Star Wars Invaders

Star Wars Invaders
Developers	Atari (original) Freddie (hack)
Publishers	Atari, Sears (original) Freeware (hack)
System	Atari 2600
Release Dates	1980 (original) 2004 (hack)
Modes	Single player Two players alternating Two players simultaneous
Media	Cartridge (original) ROM file (hack)

Space Invaders for the Atari 2600 was the first ever arcade to home game license, becoming a huge best seller, which it included 112 games with multiple playing variables. In the game, a group of invaders marched from one side of the screen to the other, dropping down a notch closer to the player’s laser cannon whenever they reached a screen edge, firing at the player’s cannon all the while. The player had three bunkers to take cover under, although they would become damaged with the player’s and invaders’ laser fire, then disappear altogether if the invaders came down too close, and if the invaders made it down to the very bottom of the screen, the player was "invaded" and the game would end (along with if the player lost all three of their laser cannons due to being shot by invaders would also end a game). A high-scoring Command Alien Ship would also fly overhead several times during a wave as well.

This hack of the Atari 2600 version of Space Invaders plays exactly the same as the original version, just with a change of graphics. The graphics were changed to imitate various craft from the Star Wars movies, as the players' laser bases are now X-Wing Fighters, bunkers are now radars from Return of the Jedi, the Invaders are all Empire ships, being the Shuttle Tydirium, Star Destroyers and various T. I. E. Fighters, and the Command Alien Ship is now the Death Star.

Game variations

• Moving Shields--Radars move back and forth
• Zigzagging Laser Bombs--Invaders' shots zigzag back and forth towards the ground
• Fast Laser Bombs--Invaders Bombs drop quickly
• Invisible Invaders--Invaders are invisible unless one (or the Death Star) is shot, which they then briefly reappear
• Large Player--flipping a difficulty switch on the 2600 console to the A position makes players' X-Wings larger

Game variations, player setup

There are two player alternating variations, along with variations to not only have both players onscreen at once, but there are also several competing variations as well, such as ones where if one player gets hit by Invader fire, the other player is awarded 200 points. Others include alternating shots where if one player takes too long to fire from their X-Wing then it will automatically shoot.

Other variations include ones where one player controls one X-Wing, along with one player can only move it to the right, while the other player can only move it to the left. Other variations allow one movement and one shot per player, then the other player gets to do the same, and others have one player move the X-Wing while the other player fires.

Scoring

• T. I. E. Fighter--5 points
• T. I. E. Interceptor (second row)--10 points
• T. I. E. Interceptor (third row)--15 points
• Shuttle Tydirium--20 points
• T. I. E. Interceptor (fifth row)--25 points
• Star Destroyer--30 points
• Death Star--200 points, or 100 points in certain game variations
• Other player's X-Wing hit--200 points awarded to other player on certain competitive game variations

Controls

• Move X-Wing--joystick left and right
• Fire--button

Trivia

The original game came with several label variations, which are known as Picture, Text, Red, and Silver labels. This version comes as a ROM file only to be played on Atari emulators or flashcarts.

Links

Star Wars Invaders Atari Age page