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{{Header Nav|game=Centipede|num=4}}
{{Header Nav|game=Centipede}}
{{Infobox
{{Game
|completion=4
|image=Centipede flyer.jpg
|title=Centipede
|title=Centipede
|image=Centipede flyer.jpg
|developer=[[Atari]]
|developer=[[Atari]]
|publisher=[[Atari]]
|publisher=[[Atari]]
|year=1980
|systems={{syslist|cade|a2|a8bit|a2600|a5200|a7800|intellivision|cv|c64|vic20|gb|gbc|ti99|360|game.com}}
|ratings={{ESRB|E}}
|designer=Dona Bailey
|designer=Dona Bailey
|genre=[[Action]]
|genre=[[Action]]
|systems=[[Arcade]], [[Apple II]], [[Atari 8-bit]], [[Atari 2600]], [[Atari 5200]], [[Atari 7800]],  [[Intellivision]], [[ColecoVision]], [[Commodore 64/128]], [[Commodore VIC-20]], [[Game Boy]], [[Game Boy Color]], [[TI-99/4A]], [[Xbox Live Arcade]], [[GameTap]], [[Game.com]]
|released={{rd|1980}}
|players=1-2
|players=1-2
|ratings=
|modes=[[Single player]], [[Multiplayer]]
|followed by=[[Millipede]]
|series=Centipede
}}
}}
{{Wikipedia|Centipede (video game)}}
{{game disambig|the original [[1980]] [[arcade]] game|the [[1998]] [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Sony PlayStation]], [[Sega Dreamcast]] and [[Mac OS]] game|[[Centipede (1998)]]}}
{{marquee|Centipede marquee.jpg}}
{{marquee|Centipede marquee.jpg}}
'''Centipede''' is regarded as the first arcade game designed by a woman, Dona Bailey. It arrived in the arcades in [[1980]] from [[Atari]] and became an instant hit with men and women alike for a number of reasons. It used bright attractive colors throughout the game that alternated between stages. Additionally, it had a simple and intuitive control interface, a [[wp:trackball|trackball]]. Along with a single fire button, it was a game that just about anyone could approach and immediately know what to do. Even the side art was very impressive and inviting.
'''Centipede''' is regarded as the first arcade game designed by a woman, Dona Bailey. It arrived in the arcades in [[1980]] from [[Atari]] and became an instant hit with men and women alike for a number of reasons. It used bright attractive colors throughout the game that alternated between stages. Additionally, it had a simple and intuitive control interface, a [[wp:trackball|trackball]]. Along with a single fire button, it was a game that just about anyone could approach and immediately know what to do. Even the side art was very impressive and inviting.
 
The object of every stage is simply to eliminate all of the centipede's body segments by shooting up at them, through a multitude of mushrooms.  What made the game novel was that if the centipede was shot in the middle, it split up in to two separate body segments, each with it's own head, that moved independently of one another.  The centipedes would eventually break down to a single segment containing only a head that made for a very difficult target at high speeds.


The Centipede is not alone in this mushroom forest.  He is surrounded by fellow insects, each of which have their own behaviors.  There's the spider who likes to bounce around the area that your blaster can occupy, making a nuisance of himself and eating mushrooms that he passes. There's the flea who dive bombs down from the top of the screen, depositing mushrooms as he falls. And there's the Scorpion who can poison mushrooms.  If a centipede head touches a poison mushroom, he is driven mad and drills down to the bottom of the screen instead of taking his usual lazy approach.
The object of every stage is simply to eliminate all of the centipede's body segments by shooting up at them, through a multitude of mushrooms. What made the game novel was that if the centipede was shot in the middle, it split up into two separate body segments, each with its own head, that moved independently of one another. The centipedes would eventually break down to a single segment containing only a head that made for a very difficult target at high speeds.


Centipede was quite popular at home as well, thanks to Atari porting it, not only to it's own home systems, but to just about every other popular platform through their Atarisoft label. Although, the truth is you can't quite capture the play experience with a joystick, you really need a trackball, which Atari released for their systems.
The Centipede is not alone in this mushroom forest. He is surrounded by fellow insects, each of which have their own behaviors. There's the spider who likes to bounce around the area that your blaster can occupy, making a nuisance of himself and eating mushrooms that he passes. There's the flea who dive bombs down from the top of the screen, depositing mushrooms as he falls. And there's the Scorpion who can poison mushrooms. If a centipede head touches a poison mushroom, he is driven mad and drills down to the bottom of the screen instead of taking his usual lazy approach.


