Genre: Fixed Shooter / Arcade Port
Developer: Atari
Publisher: Atarisoft
Year: 1983
Platform: IBM PC (DOS)
Centipede, originally an arcade game by Atari, was ported to the IBM PC in 1983 under the Atarisoft label. Atarisoft was a short‐lived brand used by Atari to publish versions of their arcade titles for various non-Atari platforms. The PC edition faithfully adapted the fixed-shooter gameplay, with vertical centipedes winding down the screen and the player using directional input to eliminate them before they reach the bottom.
The single-player experience remained focused on high-score chasing and arcade action. Players controlled a small shooter at the bottom of the screen, firing upward to break apart the centipede segments. As the centipede broke apart, mushrooms would grow in its path, altering movement patterns and introducing additional complexity. Spiders, fleas, and scorpions added further challenge by defying predictable movement.
Technically, the PC version was distributed as a self-booting disk and is considered one of the earlier IBM PC adaptations of an arcade title. Atari maintained much of the original design—game speed scaled with progress, and controls were adjusted to use digital input rather than analog trackball or joystick. This version helped introduce the classic arcade formula to home PC users.
Over time, the IBM PC port of Centipede has been acknowledged by retro gaming enthusiasts for its fidelity to the arcade original. While graphics and sound were downgraded due to PC hardware limitations of the time, the core addictive gameplay remained intact, preserving the legacy of one of the golden age classics of arcade shooters.
