Invinco

From Sega Retro

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Invinco Title.png

Invinco
System(s): Sega VIC Dual
Publisher: Sega, Gremlin/Sega (US)
Developer:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Release Date RRP Code
Arcade (VIC Dual)
JP
¥? ?
Arcade (VIC Dual)
US
$? ?



































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Invinco (インビンコ) is a 1979 Space Invaders clone released by Sega in 1979.

Gameplay

Invinco is much the same game as Space Invaders, though has a more varied set of enemies (called "invincos" in-game, though the US flyer calls them "warriors"[1]) and is presented in full colour. The basic objective remains the same - shoot down all the enemies without being shot yourself, and there are four protective areas that can temporarily shield you from bullets. The player, in control of a "Prime Defender", has three lives - if all Prime Defenders are destroyed, the game ends.

In Space Invaders, all of the invaders are identical (save for different graphics). They follow the same pattern, have an equal chance of firing and move faster as more are destroyed. In Invinco, each row of invincos has different properties - the top row require three hits to destroy, while others will turn into stars, which if hit again will cause surrounding invincos to explode. The enemies in one row also blink in and out of view, while some enemies have smaller hit boxes, making them harder to hit. Fewer enemies are on-screen at the start of a round than in Space Invaders, however.

Like Space Invaders, bonus saucers (also known as "sky chariots"[1] and "avenging spirits") emerge from the left or right of the playfield. Hitting the centre of the target is worth more points than either of the sides. Once a screen is cleared, the player will be forced to fight one of these saucers (two in the second round, three in the third and in subsequent rounds), which this time will be able to change direction and move downwards, as well as being able to fire.

History

Release

Invinco was often bundled with Deep Scan or Head On 2. Each game had its own set of controls, and the marquee was divided into two.

Magazine articles

Main article: Invinco/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Invinco Arcade US Flyer.pdf

PDF
VIC Dual US flyer
Invinco Arcade US Flyer.pdf

Screenshots

Physical scans

VIC Dual, US

References



Space Invaders SG, Aliens.png
Space Invaders games for Sega systems
Space Invaders (1985) | Space Invaders '90 (1990) | Super Space Invaders (1992) | Space Invaders (1996)
Space Invaders (Dreamcast) (unreleased)
Space Invaders VIC Dual Clones
Alpha Fighter (19??) | Invinco (1979) | Space Attack (1979) | Super Space Attack (1979)