Arcade games from the 80s can be a great time waster on modern smartphones. Games like Pac-Man, Centipede, Missile Command and Asteroids are all available on the Google Play Store.

Classic Centipede follows the same rules as the original from the golden age of arcade games.

Classic Centipede is one of the first fixed shooter arcade games ever created. Atari introduced Centipede in 1981, and it quickly became one of the most commercially successful arcade cabinets of the time.

Players fight centipedes, spiders, fleas, and scorpions on a fixed screen. A giant centipede starts at the top of the screen and winds its way through a forest of mushrooms. Players must shoot each segment of the centipede to kill it. As the centipede gets closer to the bottom of the screen, it moves faster, and the music becomes more intense.

After the player finishes each level, the centipede receives a boost to speed and health. Later levels require multiple hits on each piece of the centipede's segment to make it disappear. The creature moves faster as more sections are killed and removed.

The game is over when the centipede reaches the bottom and eats the player. The point of the game is to achieve as high a score as possible. This version of the game grants an extra life with every 12,000 points earned. That means accomplished players can rack up quite a massive score.

Centipede started its life as an arcade cabinet, but Atari eventually ported the game to home consoles. It also made its way to personal computers like the Apple II and Commodore 64. Versions for Nintendo's handheld the Game Boy were also produced. Now players can enjoy the game on their Android smartphones.

Classic Centipede Features

* Fixed shooter game with increasing difficulty
* Players must kill an entire centipede as it marches down the screen
* Spiders, fleas, and other insects appear
* Centipede slowly gets faster as it gets closer
* Power-ups help the player shoot faster
* Two screen pad configurations for controls
* Supports Google Games with leaderboards
* Earn an extra life after every 12,000 points
* Scanlines to simulate old CRT monitors

Classic Centipede Pros & Cons

Pros:

* Accurately re-creates the arcade game
* Graphics look like the original Centipede
* Two configurations for on-screen buttons
* Has leaderboards and achievements to earn
* Easy to learn if you've never played

Cons:

* There is an ad after every game
* Buttons can be a little finicky

Should I download and install Classic Centipede?

If you love classic arcade games and want to play Centipede on your phone, install this mobile app. It is a perfect re-creation of the original arcade classic, right down to the blocky mushrooms.

The game is easy to pick up but hard to master. Even young children can have fun with the game's early levels when the centipede is slow. Older children can learn to anticipate movement and build hand-eye coordination skills with the game