Space Invaders is a Japanese shooting video game released in 1978 by Taito. It was developed by Tomohiro Nishikado, who was inspired by other media: Breakout , The War of the Worlds , and Star Wars . [1] It is one of the forerunners of modern video gaming and helped expand the video game industry from a novelty to a global industry. [2] [3] It was first released as an arcade game and later remade on different platforms; re-releases include ported and updated versions. Ported versions generally feature different graphics and additional gameplay options, including moving defense bunkers, zigzag shots, invisible aliens, and two-player modes. [4] Space Invaders is one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time.
Taito released numerous sequels and spin-offs, many of which have also been remade on multiple platforms, including home consoles and handheld devices. Follow up titles are typically released in celebration of the original's anniversary. The first sequels were primarily released in arcades, while later titles were released on portable devices. Sequels often added power-ups and incorporated new gameplay mechanics—like three-dimensional playing fields, bosses, and rhythm-action—to the original's design. [5] Most titles were released internationally, though some are exclusive to select regions. The games have received different receptions: the Atari 2600 port of the original became the video game industry's first "killer app", while some sequels were regarded as insignificant updates. [4] [6] Space Invaders and several of its arcade sequels are often included in video game compilations released by Taito.
It inspired numerous other games. [7] Many companies created clones that copied its gameplay, with more than a hundred Space Invaders clones released for various platforms by the early 1980s (such as Super Invader and TI Invaders ). [8] [9] Others built upon the original's gameplay (such as the Galaxian franchise).
Title | Details |
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Original release date(s): [10] June 1978 | Release years by system: 1978 – Arcade [10] 1980 – Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit [4] 1982 – Atari 5200, Handheld electronic games [4] [11] 1985 – Nintendo Entertainment System, [4] SG-1000 [12] 1999 – WonderSwan [13] 2002 – VG Pocket Caplet [14] 2007 – Mobile phone [15] 2009 – iOS [16] |
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Original release date(s): [25] [26] 1979 | Release years by system: 1979 – Arcade 1990 – Game Boy and Skill for Prizes [4] |
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Space Invaders II Original release date(s): [28] 1980 | Release years by system: 1980 – Arcade |
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Return of the Invaders Original release date(s): [29] [30] September 12, 1984 | Release years by system: 1984 – Arcade |
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Super Space Invaders '91 Original release date(s): [32] 1990 | Release years by system: 1990 – Arcade [32] 1991 – Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Windows, Game Gear, Master System, and ZX Spectrum [6] [33] |
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Minivaders Original release date(s): [4] 1990 | Release years by system: 1990 – Arcade |
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Original release date(s): [40] September 1993 | Release years by system: 1993 – Arcade 1994 – Game Boy and Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1995 – TurboGrafx-CD 1996 – Sega Saturn [41] 1997 – PlayStation 2001 – Nuon [6] |
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Space Invaders '95: The Attack of Lunar Loonies Original release date(s): [43] June 1995 | Release years by system: 1995 – Arcade |
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Space Invaders CX Original release date(s): [46] 24 August 2008 | Release years by system: 2008 – Arcade |
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Space Invaders The Beat Attacker Original release date(s): 2008 | Release years by system: 2008 – Arcade |
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Space Invaders Frenzy Original release date(s): [47] January 2017 | Release years by system: 2017 – Arcade |
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Space Invaders Counter Attack Original release date(s): June 2020 | Release years by system: 2020 – Arcade |
Title | Details |
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Space Invaders: Fukkatsu no Hi Original release date(s): 1990 | Release years by system: 1990 – PC Engine |
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Space Invaders 90 Original release date(s): [49] | Release years by system: 1990 – Sega Mega Drive |
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Space Invaders Original release date(s): [6] October 5, 1999 [50] | Release years by system: 1999 – PlayStation, PC, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color [6] |
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Original release date(s): [56] | Release years by system: 2008 – Wii |
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Title | Details |
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Space Invaders Original release date(s): [58] 1999 | Release years by system: 1999 – Color FX |
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Space Invaders Original release date(s): [61]
| Release years by system: 2002 – Game Boy Advance |
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Space Invaders Revolution Original release date(s): [63] | Release years by system: 2005 – Nintendo DS |
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Space Invaders Evolution Original release date(s): [66] | Release years by system: 2005 – PlayStation Portable |
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Original release date(s): [68] [69] [70] | Release years by system: 2008 – Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable [68] [69] 2009 – Xbox Live Arcade [71] 2018 – Microsoft Windows |
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Original release date(s): [72] | Release years by system: 2009 - Nintendo DS |
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Original release date(s): [75] 2009 | Release years by system: 2009 – Mobile phone and iOS [75] [76] 2010 – PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 [77] [78] 2013 – Android [79] |
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Space Invaders: Hidden Heroes Original release date(s): 2021 | Release years by system: 2021 – Mobile phone [80] [81] |
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Space Invaders: World Defense Original release date(s): July 17, 2023 | Release years by system: 2023 – Mobile phone |
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Title | Details |
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Original release date(s): [84]
| Release years by system: 1995 – Virtual Boy |
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Space Invaders/Qix - Silver Anniversary Edition Original release date(s): [85] 2003 | Release years by system: 2003 – Arcade |
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Space Invaders Anniversary Original release date(s): [86] [87] 2003 | Release years by system: 2003 – Arcade, PlayStation 2, and PC [6] [86] |
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Space Invaders Pocket Original release date(s): [88]
| Release years by system: 2005 – PlayStation Portable |
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Original release date(s): [91]
| Release years by system: 2005 – PlayStation 2 |
