Space Invaders did not just launch a game — it launched an industry. When Taito released Space Invaders in Japanese arcades in June 1978, it caused a nationwide yen shortage as players poured coins into machines. By 1980 it had grossed over $2 billion in arcades worldwide. It is widely credited as the game that turned the video game arcade from a novelty into a permanent fixture of popular culture. You can play a faithful recreation of the original right now in your browser, free, with no download required.
The Taito Classic That Changed Everything
Tomohiro Nishikado designed Space Invaders for Taito Corporation over the course of approximately a year, a period during which he also designed and built the custom hardware the game ran on — a near-unique situation in game development. Nishikado's original concept used tanks and aircraft as enemies, but human figures in conflict raised concerns within Taito. After considering various alternatives, he settled on alien invaders, inspired partly by H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds and partly by a then-recent cultural fascination with space following the 1977 release of Star Wars.
The alien designs — the squid-like top row, the crab-like middle rows, the octopus-like bottom rows — were drawn on graph paper and translated into sprite data. Nishikado designed three distinct alien types to give the formation visual depth and to create different point values: bottom aliens were worth 10 points, middle rows 20, and the top row (the smallest target) 30. The mystery UFO crossing the top of the screen added an unpredictable bonus element.
The game's accidental signature mechanic — aliens speeding up as their numbers were reduced — became one of the most imitated tension-building devices in game design history. Every player who clears the formation to just a few remaining aliens and feels the pace shift from manageable to frantic has experienced what Nishikado's hardware constraint accidentally created in 1977.
The Alien Formations and Shields
The alien grid starts as 55 creatures arranged in five rows of eleven, descending slowly across the screen while shifting left and right. As aliens are destroyed, the formation narrows and its march accelerates. The bottom row — the easiest to shoot — is worth the fewest points. The top row — the hardest to hit, furthest from your cannon, and most dangerous to leave alive — is worth the most.
Four destructible shields sit between your cannon and the alien formation. They absorb both your laser shots and the aliens' descending bombs. Shields degrade piece by piece and can be destroyed completely. Managing your shields — using them for cover without shooting holes through them yourself — is one of the subtler skills in Space Invaders. An experienced player knows exactly which parts of a shield remain intact and positions their cannon accordingly.
How to Play Space Invaders
- Move your cannon — Use left and right arrow keys to slide your cannon along the bottom of the screen. You can move at any time, including while firing.
- Fire your laser — Press Spacebar to shoot upward. Only one laser can be active at a time — wait for your shot to hit something or leave the top of the screen before firing again.
- Target the formation strategically — Shooting from the outer columns inward narrows the formation faster, slowing its descent. Targeting the bottom row scores least but is the safest approach. Top row scores most but requires accurate shooting through a shrinking formation.
- Use the shields — Duck behind shields when the alien bombing rate intensifies. Avoid shooting holes in your own shields unnecessarily.
- Watch for the UFO — A mystery saucer periodically crosses the top of the screen. Shooting it awards bonus points. Prioritise it when it appears if you can do so without exposing yourself to the alien bombs.
- Clear the wave to advance — Destroying all 55 aliens clears the wave. A new formation begins at a faster base speed. Survive as many waves as possible before losing all three lives.
High Score Strategy
Maximum scoring in Space Invaders requires targeting the top row first — the 30-point aliens — while they are still plentiful and the formation is wide. As the formation narrows and accelerates, accurate shooting matters more than speed. Maintain position near the centre of the screen to minimise lateral movement between shots. In later waves, the aliens descend so quickly that every wasted movement is a missed shot opportunity. The UFO bonus rewards players who have fired a specific number of shots — in some versions the exact bonus is deterministic, making it a target for memorisation-based play.