Centipede (revision 4)

Centipede (revision 4)

Powered by EmulatorJS · Arcade

Console
Arcade
Release
1980
Players
1P
Developer
Atari

About Centipede (revision 4)

Arcade Video game published 45 years ago:

Centipede (c) 1981 Atari.

Centipede is a vertically oriented single screen shoot-em-up in which the aim is to use the 'Bug Blaster' to shoot the centipedes that snake down towards the bottom of the screen to amass as high a score as possible.

The play-field is littered with randomly placed mushrooms and the rapidly descending Centipede changes direction when it runs into a mushroom. When a segment of the Centipede is shot, the segment is destroyed and a mushroom appears in its place, the Centipede then breaks into two smaller centipedes, each with its own head, and continues its descent.

Players can move the Bug Blaster vertically as well as horizontally, although only for the lower fifth of the play-field. Mushrooms can also be shot for points and to clear blocked areas. Once a Centipede reaches the bottom of the screen, it starts snaking back up, but remains within the lower section of the play-field near the player's Bug Blaster.

Additionally, any Centipede that reaches the very bottom of the screen without being shot releases its tail section which then becomes a new head. Other new heads also enter the screen from the bottom corners of the play-field as time progresses.

Randomly moving Spiders also appear in the first wave. Spiders can destroy any mushrooms they move over, eliminating many mushroom targets for a player. If the Bug Blaster and a Spider collide, both are destroyed. the Spider either moves at a 45-degree angle or vertically up and down, never simply left or right like the centipede does.

Player layout in our catalog: 1P.

If you are exploring by feel rather than by title, jump from the tags above into the matching genre rooms, or return to the Arcade hall for the full wall.

Open Play on this page to start Centipede (revision 4). Keyboard, USB/Bluetooth pads, and the on-screen touch gamepad all work inside the emulator bar. Save states and fullscreen live on that same bar so you can pause mid-session and resume later.

19801PArcadeShooterCentipedeAtari

Centipede (revision 4) — play guide

What Centipede wants from you

Centipede (revision 4, Atari, 1980/81) is a vertical single-screen bug shooter: steer the Bug Blaster, shoot the centipede that snakes toward you, manage spiders, fleas, and scorpions before they finish the credit. Priority honesty beats spray. Learn mushroom-field geometry and segment splits cold—do not paste later vertical shmup habits blindly. Calm first waves until spider timing is narratable; bug chrome is packaging, not free smart bombs.

First minutes in Centipede

First waves: clear a shooting lane through mushrooms, shoot the centipede head when you can, watch the spider’s bounce before you camp. Power-cycle once so Atari chrome stops looking like a later bug shooter. Early boards teach Centipede grammar: planned mushroom edits before spray routes that die mid-wave when fleas and scorpions stack denser.

Core systems in Centipede

Bug Blaster, centipede segments/splits, mushrooms, spider, flea, scorpion, lives/continues, and Centipede UI define the systems. Skill is field management under multi-bug pressure—not spraying while a spider eats you from below. After continues, reconfirm mushroom density before racing again. Keep a one-sentence priority rule (spider vs head vs flea) before the second wave.

Score, continues, and resources in Centipede

Wave clears and survival score the run; hits tax continues. Continues are coins. Fewer panic sprays and fewer ignored spiders keep credits alive. Farming early waves forever without reading denser multi-bug pressure still leaves revision 4 unread. Progress is Atari chrome that no longer forces death loops mid-wave on later boards.

Mistakes that burn credits in Centipede

Spraying without clearing a lane, ignoring the spider, letting fleas mushroom-flood unchecked, tunneling on the centipede while a scorpion poisons the field, and freezing until the board fills burn credits. Power-cycling mid-tilt without a plan burns another credit. Next credit: lane first, spider second—stop mash tourism for bug scenery and multi-threat panic on later Atari boards.

Next steps after Centipede

When Centipede waves clear without constant spider deaths, compare Millipede deliberately, then return with field-management drills on revision 4. Keep playing until panic-spray empties stop ending sessions mid-wave on later boards. Cousin Atari bug shooters help as contrast after Centipede feels automatic—not as escape from fields you still freeze for chrome. Clear one full wave carefully before you chase vanity spray again.

Sources cited below under Further reading.

Cabinet dossier

Centipede (revision 4) is filed in our catalog as a 1980 release.

Player layout on this cabinet: 1P.

Genre tags on Classic Arcade Games: Shooter.

Credit line lists Atari as developer.

Next cabinets

Nearby cabinets you may also open from this hall (each on its own play page):Multipede (Centipede/Millipede multigame kit), Asteroids Deluxe (rev 3), Asteroids (rev 4), Bradley Trainer, Black Widow, Gravitar (version 3), Liberator (set 1), Millipede, Orbit, Red Baron (Revised Hardware), Sky Raider, Space Duel (version 2)

Explore more on this site

Same series

Multipede (Centipede/Millipede multigame kit)

Same genre

Asteroids Deluxe (rev 3) · Asteroids (rev 4) · Bradley Trainer · Black Widow · Gravitar (version 3) · Liberator (set 1) · Millipede · Orbit · Red Baron (Revised Hardware) · Sky Raider · Space Duel (version 2) · Tempest (rev 3, Revised Hardware)

Same studio

Asteroids Deluxe (rev 3) · Asteroids (rev 4) · Bradley Trainer · Black Widow · Gravitar (version 3) · Liberator (set 1) · Millipede · Orbit · Red Baron (Revised Hardware) · Sky Raider · Space Duel (version 2) · Tempest (rev 3, Revised Hardware)

How to play Centipede (revision 4) online

  • Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start.
  • USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
  • On phones, open the on-screen pad from the emulator bar; rotate sits next to fullscreen.
  • Save states, load, volume, and fullscreen stay on the emulator bar between credits.

Studio notes — Atari

Atari appears on this cabinet’s credit line. Browse more titles from the same studio on the developer shelf, or stay on this page and try the next cabinets in the same hall.

Asteroids Deluxe (rev 3) · Asteroids (rev 4) · Bradley Trainer · Black Widow · Gravitar (version 3) · Liberator (set 1) · Millipede · Orbit

Retro games by Atari

Can I play Centipede (revision 4) free in a browser?

Yes. Classic Arcade Games hosts Centipede (revision 4) as a Arcade cabinet you can start on this page. The emulator loads in the browser; you do not need to install a separate app.

What controls does Centipede (revision 4) support?

Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start. USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.

Are there other games in the same series as Centipede (revision 4)?

Yes — related series cabinets on this site include Multipede (Centipede/Millipede multigame kit). Each has its own play page with the same browser emulator path.

Further reading

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