Nintendo Space Fever (スペースフェーバー, 1979)

When Taito's Space Invaders burst onto the arcade scene in the Summer of 1978, it became a runaway success. Multiple other arcade manufacturers quickly jumped on the bandwagon, including Nintendo.

In early 1979, Nintendo released an arcade game that was - let's say - inspired by Taito's space shooter. It was called Space Fever (スペースフェーバー).

Space Fever was a black and white game, that was an adequate copy of the original, but with very little to distinguish itself.

Nintendo Space Fever (1979)

It was all there: the marching aliens that are dropping bombs, the ship at the bottom of the screen firing up, as well as four bunkers that provide temporary shelter.

Space Fever offered three game modes ('Game A', 'Game B' and 'Game C'), with different marching patterns for the aliens. The game could be played by one or two players.

The exact release date was 18 January 1979.

Full Space Fever leaflet (front, back)

Later on in 1979, Nintendo would follow-up Space Fever first with Space Fever Color and then with a number of more original space games, like SF-Hisplitter and Space Launcher.