Written By: Michael Klein
Console: Sega Dreamcast
ESRB Rating: T
Stupid Invaders Case
Now let me get this out of the way early, I am not a fan of point and click adventure games. With that being said, there is some serious fun to have with this game and I think it says a lot about the title if it can take somebody like me, who doesn’t really enjoy the genre to begin with and turn me into a fan. Stupid Invaders is by far some of the most fun I’ve had in a while with it’s colorful graphics, wonderful voice acting and memorable environments.
From the opening cinematic all the way to the finish, this game had me racking my brain and laughing pretty much all of the way through. I just couldn’t get enough of the witty humor (adult at times) and story. Sure some of the jokes a pretty cheesy but for the most part the laughs keep coming, from the first phone call I answered in the hallway of the house to Santa Claus making a surprise visit, I had a riotous time with this game.
Stupid Invaders Features Brilliant Character Design
Stupid Invaders brings you along for the ride as a group of aliens that has crash-landed on Earth some time ago have finally fixed their spaceship and are gearing up to head back to their home planet. Once the ship is ready, their progress is impeded by a bounty hunter hired by a scientist to capture them for experimentation. Your journey will take you from the halls and exterior of their house to factories, sewers and a secret base all in the name of getting home.
For a point and click adventure there is much to see and do with plenty of interactive items throughout the environment that are sure to keep the laughs coming. I’ll try not to spoil to much but hearing Bud talking about playing with his organ and taking a phone call for Candy where an obvious sex offender is asking if you’re wearing your monkey skin panties are just small samples of the humor to be found in this game.
The story progression can move a bit slow at times and it can get a bit confusing as to where you need to go or what needs to be done next. The difficulty level can definitely go from simple to challenging in a matter of moments and this game is sure to leave you scratching your head at least a few times. If you don’t pay very careful attention to the backgrounds you may pass an absolutely critical item and search around for hours with no idea what to do. The controls are pretty spot on for a point and click minus the annoyance of trying to move your cursor onscreen but this is a problem that haunts even modern games as there is just no substitute for a keyboard and mouse in this genre.
First, I Am Going to Kill You, and Then You Will Be Dead
The cut scenes in this game are quite good and do a wonderful job showcasing what the Dreamcast was capable of for it’s time yet I couldn’t help but feel like something was a bit off with the graphics at times. On the subject of cut scenes, Stupid Invaders seriously features the absolute longest, most boring, pointless cut scene that has ever been put into a video game, period. In this cut scene you are stuck in a huge golf course maze and a snail literally races over to you like a Nascar asking if you are lost. The snail says he knows the way out and crawls…. for what felt like an hour, screen…. by screen….. by screen… and you cannot skip this. I’d approximate this cut scene at around five minutes total and Overall, Stupid Invaders is an absolutely hilarious game that will leave you scratching your head at times wishing for some direction. In the end, this is a must have title for any Dreamcast collector. If you haven’t played this one, you haven’t fully experienced the Dreamcast.
Graphics: Stupid Invaders features brightly colored, vivid graphics that do a very good job showing off the Dreamcast’s power and make you feel like you are playing a cartoon. Most animations are fluid featuring a level of polish that wasn’t common for it’s time. Backgrounds and items blend together seamlessly, which does add to the realize but ultimately makes looking for items a pain in the ass removing some of the fun.
Sound: The sound effects in Stupid Invaders really shine. Voice acting is done very well and the soundtrack fits this game like a glove. The music that accompanies this game sets the mood perfectly with everything from gritty tones to hilarious elevator music. Though the music is well done it can get VERY repetitive, but still I actually found myself looking for the soundtrack to this game.
Gameplay: For a point and click adventure, Stupid Invaders leaves plenty to do and plenty to explore to keep you playing for hours. From little interactive items to story items this game is a blast. At times the difficulty can spike which can lead to plenty of frustration, but do not give up on this game. Find a walkthrough when you get stuck and carry on as this is an experience not to be missed.
Replay Value: As much as I enjoyed this game, there is little there to bring you back again unless you are looking for laughs again. This is one of those titles you play once, then maybe again for memories sake down the road as the music and cut scenes get old fast the second time around. This isn’t exactly a negative for this game, just since there are so many scripted events each playthrough is the same.
Michael Klein
Michael Klein is an SEO by trade and performs the SEO for Retro Game Academy as well as writing articles. He founded the Retro Game Academy as a place for console game collectors and retro gaming enthusiasts to find information on video games and consoles from all generations except the current. Before founding The Retro Game Academy, Michael was a General Manager and Supervisor for multiple corporations. In his free time he enjoys playing classic video games, building muscle cars, motorcycle riding, camping, hiking, beach vacations and is an avid video game collector.
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