Centipede (1981). Play online

Summary

I keep remembering how *Centipede* let me control a little trackball‑wiggled Bug Blaster at the screen’s bottom, darting at a snarling centipede that slithered through mushroom fields. Designed by Ed Logg and pioneering programmer Dona Bailey, the game felt instantly different—its pastel mushroom graphics and quirky insect enemies made it stand out from other shooters of the era. Fleas dropped, spiders zig‑zagged, and poisonous scorpions turned mushrooms deadly, each with its own point value, while the centipede’s head earned a hefty 100 points.

What struck the arcade crowd was how many women gravitated toward it; surveys in the early ’80s showed roughly half the players were female, making it one of the few coin‑ops with a true mixed audience. Its popularity vaulted the title to third‑place in U.S. arcade revenue in 1982, behind Pac‑Man and Donkey Kong.

Even decades later, the game still draws record‑chasing devotion—Jim Schneider’s 16,389,547‑point marathon in 1984 and Donald Hayes’ 7,111,111‑point tournament run in 2000 showcase that *Centipede* (and its sequel Millipede) remains a high‑score holy grail for retro enthusiasts.