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Centipede Centipede - Japanese Logo - Katakana / Kanji

Centipede - Cabinet - Video Game Marquee

Description

The player controls a gun that can only move in the bottom fifth of the screen. The object is to shoot a centipede that works its way down to the player area through a field of mushrooms. Other attacking enemies are fleas, spiders, and scorpions.

Centipede was produced by Atari in 1980.

Atari released 136 machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1972.

Other machines made by Atari during the time period Centipede was produced include: Atari Soccer, Hercules, Superman, Atari Baseball, Asteroids, Monte Carlo, Missile Command, Red Baron, Asteroids Deluxe, and Battlezone

Centipede - Cabinet - Machine
Cabinet

Specs

Name Centipede
Developer Atari
Year 1980
Type Videogame
KLOV/MOG # 7299
Class Wide Release
Genre Shooter
Development Team
Monitor
Conversion Class unique
Game Specific Centipede Pinout
Dipswitch Settings

Centipede Dipswitch Settings (user contributed)

# Simultaneous Players 1
# Maximum Players 2
Gameplay Alternating
Control Panel Layout Single Player
Controls
  • Buttons: 1 [Fire]
  • Trackball: Optical
Sound Unamplified Mono (requires one-channel amp)
Cabinet Styles
  • Upright/Standard
  • Cocktail - 181 lbs
  • Cabaret/Mini
  • Candy/Japanese (Video Games)
Instructions Centipede Instructions Image
Bezel Centipede Bezel Image
Control Panel Centipede Control Panel Image
Side Art Centipede Side Art Image
PCB Centipede PCB Image

Game Play

The object of the game is to destroy as many enemies as possible. During every level, you must destroy all the segments of a centipede. Once the centipede enters the bottom area of the screen where the gun moves, the player is in danger of colliding with the centipede. The centipede will break into pieces as its segments are shot. Once it makes it to the bottom of the screen, it heads back up until it reaches the top of the player zone. It then repeats the process. Once the centipede has hit the bottom of the screen, new segments are created that move within the player zone. When a centipede segment hits a mushroom or another segment, it reverses direction.

Every level, the centipede configuration is different. On the first level, all segments are attached. On the next level, one segment is independent. On the next, two are independent, and so on until all segments are independent.

The spider is another enemy that threatens the player. It bounces around within the player zone, but when it hits a mushroom, the mushroom disappears.

The flea will drop from the top of the screen and fall all of the way to the bottom when there are less than a certain number of mushrooms in the player zone. It leaves mushrooms behind.

The scorpion streaks across the screen periodically, changing any mushrooms it hits into poisonous mushrooms. When a centipede segment hits one of these, the centipede plummets to the bottom of the screen and then heads back up.

Extra lives are awarded every 12000 points by default.

Centipede KLOV/IAM 5 Point User Score: 4.13 (33 votes)

Fun Factor: 4.20

Overall Like 4.41
Fun (Social) 3.63
Fun (Solo) 4.31
Collector Desire 3.88

Technical Rating: 4.15

Gameplay 4.39
Graphics 4.16
Originality 4.50
Sound/Music 3.78

Personal Impressions and Technical Impressions each account for half of the total score. Within the Personal Impressions category, Like carries a little more weight than the other factors.

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Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter Eggs

On levels that have complete Centipedes, fleas will never appear.PTo trap the centipede, allow the centipede to come near the bottom of the screen. When it is close to the left or right side, shoot the centipede once, causing a mushroom to appear and the centipede to come back under and near the mushroom. Now, shoot and make another mushroom. Repeat this process until you have a row of mushrooms almost vertically lined up near the bottom of the screen. Then, by either dying or just allowing the centipede to work his way back up, the centipede will be trapped between the edge of the screen and the mushrooms allowing you to shoot everything else.

Hacks

Galipede Uses Centipede graphics in a Galaga game. Pacipede Changes the graphics to make them look more like those from PacMan.

