Unlike Space Invaders, Titan Attacks isn't plodding and deliberate. You shoot and you move, and that's pretty much it (unless you want to demolish your enemies with the occasional Smart Bomb, that is). Its depth isn't hidden underneath a litany of obtuse control options. The beauty of such an easy control scheme - another hallmark of old-school arcade shooters - is that it's accessible. To play Titan Attacks, simply abuse the X button on your DualShock controller or Vita while using either the left analog stick or directional pad to move your ship to the left or to the right (there is no vertical movement allowed). Its sound effects and musical accompaniment aren't all that impressive, though I found the experience most fun on Vita while watching hockey on TV… so muting it is certainly a viable option. Titan Attacks looks both retro and modern, with simple graphics befitting a game like this, and it looks the part whether you're playing on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, or PlayStation Vita (Titan Attacks is cross-buy, and it plays virtually identically on all three platforms while sharing a Trophy list). Except this time around, those high scores are global and online instead of on a single machine in your local pizza parlor.

Titan Attacks isn't as difficult as Space Invaders - nor is it as quintessentially excellent - but it does encompass the same spirit as Taito's coin-gobbling classic, keeping you engaged with its endless cycle of high score-chasing. As such, Taito's timeless arcade shooter Space Invaders - first released in 1978 - is the blatantly obvious inspiration for Titan Attacks, and developer Puppygames wisely decided to run towards the comparisons instead of trying to hide from them.

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