Space Invaders

1001 Video Games

The Arcade version of Space Invaders appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Atari 2600 version

Space Invaders for the Atari 2600 was the first home license of a coin-op video game. It is said that people were buying Atari 2600 just so they could play the game at home.

Characters

The "space" invaders are creatures from the sea-octopi, squid, and crabs. The resemblance is much easier to spot in the coin-op version.

Coins

It is rumored that the arcade version of this game was responsible for a coin shortage in Japan upon it's initial release.

Movie plans

In 2014, Warner Brothers secured the movie rights to Space Invaders and attached Akiva Goldsman, Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell to produce through Weed Road and Safehouse Pictures, respectively.

References to the game

• Space Invaders is referenced in the Futurama episode Anthology of Interest II. The episode consists of three shorts; one of which involves Fry asking the "what-if" machine "what if life was more like a video game." The "Invaders" are actually alien spacecrafts. There is a scene that recreates the game; the scene even involves Fry shooting through his own shield.
• In an episode of The Simpsons TVS show titled "Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part Two" there is a mention of Space Invaders in this exchange between Groundskeeper Willie and Chief Wiggum:

  Willie: It's impossible for me to fire a pistol. If you'll check me medical records, you'll see I have a cripplin' arthritis in me index fingerrrs. Look at 'em! [holds them up] I got it from "Space Invaders" in 1977. Wiggum: Aw, yeah. That was a pretty addictive video game. Willie: [surprised] Video game?

• The arcade version of the game is referenced in Iain Banks 1984 novel The Wasp Factory.

Awards

• EGM
  • November 1997 (Issue 100) - ranked #4 (Titles That Revolutionized Console Gaming) (Arcade version)
• Retro Gamer
  • October 2004 (Issue #9) – #6 Best Game Of All Time (Readers' Vote)
  • Issue #46 - #14 in the "Top 25 Atari 2600 Games" poll
• The Strong National Museum of Play
  • 2016 – Introduced into the World Video Game Hall of Fame

Information also contributed by Chris Chidester, gamewarrior, Marquerite Richardson, PCGamer77, Scaryfun and Sciere