Monday, April 09, 2007

The SGM Super 30 Video Game #30

Space Invaders (1978)


Ah, you never forget your first. This game probably lands high on everyone's list of "first video games I ever played." Hard to believe it's been that long. "Space Invaders" was the cherry-buster, not only for the whole shooter genre, but for video games as a whole.

The setup of the game is easy to describe: Pixellated aliens are descending from the sky, shooting at the tank below, the lone defender and, presumably, the sole survivor of a fighting squadron designed to defend the planet. The alien enemy descends slowly, menacingly, with nerve-wracking music that increases in tempo as the menace gets closer. Throw in a passing UFO that provides a bonus score, as well as expendable bunkers behind which you can hide your tank, and you've got one of the better video games ever developed.

Currently, the game is available on the Playstation 2 & X-Box collection, "Taito Legends." Of course, if you want a different spin on the game, you can search online for any of a number of versions & imitators, or you can even develop one to meet your style at the Clevermedia Arcade.

1 comment:

Will said...

This was one of my all time favorites. I loved the sound it made when they landed on the ground and your game was over. As Nate posted this and I saw it, I purchased the legends collection for PS2 on Amazon for around 8 bucks. Atari will always hold a special place in my heart.