Retro games have been all the rage lately, thanks to downloads on XBLA, the Playstation store and Virtual Console. But most of the time, these classic games haven’t aged particularly well, and childhood memories are destroyed more quickly than you can say Transformers movie.

Updating them in a way that sticks to the core gameplay but freshens it is a tricky proposition, one that Namco mastered with its stellar Pac-Man: Championship Edition last year. Taito clearly took note, as its Space Invaders Extreme is similarly remastered. The core gameplay is the same: You shoot at aliens as they move horizontally and vertically down the screen. But that simple premise has been jazzed up considerably with trippy neon graphics, a thumping techno soundtrack and Rez-style notes that ring every time you shoot an enemy.

It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint, some power-ups and boss battles can do to a 30-year-old game. It’s insanely addictive, and a slew of random bonus rounds keep it constantly changing and engaging. At just $20 for either the DS or PSP version, it’s hard not to take a new trip down an old memory lane.