About Centipede
In Centipede, players control a small character at the bottom of the screen and shoot a continuously descending centipede, along with other enemies such as spiders and scorpions. This classic arcade shooter has players racing against the clock to destroy enemies while avoiding obstacles and enemy fire.
Developer & Publisher:
Centipede was developed and published by Atari, Inc. It was co-designed by Ed Logg and Dona Bailey—Bailey being one of the first female developers in the arcade game industry. The game was notable for its distinctive trackball control and colorful, fast-paced action.
Levels:
Centipede is a fixed shooter that takes place on a vertically-oriented field filled with mushrooms. Players control a small "bug blaster" at the bottom of the screen, firing upward to eliminate a descending centipede that weaves through the mushroom field. Each segment of the centipede that is hit turns into a mushroom, which alters the centipede’s path and makes gameplay progressively chaotic. Alongside the centipede, other enemies like spiders, fleas, and scorpions appear: Spiders move in a bouncing, erratic pattern and eat mushrooms. Fleas drop down from the top, leaving mushrooms in their wake. Scorpions poison mushrooms, causing centipedes to dive straight down when they touch them. The game continues endlessly, increasing in speed and difficulty as players clear each wave.
High Scores:
Centipede features a points-based system where players accumulate scores by shooting enemies: Each centipede segment: 10 points Spider: 300, 600, or 900 points (depending on proximity) Flea: 200 points Scorpion: 1000 points High scores were saved locally on arcade cabinets, driving competition and repeat play. Top players could reach scores in the hundreds of thousands or even millions through advanced reflexes and pattern recognition.
Legacy:
Centipede is one of the most iconic arcade games of the early 1980s. It stood out for its innovative use of a trackball and for appealing to a broader audience—including a significant female player base at the time. It was a massive commercial success and led to multiple ports on home consoles, a 1982 sequel called Millipede, and even modern remakes. Centipede has remained a staple in retro gaming compilations and is widely remembered for its fast-paced gameplay, colorful visuals, and insect-blasting fun.