{{Continue Nav|nextpage=How to play}}
Centipede was quite popular at home as well, thanks to Atari porting it, not only to its own home systems, but to just about every other popular platform through their Atarisoft label. Although, the truth is you can't quite capture the play experience with a joystick, you really need a trackball, which Atari released for their systems.


==Story==
Typical of many classic arcade games, there is no proper story for Centipede. Some people claim that you are a garden gnome with a magic bug-zapping wand charged with eliminating the pests. Others claim that these bugs are not ordinary bugs but Godzilla-sized insects that threaten to trample your home town, and it's up to you to stop them.
[[Image:Centipede titlescreen.png|thumb|right|title]]
Typical of many classic arcade games, there is no proper story for Centipede. Some people claim that you are a garden gnome with a magic bug-zapping wand charged with eliminating the pests. Others claim that these bugs are not ordinary bugs, but Godzilla sized insects that threaten to trample your home town and it's up to you to stop them.


{{ToC}}
{{ToC}}
==Gameplay summary==
{{Centipede}}
* You control the Bug Blaster at the bottom of the screen with the trackball.
* You must fire up into the mushroom forest, attempting to hit the Centipede.
* When the Centipede's body is hit, it splits in to two smaller Centipedes.
* You must destroy every segment of the Centipede in order to advance to the next stage.
* You must avoid contact with the Centipede, as well as any other insects.
* The Scorpion poisons mushrooms that drive the Centipedes mad if they touch one.


 
[[Category:Atari]]
[[Category:Arcade]]
[[Category:MAME]]
[[Category:Apple II]]
[[Category:Atari 8-bit]]
[[Category:Atari 2600]]
[[Category:Atari 5200]]
[[Category:Atari 7800]]
[[Category:Intellivision]]
[[Category:ColecoVision]]
[[Category:Commodore VIC-20]]
[[Category:Commodore 64/128]]
[[Category:Game Boy]]
[[Category:Game Boy Color]]
[[Category:TI-99/4A]]
[[Category:Action]]
[[Category:Action]]
[[Category:Atari]]
[[Category:Xbox Live Arcade]]
[[Category:GameTap]]
[[Category:Game.com]]
[[Category:Single player]]
[[Category:Single player]]
[[Category:Multiplayer]]
[[Category:Multiplayer]]
[[Category:1980]]
[[Category:MAME]]

Latest revision as of 21:55, 23 January 2022

This is the first game in the Centipede series. For other games in the series see the Centipede category.

Box artwork for Centipede.
Box artwork for Centipede.
Centipede
Developer(s)Atari
Publisher(s)Atari
Year released1980
System(s)Arcade, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64/128, Commodore VIC-20, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, TI-99/4A, Xbox 360, Game.com
Followed byMillipede
SeriesCentipede
Designer(s)Dona Bailey
Genre(s)Action
Players1-2
ModesSingle player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)ESRB Everyone
LinksCentipede ChannelSearchSearch
This guide is for the original 1980 arcade game. For the 1998 Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast and Mac OS game, see Centipede (1998).
Centipede marquee

Centipede is regarded as the first arcade game designed by a woman, Dona Bailey. It arrived in the arcades in 1980 from Atari and became an instant hit with men and women alike for a number of reasons. It used bright attractive colors throughout the game that alternated between stages. Additionally, it had a simple and intuitive control interface, a trackball. Along with a single fire button, it was a game that just about anyone could approach and immediately know what to do. Even the side art was very impressive and inviting.

The object of every stage is simply to eliminate all of the centipede's body segments by shooting up at them, through a multitude of mushrooms. What made the game novel was that if the centipede was shot in the middle, it split up into two separate body segments, each with its own head, that moved independently of one another. The centipedes would eventually break down to a single segment containing only a head that made for a very difficult target at high speeds.

The Centipede is not alone in this mushroom forest. He is surrounded by fellow insects, each of which have their own behaviors. There's the spider who likes to bounce around the area that your blaster can occupy, making a nuisance of himself and eating mushrooms that he passes. There's the flea who dive bombs down from the top of the screen, depositing mushrooms as he falls. And there's the Scorpion who can poison mushrooms. If a centipede head touches a poison mushroom, he is driven mad and drills down to the bottom of the screen instead of taking his usual lazy approach.

Centipede was quite popular at home as well, thanks to Atari porting it, not only to its own home systems, but to just about every other popular platform through their Atarisoft label. Although, the truth is you can't quite capture the play experience with a joystick, you really need a trackball, which Atari released for their systems.

Typical of many classic arcade games, there is no proper story for Centipede. Some people claim that you are a garden gnome with a magic bug-zapping wand charged with eliminating the pests. Others claim that these bugs are not ordinary bugs but Godzilla-sized insects that threaten to trample your home town, and it's up to you to stop them.

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