Retro revivals are all the rage right now, apparently. Some developers are taking their classic franchises and giving them more of a contemporary spin, while others are re-imagining a beloved series from their youth. It’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but it’s also a good trend so I’m cool with it if it wants to stick around.

Enter Decimation X3: Xona Games’ unique take on the Space Invaders formula and sequel to another one of their creations that released right at the beginning of this year. Apparently the first Decimation X was a huge seller in Japan on Xbox Live. So this third installment (the second was released on Windows Phone 7) takes the already reworked concept and reworks it some more. It reworks it into Retro Bullet Hell oblivion.

Starting a game is a very bare-bones, no frills affair. You see the high scores, you see the list of possible players (up to four locally), you press A a few times and you’re face-to-face with the pixelated alien scourge almost instantly. Oh sure, at first you might think it’s nothing but a simple clone of a classic game, but your tune will start to change once you grab your first few power-ups. And once you grab a few more you’ll probably do a complete 180.

With each wave you destroy and each rainbow-colored letter you grab, things begin to change. Your single-shot weapon might start firing two shots simultaneously. The always welcome shield barriers may pop up and offer you some respite from your enemies’ barrages. Before you know it your aggressors are moving at break-neck speeds as you nimbly dodge between gaps in your defenses, firing off a massive volley from your automatic laser shotgun while attempting to nab an item that will repair your barriers. And then a massive boss shows up.

Decimiation X3 takes one of the most iconic arcade games in history and manages to make it feel completely new again. It’s not necessarily new or groundbreaking in a technical sense, but it certainly feels new and groundbreaking as a retro-styled pseudo-arcade game. There’s no story to complete and no characters to level up; no checkpoints to reach and no shop to buy upgrades. It’s a pure, simple, psychotic arcade shooter. One that you’ll undoubtedly play over and over again. Not because it’s got Achievements or realistic physics, but because it’s really, really fun.

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Things We Liked: Straight-up, Old School fun. Colorful retro visuals and sounds. Powering up your little ship to insane levels of laser-awesomeness.

Things We Disliked: Okay, I sat here thinking about this for like ten minutes, then left it to come back to later and I still can’t think of anything. I dunno, needs more cowbell?

Target Audience: People who remember the days when an arcade was something special, not where parents send their kids while they wait for the matinee to start. People who remember arcades, period.

(Decimation X3 – Developer/Publisher: Xona Games. Available for Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Indie Games. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)