Celebrate Space Invaders' upcoming anniversary with these playable miniature Space Invader cabinets
No longer a Space Invader.
Numskull Designs has unveiled a new range of Space Invaders miniature arcade cabinets.
Citing Space Invaders' upcoming 45th anniversary next year, Numskull has released two new quarter-scale cabinets to celebrate: Space Invaders and Space Invaders Part 2.
"Space Invaders originally issued in the golden era of arcade gaming and set the bar for those that followed," the company said. "Since its release in 1978 it has gone on to become a global pop-culture phenomenon. Developed by Tomohiro Nishikado, the game has been cited as revolutionising the arcade industry as well as having an influence on many famous video game designs since.
"These fully-playable, highly detailed arcade cabs are identical to the original in every aspect, the only difference is they will easily fit into your home or office!"
Numskull says the cabinets are quarter-scale playable replicas - which means that they stand at around 17-inches/44cm high - and are made with a "high-quality wooden shell", with "everything from the artwork, shape, and buttons match[ing] the original". You can also expect a mirror screen with "Pepper's ghost effect", 5-inch full-colour TFT 4:3 screen, built-in speakers (with volume control), and a built-in rechargeable lithium battery.
To celebrate, Space Invaders' creator Tomohiro Nishikado has signed 78 of the special edition 1978 cabinets and - yes, you've guessed it - 79 of the 1979 special edition. They come with slightly different packaging from the standard edition, a collector's certificate of authenticity, a collector's postcard, and an official collector's coin. There's also a stylish matching stool, too.
They're not expected to ship until next summer - something to bear in mind if you're looking for Christmas gift ideas - but if you fancy one, head on over to the Numskull website. The standard version retails for £250, whilst the signed limited edition ones are available to pre-order now for a hefty £600.