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Space Invaders promotional flyers and cabinet art

Contributed by Patrick Concannon on May 4th, 2023. Artwork published in .
Taito's promotional flyer for the Japanese release
Source: glitchwave.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Taito's promotional flyer for the Japanese release

From Wikipedia:

Space Invaders is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Tomohiro Nishikado. It was manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and licensed to the Midway division of Bally for overseas distribution. Space Invaders was the first fixed shooter and set the template for the shoot 'em up genre. The goal is to defeat wave after wave of descending aliens with a horizontally moving laser to earn as many points as possible.

1978 promotional flyers for the Space Invaders arcade game.

The game’s title is based on ITC Machine and rendered in an imposing perspective with repeated lines in alternating colors, suggesting a falling motion, much like the descending waves of invaders in the game itself.

On Midway’s arcade machine, the text on the control panel is set in what appears to be Eurostile and the points-per-invader on the monitor bezel are set in Countdown.

A flyer for Universe Affiliated International’s table top edition features the game’s title set in an unusual combination of Burst Caps and ITC Pioneer.

Midway’s promotional flyer for the North American release. “The world’s hottest game” is in .
Source: flyers.arcade-museum.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Midway’s promotional flyer for the North American release. “The world’s hottest game” is in Helvetica.

On Midway’s arcade machine, the text on the control panel is set in what appears to be Eurostile. The 1 seen here is likely custom.
Source: arcadeologia.es License: All Rights Reserved.

On Midway’s arcade machine, the text on the control panel is set in what appears to be Eurostile. The 1 seen here is likely custom.

On Midway’s arcade machine, the points-per-invader on the monitor bezel are set in Countdown.
Source: arcadeologia.es License: All Rights Reserved.

On Midway’s arcade machine, the points-per-invader on the monitor bezel are set in Countdown.

1978 flyer for Universe Affiliated International’s table top edition, featuring Burst Caps and ITC Pioneer. The copy and the address use  and .
Source: flyers.arcade-museum.com License: All Rights Reserved.

1978 flyer for Universe Affiliated International’s table top edition, featuring Burst Caps and ITC Pioneer. The copy and the address use ITC Zapf Book and ITC Avant Garde Gothic.

Typefaces

  • ITC Machine
  • Eurostile
  • Countdown
  • Burst Caps
  • ITC Pioneer
  • ITC Zapf Book
  • ITC Avant Garde Gothic
  • Helvetica

Formats

Topics

Designers/Agencies

Artwork location

1 Comment on “Space Invaders promotional flyers and cabinet art”

  1. Oh, man. That table top Space Invaders brings back memories. It was the first video game I really got hooked on (c. 1980). I was assistant art director at a magazine (TWA Ambassador) at the time and there was a bar nearby our offices that had one. On Fridays after work, the art staff would go there for beer and Space Invaders. (I can’t say I noticed the ITC Machine.) Because of it, the magazine did a feature article about the video game craze.

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