Space Invaders

Space Invaders: Classic Arcade Shoot 'em Up Game

Space Invaders is an iconic arcade shoot 'em up game from the late 1970s. Players control a laser cannon that can move left and right along the bottom of the screen, firing at waves of aliens overhead that slowly advance towards the player's position. The goal is to shoot the aliens before they reach the bottom of the screen. With simple graphics and addictive gameplay, Space Invaders became an enormously popular and influential video game after its release.

What is Space Invaders?

Space Invaders is a seminal arcade shoot 'em up video game released in 1978 by Taito. It revolutionized the gaming industry and became the foundation for shoot 'em up genre. Space Invaders features simple black and white graphics and alien enemies that slowly advance towards the player while randomly bombing them.

At the start of each wave and level, rows of aliens appear overhead and slowly advance towards the bottom of the screen, dropping bombs at random intervals. The player controls a mobile laser cannon at the bottom that can move left and right and shoot vertically to destroy the aliens. If an alien reaches the bottom, the player loses a life. If the player loses all their lives, the game ends.

The aim is to shoot all the aliens wave after wave without letting any reach the bottom. With each advancing wave, the aliens increase their speed and number to give more challenge. There are also several bunkers for the player to take cover under. Over the course of the levels, the bunkers get damaged and destroyed by bombs.

With its simple but addictive gameplay, Space Invaders became immensely popular after its release. Arcade machines were inundated with crowds of players and it went on to sell over 360,000 arcade cabinets. Its success played a major role in the golden age of arcade video games and the shoot 'em up genre, inspiring games like Galaxian, Phoenix, and Galaga.

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