Space Invaders Deluxe

The basic mechanics of play for the Space Invaders genre is simple: move your laser base left or right along the bottom of the screen and shoot the endless waves of aliens descending towards you. Their relentless march quickens as fewer and fewer aliens (each worth 30, 20 or 10 points, depending which type it is) remain. In this game, the best defense is a good offense -- your only other protection being four stationary shields which slowly get blown away by both you and the invaders. Besides aliens, you can also target the occasional flying saucer which traverses the top of the screen.

For Space Invaders Deluxe, a few twists were added to this time-honored classic to make it more interesting and difficult. There are two different flying saucers. For example, one is steadily visible and worth a 'random' number of points between 50 and 300, the other blinks in and out and can only be hit when visible for 200 points. From the second wave on, various other features appear such as invaders that split into two when you shoot them and flying saucers that drop alien reinforcements.

On any wave, if the last alien you kill is from the bottom two rows you will get a special 'fireworks' display and a 500 point bonus. If the bottom leftmost invader is the last killed, the bonus is 1,000 points.

The number of points you get for the solid flying saucer (50 - 300) depends on how many shots you have fired in the wave. The 23rd shot and every 15th thereafter is worth 300 points if it hits the saucer.

When there are eight or fewer invaders left, the flying saucers no longer appear.

During the attract mode demo, repeatedly press the left, right, fire, 1 player start and 2 player start buttons simultaneously as fast as you can. After a few seconds the message "TAITO CORP." will appear beneath the high score.

As the game progresses, provided there is 'room' for more invaders on the top row, the flying saucers will drop more invaders that will 'land' in the top row, (as noted below in the gameplay description). If you are able to shoot an invader as it drops from the flying saucer, (but before it 'lands' in the top row), the invader will not disappear as it usually would after being shot, instead it will 'fall', sideways, but very much intact, to the bottom of the playfield. Points scored for this anomaly are unconfirmed. The invader remains at the bottom of the playfield, and will chip away like the shields, by invader fire. It will remain there until the invader fire chips it away completely or until the wave is completed. Also unconfirmed is if you can let the falling invader hit your laser base. What is known is that once the invader has fallen, your laser base can pass right through the invader, it no longer threatens the base or hampers it in any way.

This game is the American version of Taito's Space Invaders Part II that has the same cabinet design but a different, though still predominantly red, paint job and monitor glass graphic. Part II does not use a color overlay, however. Instead, the program has color data and uses a color monitor. The only difference in gameplay between the two is the point value of the blinking saucer: 500 in Part II, only 200 in Deluxe.

Oddly enough, Midway's Space Invaders Deluxe displays the name Space Invaders Part II in the attract mode. All other references to the game (promotional material, manual, service bulletins, labels on the motherboard, serial number tags inside the cabinet, monitor glass, etc.) say Space Invaders Deluxe. This is most likely because the licensing agreement between Taito and Midway only allowed certain minor changes to the program code.

Space Invaders Deluxe was the first game to include an intermission. At the end of each level, the last invader flies off on a spaceship broadcasting an SOS. Occasionally, the ship is stopped by 'engine trouble.'

The overall cabinet dimensions of Midway's upright model (number 852) are 68 inches high by 26.5 inches wide by 34 inches deep. It is constructed from solid marine grade plywood in a simple 'wedge' shape.

The cabinet was base-coated a fire-engine red and the side and kickpanel artwork was stenciled in black, blue and white. The sides depict two yeti-like aliens poised to throw large missiles at the moonbase shown on the kickpanel. All front-facing edges were finished with 3/4 inch black t-molding that has a 'crinkly leather' surface.

The control panel, the overlay for which came in at least two types: a metal plate and a mylar sheet, has a simple computer and machinery design surrounding the five buttons and has the full game instructions printed on the left side. Above this rises the combined monitor glass and marquee, a single large panel (available in both glass and plexi versions) with elaborate graphics of the alien marauders and the stalwart defenders all around the edges. The 'marquee' area at the top is lit from behind by five small incandescent bulbs.

The game uses a monochrome monitor under an overlay with five color stripes: red at the top, orange (red dots on a yellow base), yellow, green (blue dots on yellow) and blue at the bottom. The images displayed are reflected off a half-silvered mirror, allowing the invaders to seem to float down out of a starry orange-wisp sky and lay seige to a blue moonbase. The stars are a cardboard wrap-around across the back of the machine, and the moon is a half-circle of plexiglass that hides a blacklight between it and the backdrop.

Dekuxe Space Invaders came in a cocktail version as well (number 870). It is the same game in every respect, the only difference being the usual cabinet considerations (ie: no mirror and backdrop). It also utilizes a color overlay on its black and white monitor.

Space Invaders Deluxe may be converted into Space Invaders by two methods: Replace the "Deluxe" ROMs with the images from "Space Invaders" (the game will play, but there will be some sound irregularities) or just swap the entire boardset since the pinouts are nearly identical.

Some other Midway 8080 games of the period can be ROM or board swapped with varying degrees of success. See http://www.erols.com/mowerman/midway.htm for a more extensive look at the subject.

Numerous clones and bootlegs of the Space Invaders family exist that can be swapped in as well, but there is little documentation for most of them, so be careful.

CPU: 8080

The correct blacklight is a GE F15T8/BL (white tube). The easiest way to replace it is to gain access to the fluorescent fixture by pulling the staples and removing the cardboard backdrop. This is increasingly a bad idea, however, because the cardboard gets weaker as it ages. It is possible to replace this light by reaching up between the backdrop and the fixture mounting from below. Just take it slow and be careful with the tube. Alternatively, you could reach in from above, but it is much easier to damage the backdrop this way.

A readily available exact match for the original marquee lights (#1895 bulbs) is a #57 bulb. To replace these, remove the upper backboard and reach into the ceiling of the cabinet. On either side is a turn brace holding a latch in place. These latches are what secure the top of the monitor glass. Just turn each of the braces and pull the now-free latches toward you. Then, go lift the monitor glass and tilt it out from the bottom.

The manual can be found online at http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~bovine/space_invaders/index.html

Midway's 8080 games all have a two-PCB set -- a smaller daughtercard plugged into the larger motherboard in an "L" shape. The most common cause of graphics glitches (invaders with lines through them, shots leaving trails and such) is a bad connection between the two boards. Try cleaning the connectors and reseating the boards.