The legendary games of the 1970s and ’80s have been subjected to frequent updates, which usually dilute the charm of the originals. Taito, however, has refurbished two of its biggest hits with some clever innovations that should please newcomers and old fans alike.

Space Invaders Extreme (Square Enix, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, $19.99): Five rows of aliens are slowly approaching, and you have to destroy them with your laser cannon before they land. That’s the essence of Space Invaders, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with an electrifying revamp.

The first thing fans will notice is that the bunkers, which you could hide your ship behind, are gone. There are far fewer enemies onscreen at any time; during the occasional “boss” encounters, you may be facing just one big alien. The levels zip by really quickly, and most players will be content to simply rest a thumb on the fire button and blast away.

If you want to rack up high scores, though, you need to keep one simple strategy in mind: Try to hit aliens of the same color consecutively. If you succeed, you’re blessed with more powerful weapons or shields. That simple addition adds some real juice — and a lot of replay value — to a time-tested formula, making SIE a bargain at only $20.

Arkanoid DS (Square Enix, Nintendo DS, $19.99): One of my favorite games of the ’80s was Taito’s Arkanoid, a variation on Atari’s Breakout, in which the object was to destroy a cluster of blocks by bouncing a ball into them. Arkanoid DS delivers 140 levels with increasingly difficult formations to eliminate. The major addition is a “quest” mode that lets you tackle any of the screens you’ve already completed but tacks on some restraints. The Arkanoid makeover isn’t as radical as Space Invaders Extreme, but the core gameplay holds up.