Centipede

This is truly tribal, haha. Keeps pumping *dum dum dum dum*, it's catchy. But yes, it's a good game, if only another Space Invaders spin. If you're emulating it, please play it with a mouse!

Its a variation on Space Invaders, except everytime one of the alien dies it drops an obstacle, and when the other aliesn hit those they move one movement forward. This creates a neat dynamic in which you must divide your attention between the main threat and the "graves" they leave behind. Visually and sonically its weak, even for the time. I dont find much good in it besides being a variation from space invaders, and it lacks the charm and superior aesthetic of that title.

The great thing about Centipede was that it had a novel control system. Rather than a joystick (or - ugh - buttons) the player moved around the screen via a track ball. This allowed for great precision, but also resulted in the game's downfall for me - it required too much effort to play. I mean, if I wanted exercise (as my mother was fond of nagging me about) I would get out of the arcade into the sunshine and do some press-ups.

The gameplay itself was fast and presented a reasonable challenge although the graphics, even for 1980, were fairly rank. Barely better than what you would see on a home console of the era. I was happier to watch other people play the game. At least that didn't require me to expend energy.