The Space Invaders Icecube Tray

Trendy and cool... Or not so cool?

Ryan White

 

 The Space Invaders icecube tray.

Well folks, it's undeniable - Space Invaders is a timeless classic. It was originally a pioneering video and arcade game developed by Tomohiro Nishikado and released in 1978 by Taito Corporation. Space Invaders is largely credited as being one of the earliest shooting games and without its creation there may never have been a Call of Duty or Battlefield and whatever other shooter games the kids are playing these days. 

Because of its pioneering status it has become more than just a video game, but something of a cultural icon. Space Invaders merchandise is not hard to see or find. T-shirts, wallets, mugs and keyrings are all readily available and easy to procure. However does Space Invaders' innovation in the gaming industry also transfer to other products? In particular, does the Space Invaders icecube tray provide ice that cools down your beverage on a hot summers day?

 

Now, at a glance I can see the appeal of such an icecube tray. Who in their right mind wouldn't want little aliens swimming around in their drink whilst enhancing the temperature of the fluid inside? Unfortunately after using this product I can safetly say: 

Me, I wouldn't.

The issue lies within the size of the actual icecubes inside the tray. In order to sufficiently cool down a drink, an icecube is required to maintain its form long enough to lower the temperature of the fluid. Once the icecube dissolves, it can no longer cool down the drink. In other words, if an icecube melts before cooling down the drink, it has not fulfilled its purpose. This is the problem with the Space Invaders icecube tray.  As demonstrated below:

The ice before adding water.

Here we have the ice before adding water, notice the ice maintaining its form reasonbly well. Space Invaders in my water hoorah!

The ice 20 seconds after adding water.

However as can be seen (barely) in this picture, after adding water the icecubes dissolved incredibly quickly, in a mere 20 and 30 seconds. Needless to say, this is far too soon for the icecubes to cool down a drink let alone retain their iconic, Space Invaders embodiment. 

The ice the Space Invaders icecube tray creates is simply too small to cool down a drink without using up the whole trays worth of ice. And let's face it, nobody likes refilling the icecube tray, especially frequently. Therefore while it is unfortunate to say so (being a fan of the game myself), Space Invaders' innovative legacy in the gaming industry has undoubtedly not transferred to the icecube tray industry.  

Pros:

• Fun concept with an iconic franchise

• Does cool down the drink if almost the tray of ice is used
  

 Cons: 

• The ice melts far too quickly to be as useful as a normal icecube 

• Tray requires refilling far too often

 Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars