Old Man
• Persona
• Animus
• Scarecrow
• Unconcious
• I Can Not Ape
• Captain Neo
• Burn Alt Air
• Urban Trail
• Before Ten Orb
• Born To Be Free

These tracks are unlocked as BGMs which are given as evolution rewards during game play.