How to play Pepsi Invaders online
- Move your cannon: left and right arrow keys
- Fire: Space bar
- Start a new game: F12 (the consoleās Reset switch)
How it differs from Space Invaders
The game plays like the 2600 Space Invaders, but with a few changes:
- The invaders are the letters P, E, P, S and I, with one extra invader added to each row.
- The flying saucer that crosses the top of the screen is replaced by a red and blue Pepsi logo.
- You have unlimited lives, so you cannot lose. If the invaders reach the bottom row, they simply keep moving sideways until you shoot them.
- Each game lasts three minutes. When time runs out, the screen flashes in wild colours and the game stops.
With endless lives, the only goal is a high score in three minutes. Shoot fast, and go for the Pepsi logo whenever it appears.
The story behind Pepsi Invaders
Coca-Cola ordered the game from Atari as a gift for the salespeople at its 1983 sales convention, and each of them reportedly got a complete Atari 2600 with it. The original Space Invaders programmer, Rick Maurer, had already left Atari, so the job went to Christopher Omarzu, who adapted the existing code. Only 125 copies were made. They came in plain white cases, and the box carried the slogan āAtari Goes Better With Cokeā. The game also shows the message āCOKE WINSā.
Because so few were made, Pepsi Invaders is one of the rarest Atari 2600 cartridges. Copies have sold for over US$2,000 on eBay.
