Unveiling the Origin Story of 'Space Invaders': Insights from the Creator.
Tomohiro Nishikado, the creator of Space Invaders, reveals the origin story of the iconic arcade game. Nishikado's initial design had players shooting at tanks, but he eventually settled on abstracted marine creatures like squids and crabs as the game's enemies. He also introduced video game features we now take for granted, such as destructible shields, enemies that fired back, and in-game music. Despite receiving a cool reception at launch, Space Invaders became a hit and spawned countless sequels and ports. The latest take on the game is a miniaturized cabinet by Numskull Designs, which Nishikado hopes will introduce a new generation to the game.