Space Invaders

Space Invaders is the 1978 Taito arcade game by Tomohiro Nishikado that singlehandedly created the shooter genre and triggered the 1978-1982 arcade boom. A horde of 55 alien invaders march in formation across the screen, slowly descending. The player controls a laser cannon at the bottom, shielded by 4 destructible bunkers, with one job: shoot down all 55 before they reach the bottom. Space Invaders generated over $2 billion in revenue in its first 4 years — at one point causing a 100-yen coin shortage in Japan.

How to play

• Left / Right arrows — move the laser cannon horizontally.
• Space — fire a laser bolt upward. Only one bolt can be on screen at a time.
• The alien formation marches left, drops down, marches right, drops down, etc. As fewer aliens remain, the formation speeds up.
• Aliens occasionally fire back (random column).
• 4 bunkers at mid-height block both your shots and incoming alien fire. They degrade over time.
• UFO occasionally crosses the top of the screen. Shoot it for bonus points (50, 100, 150, or 300).
• Lose all 3 lives or let the aliens reach your row = game over.
• Clear all 55 aliens = next wave (faster, more aggressive).

Scoring

• Bottom row alien (squid) → 10 points
• Middle rows (crab) → 20 points
• Top rows (octopus) → 30 points
• UFO (variable) → 50, 100, 150, or 300 points
• Bonus life at 1,000 points (in most ROMs)
• Wave bonus increases with subsequent waves

Beginner strategy

• Shoot from the outside in. Aliens at the edges of the formation are the most dangerous (they shoot down columns over your position). Clearing edges first reduces the firing angle.
• Use bunkers as cover. The 4 destructible shields are your best defense. Position yourself behind one when alien fire is dense.
• Stay mobile. A stationary cannon is an easy target. Even when aliens are far away, keep moving.
• Conserve shots. Only one bolt on screen at a time. Don’t fire until you have a clean line — wasted shots leave you defenseless during their flight.
• UFO timing. The UFO appears at regular intervals. Position yourself in advance.

Intermediate strategy

• The speed-up factor. The formation accelerates as you destroy aliens. By the time you’re down to the last 1-2 aliens, they’re moving extremely fast. Plan to leave easy targets for the late-game.
• Bunker management. Bunkers degrade with every hit (both yours and theirs). Don’t fire through your own bunker — the hole you make lets alien fire through.
• Predictable column targets. Aliens fire from the bottom of their current formation column. Watch which column is firing and dodge that column when possible.
• UFO score values. The UFO’s bonus value is determined by the number of shots you’ve fired total. Most ROMs give 300 points if your shot count is a specific number (often 23). Skilled players manipulate their shot count to time the 300-point UFO.
• End-game speed. The last alien is the fastest. Don’t dawdle — by the time it’s accelerated to “screen blur” speed, it’s almost unhittable.

Advanced strategy and exploitation

• The 300-point UFO. Counting shots to land on the right value (typically 23 in the original ROM) makes the next UFO worth 300. Doing this every UFO appearance dramatically boosts score.
• Edge protection. Outside columns can only be shot from a narrow angle. Hide behind the rightmost bunker, only emerge to shoot.
• Pattern shooting. The aliens descend in a predictable pattern. With practice, you can shoot through gaps you’ve created in the formation — bypassing the front rows.
• 1,000,000+ score. The original Space Invaders has no kill screen — runs can continue indefinitely. Documented runs over 1 million exist but require hours of focus.
• The “rolling shield” trick. Some ROMs allow shielding behavior by careful positioning — the alien formation passes around the cannon if positioned at certain X coordinates.

The Space Invaders phenomenon

• 1978-06 — release: Tomohiro Nishikado designs Space Invaders at Taito. Released in Japan only initially.
• 1978-12 — 100-yen coin shortage: the game’s massive popularity allegedly caused Japan’s central bank to triple 100-yen coin production. (Some historians dispute this; either way, the game’s revenue was enormous.)
• 1979 — US release (Midway): Space Invaders reaches American arcades through Midway licensing. Generates over $1 billion in quarters in its first 18 months.
• 1980 — Atari 2600 home version: Atari’s home cartridge of Space Invaders quadruples the Atari 2600’s sales — the first true “killer app” for a home console.
• 1980s arcade boom: Space Invaders’ success creates the arcade industry. Without it, there’s no Pac-Man, no Donkey Kong, no Asteroids, no industry.
• 2018 — 40th anniversary: celebrated worldwide. Taito releases anniversary editions and merchandising.

The cultural impact

• The pixel art aesthetic. Space Invaders’ 8×8 sprite aliens became shorthand for “video game” in pop culture. Used in advertising, fashion, even street art (Invader, the French artist, has tiled them on city walls worldwide).
• Music in games. The 4-note “marching” theme that speeds up as aliens are destroyed was groundbreaking — gameplay-reactive audio. Influenced game music for decades.
• The shooter genre. Every shoot-em-up (shmup) descends from Space Invaders. Galaga, Galaxian, R-Type, Gradius, even modern bullet hell games trace their DNA back here.
• Speed as difficulty. The accelerating-as-you-progress mechanic is now a staple of dozens of game genres.

Common mistakes

• Standing still. Stationary cannon = easy target.
• Firing through your own bunkers. Holes in your bunkers let alien shots through.
• Ignoring the UFO. 300 bonus points per UFO is a huge score multiplier.
• Not anticipating the speed-up. Late-game alien speed can shock you if you’re not ready.
• Wasting shots into empty space. One bolt at a time. Don’t fire unless you have a target.

Variants and successors

• Space Invaders Part II (1980). Direct sequel; faster, more aliens, multiple ship types.
• Space Invaders DX (1994). Tate-mode arcade version with parallel-play modes.
• Space Invaders Extreme (2008). Modern reimagining with rhythm-based scoring.
• Galaga (1981). Namco’s spiritual successor; introduces dive-bombing enemies.
• Galaxian (1979). Earlier direct competitor; more aggressive enemy AI.
• Centipede (1981). Atari’s “Space Invaders alternative” with mushroom mechanics.

FAQ

• Q: How many aliens are in a wave? A: 55 — five rows of 11 aliens each.
• Q: Why does the formation speed up? A: The original arcade hardware updated the screen at fixed intervals. With fewer aliens to draw, each frame took less time — accidentally making the surviving aliens faster. Nishikado liked the effect and kept it.
• Q: Can I really shoot through my own bunker? A: Yes — each shot you fire destroys a small area of bunker. Over time, bunkers degrade from your own fire as well as enemy fire.
• Q: Is there a way to stop the aliens from speeding up? A: No. The acceleration is inherent. Train for the late-game speed.

For other arcade shooters, try Galaga, Asteroids, Centipede, or Pacman.