SPACE INVADERS ARCADE VIDEO GAME

 

SPACE INVADERS

Space Invaders is an arcade video game. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by Midway. It was released in 1978. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games. The objective of the game is to defeat waves of aliens with a laser cannon to earn as many points as possible.

It was one of the first arcade games of modern video gaming and helped expand the video game industry from a novelty to a global industry. Space Invaders was very popular and successful when it was first released. Shortly after its release, the game caused a temporary shortage of 100-yen coins in Japan, grossed US$2 billion in quarters by 1982, and by 2007 had earned Taito over $500 million in profits. The Guinness World Records ranks it the top arcade game.

The game has been the inspiration for other video games, re-released on numerous platforms, and led to several sequels. Space Invaders has been referenced and parodied in multiple television shows, and been a part of several video game and cultural exhibitions. The pixelated enemy alien has become a pop culture icon, often used as a synecdoche representing video games as a whole.

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

Space Invaders is a two-dimensional fixed shooter game in which the player controls a laser cannon by moving it horizontally across the bottom of the screen and firing at descending aliens. The aim is to defeat five (5) rows of eleven (11) aliens—some versions feature different numbers—that move horizontally back and forth across the screen as they advance towards the bottom of the screen. The player defeats an alien by shooting it with the laser cannon, and earns points. As more aliens are defeated, the aliens' movement and the game's music both speed up. Defeating the aliens brings another wave that is more difficult, a loop which can continue indefinitely.

The aliens attempt to destroy the cannon by firing at it while they approach the bottom of the screen. If they reach the bottom, the alien invasion is successful and the game ends. A special "mystery ship" will occasionally move across the top of the screen and award bonus points if destroyed. The laser cannon is partially protected by several stationary defense bunkers—the number varies by version—that are gradually destroyed by projectiles from the aliens and player.