Space Invaders Walkthrough

Space Invaders is a classic arcade game developed by Taito. It was published by Taito in Japan and released in Japanese arcades in 1978. It was published by Midway in the United States. Space Invaders goes down in history as one of the first two-dimensional shoot-em-up games (also known as space shooters or SHMUPs) and was so popular that it caused a shortage of 100 yen coins in Japan.

As the "godfather" of shooting games, Space Invaders influenced later space shooters such as Galaga, Galaxian, Defender, and countless others. Space Invaders was also ported to numerous home systems such as the NES, SNES, Gameboy, and Sega Genesis; Space Invaders also has numerous copies and clones across the Web. This Flash version of Space Invaders remains true to the classic game.

The objective of Space Invaders is to destroy all of the rank-and-file aliens before they reach the bottom of the screen. When all aliens are defeated, you will advance to the next level. Occasionally, a red flying saucer will fly across the top of the screen. This alien does not have to be destroyed, but doing so will reward bonus points. You start out with three lives, and are rewarded with one extra life upon the completion of each level. Like many classic arcade games, gameplay will continue indefinitely until all lives are lost.

I cannot give any great tips for Space Invaders, since skill will come with practice. A few basic items should be kept in mind, however. First, you can only have one shot on the screen at once. Once you shoot, you cannot shoot again until the bullet strikes an enemy or passes the top of the screen. Finally, there are four shields that you can use for cover from enemy bullets. You can also shoot through these shields if you are feeling particularly daring; a tactic employed by Futuram's Fry in the episode that referenced this arcade game.

With this Flash version of Space Invaders, you can enjoy the classic arcade game without having to spend quarters (or cause a shortage of 100 yen coins for those playing in Japan). If you are a fan of SHMUPs, then play Space Invaders, the game that put the genre on the map!