10 Video Games That Were WAY Ahead Of Their Time
8. Music, High Scores & Difficulty Curve - Space Invaders
Because of how rudimentary Space Invaders appears to the modern eye, it's easy to forget how revolutionary this fixed shooter is. It wasn't just a big deal because of how addictive it was. Space Invaders is responsible for creating or popularising some of the most basic aspects of gaming.
Taito's shooter was the first game to save the player's score, give the player multiple lives, and had continuous background music. What made the music extra impressive was how it sped up as the player progressed, giving the gameplay a state or urgency.
However, what really cements Space Invaders' legacy is its difficulty curve. Every time you blast an enemy ship, the remaining crafts move faster, making them harder to hit.
Interestingly, this was never the developers' intention! The reason why the ships move slowly at first is because their numbers are overloading the PPU, causing it to lag. When most of the ships are destroyed, the PPU can process data more efficiently, increasing the speed.
So, not only did Space Invaders invent the difficult learning curve, it created the concept completely by accident.