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Game Overview

Space Invaders on the Atari 2600 is the granddaddy of shooters—those chunky pixel aliens might look basic now, but back then, they were terrifying. You’re just a little laser cannon at the bottom of the screen, staring down rows of descending invaders that somehow get faster every time you blink. The sound effects? Basically just beeps and bloops, but they’ll drill into your brain after a while.

Later versions added colors and fancy details, but there’s something raw about the 2600 original. The aliens move in this weird, hypnotic way, and the tension creeps up on you—one minute you’re casually picking them off, the next you’re sweating as they swarm closer. It’s the kind of game where you’ll say "just one more try" at 2 AM.

If you’ve never played it, you’ll recognize half the mechanics from modern games anyway—this is where they stole all the good ideas. The soundtrack alone is burned into retro gamers’ memories forever.