Game Review: Space Invaders for Atari 2600

Vintage Game Spot Review Rating: 93 out of 100

Space invaders is probably one of the greatest arcade games ever created. It was so popular and addictive that when released in Japan, it caused a nationwide shortage of 100-Yen coins.  This popularity carried over to the Atari 2600 port of the game. It was released for the 2600 in 1980 and quickly became the very first “killer app” for ANY video game platform, quadrupling the sales of the already popular console. In it’s first year Space Invaders for the 2600 sold 2 million copies, becoming the first game in history to sell more than 1 million copies. The game was also ported to other systems, with hit or miss popularity. It was somewhat successful on the Atari 5200 but was received poorly on the Nintendo NES.

The game has spawned MANY cultural references, many continuing today. My favorite modern cultural reference is on the Comedy Central cartoon Futurama. One of the main characters, Fry, controls a real life gun that shoots down “Invaders! Possibly from space!” controlled by Lrrr of the planet Nintendu 64 (A spoof on the character Lrrr, ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8.) Fry declares that all he needs to win is a 2 liter bottle of Shasta and an all-Rush mix tape. After failing to shoot down the last ship, Fry says “I could never get the last ship! My brother always got it for me!” After landing, Lrrr says “Instead of shooting where I was, you should have shot at where I was going to be.” As a demand for conquering earth, the invaders demand “A million allowances worth of quarters.”

Like most Atari 2600 games, the gameplay is very simple. The player controls a moveable gun on the ground. Right above him are 4 green shields. Above that, in a square grid pattern are four different kinds of ships that drop bombs while moving back and forth, descending as the game progresses. The goal is to destroy all ships before any of them reach ground level. If you are killed, or any of the ships reach the ground, you lose. If you are able to destroy all ships, you win. Simple right? Did I mention that after awhile your shields disappear? Did I mention that the more ships you shoot down, the faster and more aggressive the remaining ships become?

This is one of my favorite games. It never gets old and most of the time you don’t win. There are several varieties of 1 and 2 player games on the cartridge so you can always mix it up. The overwhelming popularity of the game means that you can easily find it at flea markets, swap meets, game stores and garage sales, usually for only a dollar or two. The only downside is… honestly I can’t think of a downside aside from the addictive qualities of this game and the nostalgia it brings back to anyone over the age of 30. If your younger, try it. You’ll like it. If your older, get your kids to play with you. Its hours of fun. In short: BUY THIS GAME AND PLAY IT! You will have no regrets!