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Space Invaders

Space Invaders - Japanese Title

Space Invaders - marquee

Manufacturer: Bally Midway
Year: 1978
Class: Wide Release
Genre: Space
Type: Videogame
Sub:

Monitor:

  • Orientation: Vertical
  • Type: Raster: Standard Resolution
  • CRT: Black and White with a Color Overlay
Conversion Class: unique
Number of Simultaneous Players: 1
Maximum number of Players: 2
Gameplay: Alternating
Control Panel Layout: Single Player
Controls:
  • Joystick: 2-way (left, right) [Left/Right button on the Bally/Midway North American Version]
  • Buttons: 1 [Fire]

Sound: Amplified Mono (one channel)

Space Invaders


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Space Invaders 3-D Model (QuickTime (TM))

Space Invaders Bezel Image
Space Invaders Control Panel Image
Space Invaders Instruction Card Image


Space Invaders Description

The original space alien vertical shooter. Move your tank back and forth along the bottom of the screen and shoot endless waves of aliens marching towards earth. Shoot the flying saucer for extra points.

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Cabinet Information

The Taito version of the game features a large, rectangular cabinet with blue and white sideart, and uses a joystick versus the button set-up on the Midway version. The marquee is also slightly different in terms of colour and prominently displays the "Taitronics" logo. The overall quality of the machine is arguably superior to the Midway version since its cabinet graphics are much more detailed.

Cheats, Tricks and Bugs

Popularized right after the release of the game, the "FURRER" trick allows you to get 300 points per mystery ship every time. It has to do with the way the random number generator works - at the beginning of every board count 22 shots (whether you hit an invader or not). Wait for the mystery ship. Shoot once to hit it to earn 300 pts. Now count 14 shots. Wait again for the mystery ship. Shoot once at it for another 300 pts. count 14 shots and repeat for the rest of the level. once on the new level, start again at 22 and repeat to 14. This trick was invented by Eric Furrer who to this day holds the Stratford Record for non-stop Space Invaders play -- 38 hours and 37 minutes and an accumulation of 1,114,000 points (111 roll overs, averaging three rolls an hour).

Mystery Ship Shot Deflection: On the fifth wave of invaders, the second mystery ship will deflect your shot with the rarely heard "deflection shot;" a shot played backwards.

Game Play

Move your base left or right to shoot the endless waves of aliens marching towards earth. There are four buildings (shields) that you can hide behind, but eventually they will be destroyed either by enemy missiles or by the enemies themselves. The aliens' descent quickens as you eliminate them. Shoot the flying saucer for extra points. See the "FURRER" trick for information on receiving 300pts every time you hit the saucer.

Hacks

  • Galaxian Invaders - Uses Space Invaders graphics in a Galaxian game.
  • Oaty Invaders - Lets you play as an oat bowl.

Miscellaneous

LICENSOR: Taito

Play a JAVA emulated version of the game by visiting http://web.utanet.at/nkehrer/JInvaders.html

VAPS Arcade Census

GAMES OWNED, WANTED, or FOR SALE BY MEMBERS OF THE VIDEO ARCADE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

Very Common - There are 268 known instances of Space Invaders owned by one of our 900 members. Of these, 244 of them are original dedicated machines, 2 of them are conversions in which game circuit boards (and possibly cabinet graphics) have been placed in (and on) another game cabinet, and 22 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

Of the 57,113 video games (3,420 unique) tracked by the Video Game Preservation Society, this game ranks a 87 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most commonly seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on ownership records.

Wanted - There are 10 VAPS members currently looking for Space Invaders.

For Sale - There are 24 VAPS members with Space Invaders machines for sale. VAPS members are totally independent of VAPS and the International Arcade Museum, and we are unable to recommend, endorce, or guarantee any person or company selling games or game parts.

Rarity is NOT necessarily an indication of value. Some common games show up as very rare here because collectors don't want them (they are common because arcade operators might be sitting on tons of them in warehouses), while some fairly scarce games are grabbed by collectors every time they show up. Additionally, some games made in the last 5 years are still making money for operators and are thus not yet affordable to the typical collector. For a clue to value, compare how many people have this game vs. how many people want this game and then click on the eBay links to help determine an accurate price range.

Technical

CPU: 8080

Trivia

The game was so amazingly popular in Japan that it caused a coin shortage until the country's Yen supply was quadrupled. Entire arcades were opened in Japan specifically for this game.

Many incidents of juvenile crime surrounded the release of this game. A girl was caught stealing $5000 from her parents and gangs of youths were reported to have robbed grocery stores just so they would have money to play the game.

Space Invaders, along with Pac-Man and Pong, shares the notorious distinction of being one of the most duplicated, bootleged and/or hacked arcade games.





In Italy in 1979, it was licensed to the manufacturer Sidam where it was released under the name "Invasion."

eBay Listings

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TODAY'S PICKS FOR:

Space Invaders

1. Midway SPACE INVADERS space background artwork

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2. Bally Midway Deluxe Space Invaders arcade game machine

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$200.00
 
3. Bally Space Invaders pinball machine. NON WORKING

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$300.00
 
4. space invaders mother boards

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5. Taito Space Invaders PCB - Color

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6. space invaders qix full size arcade machine works excel

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7. Space Invaders Mainboards Daughter And Sound by Midway

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8. Bally Space Invaders Pinball Replacement Bumper Cap Set

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9. Bally Space Invaders Pinball Machine Drop Targets New

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10. Bally Space Invaders Playboy Pinball Bumper Cap Set New

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Legacy

  1. Space Invaders
  2. Space Invaders Part II
  3. Space Invaders II
  4. Return Of The Invaders
  5. Super Space Invaders '91
  6. Space Invaders DX
  7. Space Invaders '95

Foto-Finder™

  1. Arcade 1 Historical Guide to Arcade Machines Vol. 1, Bueschel (ISBN 086667-051-3): Page: 297; Black and white photo; Price guide: 1993
  2. Arcade Treasures, Kurtz (ISBN 0-88740-619-X): Page: 102; Color photo; Price guide: 1994
  3. Arcade Treasures, Kurtz (ISBN 0-88740-619-X): Page: 168; Color photo; Price guide: 1994
  4. The Encyclpedia of Arcade Video Games, Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256): Page: 68; Color photo;
Space Invaders - Cabinet Image

Space Invaders - Cabinet Image

Space Invaders - Cabinet Image
Photo contributed by: Andre

Space Invaders - Cabinet Image


Space Invaders - Title screen image


Space Invaders - Title screen image

Space Invaders - Title screen image

Space Invaders - Title screen image


Click here to contribute another image.


Space Invaders - Image
Photo contributed by: Julian de Freitas 7 mbv_temjin

Space Invaders - Image
Photo contributed by: Julian de Freitas / mbv_temjin

Space Invaders - Image
Photo contributed by: J.d.F. / mbv_temjin





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