Space Invaders
1978 • Taito
8.9/10Taito
Shoot 'em up
The alien invasion shooter that launched the video game industry with simple but addictive gameplay.
Gameplay
Control a laser cannon at the bottom of the screen, shooting at descending rows of alien invaders before they reach Earth.
Historical Context
Created by Tomohiro Nishikado at Taito, inspired by Star Wars and other science fiction media of the 1970s.
Fun Facts
- • Caused a coin shortage in Japan due to its popularity
- • One of the first games to save high scores
- • Established many shoot 'em up conventions
Cultural Impact
Launched the golden age of arcade games and established many fundamental concepts still used in gaming today.
Review
Space Invaders created the template for shoot 'em up games with perfect escalating difficulty and addictive scoring systems.