Space Invaders

Space Invaders wasn't just the Atari 2600's best-seller: it was the first title in history to prove a single piece of software could sell hardware. When Taito licensed it to Atari in 1980, console sales exploded. The home version wasn't identical to the arcade but gameplay was intact: rows of aliens descending relentlessly, accelerating as you shot them down. In Japan it caused a national 100-yen coin shortage. In America it entered every living room. Even today, that crab-like silhouette is one of pop culture's most recognizable symbols.