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Taito Memories Volume 2 Original release date(s): [95]
| Release years by system: 2005 – PlayStation 2 |
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Original release date(s): [97] [98] [99]
| Release years by system: 2005 – PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC [100] |
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Original release date(s): [101] | Release years by system: 2006 – PlayStation Portable |
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Original release date(s): [103] [104] [105]
| Release years by system: 2006 – PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC [103] [104] [105] |
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Original release date(s): [91]
| Release years by system: 2007 – PlayStation 2 |
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Space Invaders Trilogy Original release date(s): [106] 2007 | Release years by system: 2007 – Mobile phone |
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Original release date(s): [107]
| Release years by system: 2020 – Nintendo Switch |
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Space Invaders Forever Original release date(s): [108]
| Release years by system: 2020 – Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 |
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Title | Details |
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Original release date(s): [4] 1983 | Release years by system: 1983 – Atari 2600 |
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PD Ultraman Invaders Original release date(s): [110]
| Release years by system: 1995 – PlayStation |
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Original release date(s): [111] [112]
| Release years by system: 2002 – GameCube, PlayStation 2 [111] [112] |
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Space Invaders Collection Original release date(s): [6] 2003 | Release years by system: 2003 – ColecoVision and MSX |
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Arcade Legends: Space Invaders Original release date(s): [114] 2004 | Release years by system: 2004 – Plug & play |
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Space Invaders × Pac-Man Original release date(s): [118]
| Release years by system: 2005 – Mobile phone |
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Yawaraka Sensha vs Space Invaders Original release date(s): [119] November 2006 | Release years by system: 2006 – Mobile phone |
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Space Invaders Pinball Original release date(s): [120] 2007 | Release years by system: 2007 – Mobile phone |
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Minna de Invaders Original release date(s): [121] 2007 | Release years by system: 2007 – Mobile phone |
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Space Invaders World War Original release date(s): [124] April 2008 | Release years by system: 2008 – Web browser [124] |
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Original release date(s): May 17, 2017 | Release years by system: 2017 – Android, iOS 2020 – Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 |
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Space Invaders Gigamax Original release date(s): January 12, 2018 | Release years by system: 2018 – Event 2020 – Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 |
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Space Invaders is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade video game, developed and released by Taito in Japan and licensed to Midway Manufacturing for overseas distribution. Commonly considered to be one of the most influential video games of all time, Space Invaders was the first fixed shooter and the first video game with endless gameplay and set the template for the genre. The goal is to defeat wave after wave of descending aliens with a horizontally moving laser cannon to earn as many points as possible.
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Tomohiro Nishikado is a Japanese video game developer and engineer. He is the creator of the arcade shoot 'em up game Space Invaders, released to the public in 1978 by the Taito Corporation of Japan, often credited as the first shoot 'em up and for beginning the golden age of arcade video games. Prior to Space Invaders, he also designed other earlier Taito arcade games, including the shooting electro-mechanical games Sky Fighter (1971) and Sky Fighter II, the sports video game TV Basketball in 1974, the vertical scrolling racing video game Speed Race in 1974, the multi-directional shooter Western Gun in 1975, and the first-person combat flight simulator Interceptor (1975).
The following article is a broad timeline of arcade video games.
Urban Champion (アーバンチャンピオン) is a fighting video game developed and published by Nintendo in 1984. It was first released for the Famicom and Nintendo VS. System for arcades in 1984, and later released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America and Europe in 1986. It was inspired by the 1984 Game & Watch game Boxing. It is Nintendo's first 2D fighting game, eventually followed by the 1993 Famicom game Joy Mech Fight.
A beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, while a number of modern games feature more open three-dimensional (3D) environments with yet larger numbers of enemies. The gameplay tends to follow arcade genre conventions, such as being simple to learn but difficult to master, and the combat system tends to be more highly developed than other side-scrolling action games. Two-player cooperative gameplay and multiple player characters are also hallmarks of the genre. Most of these games take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical, science fiction or fantasy themes.
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Space Invaders Get Even is a video game by Taito for the Wii. Originally intended as a retail release, the game was released as a downloadable WiiWare game instead. It was released in Japan on August 26, 2008, in Europe and Australia on November 7, 2008, and in North America on December 1, 2008. Outside Japan the game is published by Square Enix.
Space Invaders Infinity Gene is a shoot 'em up game released as part of the Space Invaders franchise. The game blends the series classic characters and gameplay with the concept of evolution. The game was developed by Taito and distributed by Square Enix. The game was released for iOS on July 27, 2009, after first appearing on Japanese mobile phones, and was later released for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in September 2010, and for Android in September 2011.
Taito Legends Power-Up is a compilation of classic Taito video games released for the PlayStation Portable system. Patterned after the Taito Memories series for PlayStation 2, Power-Up marks the first release of the franchise on a portable gaming system. The Japanese version is called Taito Memories Pocket and has sixteen games. The Western versions remove Rainbow Islands Extra, and replace it with six other games, for a total of 21 games on the Western compilation.
Video games are a major industry in Japan, and the country is considered one of the most influential in video gaming. Japanese game development is often identified with the golden age of video games and the country is home to many notable video game companies such as Nintendo, Sega, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Taito, Konami, Square Enix, Capcom, NEC, SNK, and formerly Sony Computer Entertainment. Japan is currently the third largest video game market in the world after China and the United States.