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Space Invaders facts for kids

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Space Invaders
A promotional flyer for Space Invaders: an arcade display on the bottom-right corner is shown over a laser cannon surrounded by aliens and saucers; the background contains the screen against a background of a canyon and a block mountain; the Space Invaders and Taito logos are displayed on the top of the poster.
Promotional flyer
Developer(s) Taito
Publisher(s)
  • Taito WW
Atari, Inc. (home)
Designer(s) Tomohiro Nishikado
Series Space Invaders
Platform(s) Arcade, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, MSX
Release date(s)
  • June 1978 NA
Genre(s) Fixed shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, 2 players alternating
Cabinet Upright, cocktail
Arcade system Taito 8080
CPU 8080 @ 2 MHz
Sound SN76477 @ 1.9968 MHz
Display Fujitsu MB14241, monochrome raster, vertical orientation, 224×256 resolution
SpaceInvaders-Gameplay
The player-controlled laser cannon shoots the aliens as they descend to the bottom of the screen.

Space Invaders is a video game made by the Taito Corporation. Space Invaders is one of the most famous early video games. The game is about defending the Earth from Space Invaders (aliens) by shooting them down before they can land. There have been seven versions of Space Invaders made by the Taito Corporation. Space Invaders was designed by the Taito Corporations man in charge of the game making department, Toshihiro Nishikado.

Nishikado was inspired to make the game after watching Star Wars and War of the Worlds. At first Space Invaders was a coin-operated machine but has been made available for almost every games console and home computer. Before making Space Invaders, Nishikado worked on games called Soccer and Interceptor. He says the hardest part of making a video game is designing the computer inside it. Taito describes Space Invaders as "an international phenomenon".

Space Invaders versions

  • Space Invaders, 1978
  • Space Invaders Part 2, 1979
  • The Return of the Space Invaders, 1985
  • Space Invaders '91, 1991
  • Space Invaders DX, 1995
  • Space Invaders '95, 1995
  • Space Invaders 3D

Images for kids

  • Epoch-TV-Vader

    In Japan, Epoch Co. released a Space Invaders clone in 1980 that could be played at home: the Epoch TV Vader.

  • Vgltoronto

    A pixelated alien graphic from Space Invaders used at the Video Games Live concert event

  • Puma space invaders

    A spaceship aiming at the Puma logo, with clear references to Space Invaders

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Space Invaders Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.