Space Invaders

From the BBC Radio 1 On Show magazine, summer, 1980. Space Invaders were sweeping into our lives and heartily endorsed by the likes of Hot Gossip, The Who and Dave Lee Travis!

The Invaders were first released in Japan in June 1978, and first exhibited at a trade show in this country in 1979. "Hmm," we said, our interest aroused as the machines slowly began to arrive. The little alien thingies then invaded the early 1980s as machines started cropping up everywhere. Mind you, this really was a case of Loving The Alien - we adored 'em!

The claims online that Space Invaders were a UK craze with a 1979 heyday are easily debunked by the newspaper archives. I'm sorry, but this 1970s obsession is ridiculous. Thank goodness the newspaper archives can verify the memories of us who do remember. Time is a constant stream, not rigidly segregated decades - after all, everybody would have been discarding their flared trousers and hippie chic in 1970 if that was so.

From the Sun, February 28 1981 - a hand-held Space Invaders game has arrived in the UK, and is apparently highly sought after, but in short supply!
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From the Cambridge Evening News, 1981: concerns are raised by NUPE (the National Union of Public Employees) about children spending dinner money playing Space Invaders on a machine installed at a local school.

Sunday People, November 15, 1981 - and Frogger (or "Froger" as it's spelt in the article!) threatens Space Invaders throne at the local boozer! At this point, there is no mention of Pac-Man impacting on the UK. I wonder when he arrived here?

From the Janet Frazer autumn/winter 1984/85 mail order catalogue. A hand-held Frogger game is featured.