More pictures

Trivia

This was the first arcade game to be designed by a woman Dona Bailey.PThe side artwork features a grasshopper, while it is not present during gameplay, it can be seen in test mode.

Cabinet Information

The cabinet has detailed, colorful graphics of a large, viscious centipede. The artwork covers the entirety of both sides of the game. Cabaret mini cabinets and cocktail units were released with 19inch monitors and there were also a limited number cocktails built with only 13inch monitors. A minor note is the color of the outline around the side art design which can be in yellow, purple or blue.

Conversion

It is possible, with some light work, to convert this to IMillipedeI.

Problems/Repairs

There were two different versions of side art made for this game, one with a yellow glow around the centipede and one with a pink glow. Compare the cabinet image with the side art image to see the difference.

Miscellaneous

VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Centipede Census

There are 14,716 members of the Video Arcade Preservation Society / Vintage Arcade Preservation Society, 9,455 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 164,291 machines (6,886 unique titles).

Very Common - There are 1,593 known instances of this machine owned by Centipede collectors who are active members. Of these, 1,439 of them are original dedicated machines. 17 of them are conversions in which game circuit boards (and possibly cabinet graphics) have been placed in (and on) another game cabinet. 128 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

For Sale - There are 65 active VAPS members with a Centipede machines for sale. There are 10 active VAPS members with a Centipede circuit boards for sale.

Wanted - Very Popular - There are 40 active VAPS members currently looking for Centipede.

This game ranks a 99 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records.

This game ranks a 55 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census want list records.

Rarity and Popularity independently are not necessarily indications of value. [More Information]

Flyers

Technical

The game uses a 6502 microprocessor and one Atari Pokey sound chip.

Fixes

The rollers and bearings in the track ball wear out and after a while the movement of the guncannon becomes difficult. Replacement parts for trackballs are available from a number of parts retailers.

Legacy

  1. Centipede
  2. Millipede

Manuals

Foto-Finder® (Books)

  1. Arcade Treasures Kurtz (ISBN 088740619X) Page: 109; Color photo
  2. The Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 105; Color photo Price guide: No
  3. Arcade Fever Sellers (ISBN 0762409371) Page: 64; Color photo
  4. Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 105; Color photo
  5. Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 135; Color photo

Additional References (logged in members often see more)

  1. 3D Model (External): Upright (Irish Version)
  2. 3D Model (External): Dedicated

See the game at:

This game is available at the following public arcades, bars or museums:

Name Location State Country Details Check-ins
Level One Bar + Arcade 130 Hutchinson Ave, Columbus Ohio United States 0
The Very Best Arcade (The Very Best Weiner Shop) 252 E High St, Pottstown Pennsylvania United States Arcade (Classic Videogame)
Status: Verified

Children: Allowed
Focus: Classic Games
Food: Yes
Alcohol: No
Payment Method: Coins
1
Upstate Pinball & Arcade Museum 109A West Trade St, Simpsonville South Carolina United States Arcade (Classic Videogame)
Children: Allowed
Focus: Classic Games
Food: No
Alcohol: No
Payment Method: Admission Charge
2

eBay Listings

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TOP WATCHED LISTINGS FOR: Centipede

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Arcade1up Centipede Countercade - with Missile Command

Auction ends in: 12 hours, 27 seconds

Auction
$205.50

CENTIPEDE TO JAMMA ADAPTOR USED ONCE! WORKS 100%

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FixedPrice
$49.99

Centipede Arcade Cabinet CPO Graphic Sticker

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$26.00

Centipede Arcade 1up Cabinet Riser Graphics Decals Stickers

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$44.99

Auction Results

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Auctions Recap

Year Count Median $ Average $
2015 9 460.00 531.67
2016 7 345.00 353.21
2017 11 632.50 679.55
2018 12 590.00 766.42
All Years 39 575.00 613.58

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