Bug Blaster

Bug Blaster is a single-screen shooter inspired by the arcade game Centipede. Control a spacecraft at the bottom of the screen, moving left and right while making limited forward and backward movements, and fire at the Centipede as it travels across the playfield.

The Centipede moves downward when it reaches the edge of the screen. Repeated shots split it into additional segments, while mushrooms alter its direction and can be destroyed for points. Other insects and creatures, including mushroom-placing insects, spiders, scorpions, and snails, must be avoided or shot. Contact costs one of three lives. Destroying every part of the Centipede advances play to the next level.

Game Details

• Release date: December 31, 1982
• Genres: Action, Arcade, Shooter
• Developers: Antony Crowther, Softsync Inc, Steve Evans
• Publishers: Alligata Software Ltd., Crystal Computing
• Platforms: Acorn Electron, BBC Microcomputer System, Commodore 64, Commodore C64/128/MAX, Sinclair ZX Spectrum