Space Fever & Color Space Fever
Nintendo Arcade, 1979

Getting Started

Select 1 or 2 Players

• Insert 1 coin for a 1-Player game or 2 coins for a 2-Player game.
• Use the 1 or 2 Player buttons to select how many players are taking part.
• The 2-Player game is the same as the 1-Player game, except play alternates between the two players. As Space Fever was intended to be played on a tabletop with both players sat on opposite sides, the screen flips upside-down when it's Player 2's turn.

Select a Game Mode

Use the Game Select buttons to choose between three game modes:

• Game A
• Game B
• Game C

How to Play

Control your Laser Cannon

Laser Cannon

レーザー砲

Use your mobile Laser Cannon to shoot down the enemy Invaders.

• The Laser Cannon can only move left, move right and fire.
• You start with 3 lives. You lose one life if your Laser Cannon is hit by an enemy laser. If you lose all your lives, you get a Game Over.
• Your shots can block enemy lasers.
• You can only shoot one laser at a time. If you miss, you have to wait for your laser to reach the top of the screen before you can fire another.
• Your laser can't reach Invaders at the very edges of the screen.

Destroy every Invader

In each wave, there are 60 Invaders arranged in five rows. Shoot all the Invaders with your Laser Cannon to move on to the next wave.

There are three kinds of Invader, each scoring a different number of points when you shoot them down:

Invader (10pts)

侵略者 10点

Invader (20pts)

侵略者 20点

Invader (30pts)

侵略者 30点

Invaders will move from left to right until they reach an edge (or the centre in Game A). They will drop down a row, then change direction.

As you clear out Invaders, they move faster.

Don't let the Invaders reach your base!

If any Invaders reach the bottom of the screen, you get an instant Game Over, no matter how many lives you have remaining.

Dodge the Invader lasers

The Invaders shoot lasers back at you. If your Laser Cannon is hit by a laser, you lose a life.

The Invaders start by not firing very often. Their rate of fire will increase when your score reaches the following thresholds:

• 300 points
• 1,100 points
• 2,100 points
• 5,100 points
• 10,000 points

Use the Shields

Shield

There are four shields between you and the Invaders that you can use for cover from laser fire.

• The shields gradually take damage. Your lasers will also damage them.
• The shields are restored at the start of each wave.
• The shields make it tricky to hit some Invaders. You can blast a hole through the shield if you need to.
• If the Invaders reach the shields, they will destroy them as they move through them.

Shoot the Space Carrier (UFO) for bonus points

Space Carrier

宇宙空母

The Invaders' mothership flies across the top of screen. Shoot it down to get a bonus score of 50, 100, 150 or 300 points.

• In earlier versions of the game, the score is decided by how many of your shots have hit Invaders, Space Carriers or Shields.
• In later versions of the game, the score is decided by a hidden timer. This makes it more difficult to predict.

Get an Extra Life

Get a score of 1,500 points. A fanfare will play, rewarding you with an extra life.

This is the only extra life you can get in the game.

Hints

• Each group of Invaders will carry on moving until they reach an edge. If you eliminate a column of Invaders from the right or left of the group, they'll take longer to reach the edge of the screen. This strategy can be used to slow down their advance.
• In Game A, this strategy only works if you eliminate a column from both groups.
• Your Laser Cannon cannot reach Invaders when they're at the very edge of the screen.
• The Shields are useful, but they can make it difficult to hit some Invaders. Shoot the Shield to make a hole and blast the enemies through the hole.
• Some of the Invaders' lasers take one shot to block, and some take two. It's often better to move out of the way, especially if the Invaders are getting close to the bottom.
• Fire at the Space Carrier before it's directly above your Laser Cannon to have a better chance of hitting it.
• When there is only one enemy left, it will move faster than you. Don't try and chase it. Stop moving and try to time one of your shots to hit it.

Game A

Two blocks of Invaders appear, moving from the edge of the screen to the centre.

When either group reaches the edge or centre of the screen, they will drop down and change direction.

Waves

After each Wave, the Invaders start closer to the bottom of the play area, up to Wave 4.

Wave 1

Wave 2

Wave 3

Wave 4+

Hints for Game A

• Deal with the bottom two rows of Invaders.
  Don't start by blasting out columns. This takes too long, as the Invaders drop down quickly. Deal with the bottom two rows of Invaders before they get too close, then start picking off columns.
• Work from the centre out.
  If you take out a column of Invaders, you will need to also take out a column on the other group. Work from the centre out, alternating between the right and left groups.
• Clear out the right hand side first.
  When you lose a life, you always start in the bottom-left corner. Try not to leave one or two Invaders on the right-side of the screen. If they manage to shoot you, it's very difficult to cross the screen to deal with them.

Game B

One row of Invaders appears at a time

The Invaders move all the way to the right, drop down, then all the way to the left, then drop down again. The next row only appears when the first row is moving back to the right.

Waves

After each Wave, the Invaders start closer to the bottom of the play area, up to Wave 4.

Wave 1

Wave 2

Wave 3

Wave 4+

Hints for Game B

• Alternate your speed.
  The speed of the Invaders is determined by how many there are on screen. If there's only one Invader left, it will move quickly. If the next row appears, the Invader will slow down again.
• Clear the screen.
  If you can eliminate all the Invaders on screen before the next row appears, a fanfare will sound. The next row will appear higher up on the screen. This is a critical strategy on the more difficult waves.
• Work from left to right
  The game remembers which column each Invader was in. It won't load in the next row until it's lined up with its original position in the group. Always aim to clear the Invaders from left to right to delay loading the next row.

Game C

All 60 Invaders move in a single block until they reach the edge of the screen, then they drop down and change direction. This mode is the closest to the classic Space Invaders.

Waves

After each Wave, the Invaders start closer to the bottom of the play area, up to Wave 4.

Wave 1

Wave 2

Wave 3

Wave 4+

Game C Hints

• Clear out columns.
  The classic Space Invaders strategy works in this mode. The Invaders won't drop down until the group reaches an edge. Clearing out the columns of Invaders on the left or right edge will slow down their advance.

Resources

Game Boy Camera features a minigame called Space Fever II.

Nintober 2021: Space Fever

Space Fever at The Cutting Room Floor