Centipede marquee

RetroTech100 Arcade 20p Challenge On Atari’s Centipede


This week the game I chose won the wheel of destiny, so everybody at RetroTech100 (or at least those who do the weekly challenge) had to play the 1981 game Centipede by Atari. The usual rules apply, as much practise as you like, then once you put in 2 credits (20 pence in old money) and start recording that is your run.

An Introduction to Centipede by Atari

Centipede shouldn’t need much by way of introduction as it is one of Atari’s classic games from the arcade era. Just in case though, here is a quick synopsis of the game. You must defend your garden from the invading insects, mainly the titular Centipede which starts at the top and squiggles down the screen, if you shoot in the middle the other sections will split and continue descending towards you. As the game progresses other creepy crawlies will join the assault on your garden, and on you too. Shoot, shoot , shoot everything that moves (and shoot the things that don’t which are in your way and hampering your avoidance of the insects).

The Centipede gets quicker as the game progresses, the spider will appear more often and move towards you more often and faster. In addition there will be other insects coming at you to get a bite to eat in your garden, and bite you along the way. The difficulty ramps up quite quickly as the levels keep coming. This means the game gives a satisfying challenge and a sense of achievement each time you complete a level.

Summing Up The Game

The graphics are pretty standard for the early 80s, but the gameplay is where it’s at, with Centipede giving a fair but increasing challenge. There is nothing really taking your lives unless you made a mistake. All in all Atari gave us a fun and colourful game and we are making it into a high score challenge at Retrotech 100 where we love Retro Gaming.

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