When the world is under attack by an army of smiley faces from outer space, it's up to one (or two) badass pilot to save the day.
Space Bomber is a 1998 single screen Shoot 'Em Up arcade game made by the now-defunct Psikyo, in the late 90s when the company is known for their array of arcade shooters after the success of Strikers 1945. And also among the company's few Cute 'em Up entries (the alien invaders, hostile as they may be, are still adorable), the other being the toy-themed Pilot Kids.
When city-sized alien ships descends from the stratosphere (ala Independence Day) the player must fend off hordes and hordes of cute-but-deadly alien mooks and giant robots (including a giant piggy bank who shoots lasers from it's nostrils, a living dogu statue, and a giant cymbal-banging monkey robot just to name a few) whilst the President attempts to converse with the alien leader via intercom.
One notable trait in this game is the inclusion of a "Capture" function where players will release a grappling hook allowing them to ensnare and capture nearby enemies (except bosses) into becoming the player's ally and backup. Players can capture up to five enemies in a row (provided they didn't die in the process) and go really ballistic on the invaders. Different captured enemies serves varying functions - for instance, captured battleships will fire their turrets, shell-based aliens will serve as defense, and there's a third button which serves as a Smart Bomb, throwing out all captured enemies at bosses in a fiery explosion.
Space Bomber contains examples of:
- Alien Invasion: A really, really adorable example of this trope, though. The alien grunts all look so cuddly!
- Bullet Hell: Cute as the game is, the amount of projectiles the enemies and bosses release on you on the other hand is insane.
- Contractual Boss Immunity: The "Capture" option works perfectly on low-tier mooks, and while larger, Giant Mook-type enemies starts off as immune, they can be abducted by the players after losing some of their health. Bosses on the other hand cannot be captured, regardless how much damage the player inflicted - they can only be destroyed.
- Cymbal-Banging Monkey: One of the later bosses is giant monkey armed with a set of cymbals. Each cymbal clang will release a circular wave of projectiles, and occasionally a bouncing ball towards the player.
- Eiffel Tower Effect: While all the stages took place in a variety of different locations worldwide, considering each level is limited to a single screen inevitably the only way to indicate the location is by displaying the prominent landmarks of each city. The New York stages has the Empire State Building and WTC Center note in the background, and later levels features Stonehenge and the Mayan Pyramids while the player guns down aliens in the foreground.
- Flying Face: Nearly all the bosses and some of the higher-level mooks this design. For starters, the first boss is a dustbin-shaped robot who, upon receiving enough damage, transforms into a huge robotic head to continue the battle. There's also a comedic-looking cartoon skull and a clockwork elephant head as bosses.
- Flying Saucer: Several of the alien mooks resembles UFOs. The first level's mid-boss is notably an enlarged version of the lower-tier flying saucer enemies.
- Killer Robot: A few of the bosses are giant robots, including one based on a dogu statue. And the giant robot monkey...
- King Mook: A literal version of this trope, where the "King Alien" serves as the Final Boss. For most of the game you battle regular aliens, floating heads and firing projectiles at you, and then comes the final level, where the King Alien turns out to be a recycled animation of the regular aliens, but at least five times the size, and wearing a crown. He's predictably a lot more durable even compared to the helmeted aliens (Elite Mooks which can absorb a lot of damage on their own).
- Noodle Incident: A really weird one is added in one of the cut scenes, when the President is attempting to converse with the alien's leader.Alien Leader: [with fierce, glowing red eyes]: "You, degenerate President, we'll tell the world about your secret sex life!"The President: "No, please don't. Let's take a break in there... for a friendly talk..." [cue next level starting, and said incident is NEVER mentioned for the remainder of the game]
- Piggy Bank: we did mention one of the bosses is a giant piggy bank whose snout can fire lasers, didn't we?
- Recurring Boss: The above giant piggy bank needs to be fought twice, the second time a Degraded Boss backing a more powerful alien turret. And the giant robot head shows up in the final fortress, a lot stronger this time and repainted in gold colour.
- Shout-Out:
- The first boss, after taking enough damage, will transform into a giant Mazinger Z head.
- The whole premise of the game can be considered a loose parody (and a more adorable adaptation) of Independence Day. City-sized alien ships, the President (a loose Captain Ersatz of Bill Clinton) trying to communicate with the aliens, the player infiltrating the alien mothership, etc.
- Stock Money Bag: Defeated alien enemies and bosses will drop giant bags of money (with dollar signs on them) which the players can collect for points.
- Storming the Castle: The final stage has the players raiding the alien mothership to take down the leader. For some hilarious reason, the alien invaders' floating space fortress looks "exactly" like a medieval castle, and the giant alien footsoldiers are dressed like European knights.
- Take That!: The Noodle Incident moment appears to be a not-so-subtle one directed at the then-President of the United States, Bill Clinton, considering the game is released back when Clinton's still in office (roughly the same time as the Monica Lewinsky scandal). Although the President in the game doesn't resemble Clinton to say the least...
- Throw the Mook at Them: One of the power-ups available, allowing players to throw captured alien enemies (provided they have at least one) at invading forces. The disposed alien will blow up and cause some degree of damage, depending on proximity, acting as a Smart Bomb. At the end of the game, the giant robot head boss' pilot is used this way to wipe out the remainder of the alien fleet.
