Space Invaders

The aliens kept coming, and so did the players.

Designed by Tomohiro Nishikado at Taito, Space Invaders arrived in Japan in 1978 and became a phenomenon far beyond the arcade industry.

You moved a laser cannon beneath rows of descending aliens, firing through crumbling shields as the formation crept lower. As enemies disappeared, the remaining invaders moved faster and the pulsing sound quickened with them. There was no final victory, only another wave and another chance to push the score higher.

Shooter games already existed, but Space Invaders turned the form into a global craze. Its success spurred imitators, helped drive the arcade boom and made the displayed high score a familiar part of arcade competition.

In 1980, its Atari 2600 conversion carried that momentum into the home and became the console’s most popular game.