Space Invaders return: 'It’s the quintessential video game'

A new collection of games in the hallowed Space Invaders series takes players on a journey back to the birth of the arcade phenomenon

Space Invaders: descending upon Earth in classic arcade action

You might not have come near a videogame in decades, but with its single, ominous bassline and stark, simple pixel-art, you’d be hard-pressed not to recognise a game of Space Invaders.

Envisioned by designer Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978 by arcade company Taito, the shooting classic was a product of its time and technology - and ended up helping the nascent videogame medium break the ceiling created by Atari’s Pong earlier in the decade.