From the forum: 185

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

What's your earliest memory of Space Invaders and what system was it on?

[psj3809]

As a young kid i was in the famous 'Doom Bar' in Polzeath in around 1979/80. First time i saw a proper arcade machine, a lot of older kids playing this game called Space Invaders. Just looked incredible. Finally had a go later and was spooked out by the sound when theres only a few invaders left. After that i was hooked on arcade machines

[spacedmonkeys]

Atari 2600 - That hypnotic noise getting faster and faster and the whoop whoop of the UFO. Interesting story - I was at primary school, and for the school summer fete my mom painted a space invaders poster and dad took the 2600 in to set up a stand charging 50p a go for Space Invaders, for fundraising for the school

[kiwimike]

Ah the machine that started my love of games in my life.

My first memory was seeing it on an episode of tomorrows world on TV...and that etched in my mind even seeing it on TV.

Then, our local small town movie theatre got a machine, to go with an old pinball and mechanical target game. Love at first sight

[Arnie]

I believe my first encounter was with the real arcade machine whilst on holiday in a camp near Rye back in the late 70's. Didn't last very long and never touched another arcade machine for at least another 6-7 years. I've not played many actual arcade machines.

[ncf1]

After begging my dad for a coin, I popped 20c into one of these amazing looking new machines stood outside the supermarket, and time seemed to stand still as I was taken off into this captivating and all-consuming new gaming universe, to which I have merrily found myself addicted to without challenge, since.

[kiwimike]

[kiwimike]

Oops forgot to add... this is my 40th anniversary space invaders coin with its own cabinet, legal tender $2 new Zealand
Our NZ mint releases some cool ones at times, like Star Wars, Trek or Lord of the Rings etc...but this one I had to get. Official release licenced from Taito. Been tempted to take it out of the plastic case, but haven't

[HdE]

If I recall correctly, it was on the Atari 2600 - in glorious black and white on a portable TV that my stepbrother owned.

I only recently clapped eyes on that version of Space Invaders in colour. I won't say it made me feel old, but... it made me feel old.

[bounty bob]

It was around 1980 and I shared a room with my big brother. We had a big old TV in our room with the Atari VCS hooked up. I remember one weekend not getting much sleep as he and my cousin Ian played space invaders for 2 days straight, taking it in turns while the other rested. All on the same game and they wouldn't let me play.

[sirclive1]

Watching others play it at the youth club in 1980 , utterly bewildered .

[SpecChum81]

I first played Space Invaders at an Arcade when I was about 5 in 1986. Got it on the Speccy not long after that.

[acidbottle]

Discovered the wonder of arcade games at campsite pub in Cornwall in the early 80s. Being small and failing to convince my parents to give me 10p, I was content enough to watch the attract sequence where the invader scuttles across the screen and snatches the upside down letter Y endlessly.

[Sputryk]

A cocktail cabinet in a roadside café back in '78. Spent as much time on it as I did on a variant of Crash that was there. I was 8 years old and remember I wasn't all that taken by it. And I'm still not.

[ncf1]

Oops forgot to add... this is my 40th anniversary space invaders coin with its own cabinet, legal tender $2 new Zealand
Our NZ mint releases some cool ones at times, like Star Wars, Trek or Lord of the Rings etc...but this one I had to get. Official release licenced from Taito. Been tempted to take it out of the plastic case, but haven't

legal tender? Really? How cool is that!?