Atari licensed Taito's arcade phenomenon in 1980 and turned it into home consoles' first great "killer app" conversion, with multiple game variants selectable through the console's own switches to adjust speed, number of invaders, and the presence of shields. Legend has it that 2600 sales quadrupled after launch, to the point that many people bought the console specifically for this cartridge.
It is, without exaggeration, one of the most important titles in the history of home video gaming: proof that a strong arcade conversion could sell hardware all on its own — a lesson the entire industry would take to heart in the decades that followed.
If you liked this one
