In his third guest installment, the illustrious tech writer Steven Levy explains what it’s like to play arcade Space Invaders while totally shitfaced.
Pom… Peem… Pom… Peem… Pom… Peem. Blawp. Blawp. Pom. Peem. Pom. Peem. Blawp. Blawp. Pom. Peem. Peeeweweweweweweweweweweweweweweww. Blawpblawpblawp. CGGHHHKKHKHKKH. Pompeem. Pompeem. Pompeem. Pompeem. Blawp. Blawp. Pompeempompeempompeempompeem. Blawp. Blawp. CGGHHHKKHKHKKH. Shower over.
For a class project, computer-engineering college kids built a system that tracks body movements using a camera and a coloured vest, mapping them to a Space Invaders-type game that requires you to jump to shoot.
Over the past few decades, the Space Invaders have been tamed. Formerly vicious killers, the systematically brutal alien race now lets of steam by waging war on water rings.
Hope none of you guys imported a set of these Space Invaders ice cube trays after we showed them to you a couple of weeks ago. Latestbuy has announced that they’ll be selling them locally for $14.95. Awesome. [Latestbuy]
Sometimes it’s not enough to be a somewhat indifferent fan of an 80s arcade phenomenon. Sometimes you need to share your blasé passion with others by making them ingest it.
Unlike the Space Invaders arcade cabinets of our youth, this tabletop version actually helps you save money. It even features an LCD screen that lights up when a 100 yen coin is entered.
This Bendiboard Retroboard Invaders is a flexible roll-up rubber keyboard adorned with those famous pixellated alien Space Invaders. It’s bendy, it’s got aliens, it’s got a space key depicting a laser gun-base. You can spill coffee on it safely if you get a little energetic in your gaming, and it’s US$40. Enough said, because I can’t think of a way of writing the Space Invaders sound effects down as text. [Technabob]
