Play Space Invaders online

Some sounds never leave you, and the heavy four-note heartbeat of Space Invaders is one of them. It speeds up as the alien army steps down toward your laser base, row by row, until your palms are sweating. At UsuArcade you can stand in front of that black screen again without leaving the couch.

Walk into the arcade, take a seat at the cabinet, drop in a virtual quarter and start defending Earth. Just like back at the pizza place or the mall arcade, somebody will be looking over your shoulder to see if you survive the last wave.

History

Taito released Space Invaders in 1978, designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and Midway brought it to the United States. Within months it had jumped from arcades to bars, bowling alleys and convenience stores, anywhere a cabinet would fit.

It was one of the first games to keep a high score on screen, which turned every game into a contest with the kid next to you. It kicked off the whole shooter craze: no Space Invaders, no Galaxian, no Phoenix, and maybe no golden age of arcades at all.

How to play

You slide a laser cannon left and right along the bottom of the screen and fire straight up. Only one shot can be on screen at a time, so make every one count. The 55-alien formation sweeps side to side and drops a step each time it hits an edge.

Four bunkers give you cover, but both your shots and theirs chew them away. Every so often the mystery saucer zips across the top, and tagging it is worth a nice bonus. The fewer invaders left, the faster they move, and the last one streaks across the screen.

Fun facts

• The speed-up wasn't originally planned: with fewer aliens to draw, the hardware simply ran faster, and Nishikado kept it because it made the game more intense.
• The on-screen high score helped create the bragging-rights culture that defined the arcade era.
• Two players take turns on the same cabinet, each with a separate score.

In the arcade

Space Invaders was a take-turns game, and that's how it plays on UsuArcade, just online: invite your friend to your cabinet once they're in the lobby and trade turns, each on your own phone or PC. While one plays, the other watches live.

Nothing to install: it runs in your browser, gamepad supported, and every game starts with INSERT COIN, free. Everyone else in the lobby can watch and chat, and scores go up on the arcade's high score board.

FAQ