---
title: Alien Invasion
tags:
- shoot them up
years:
- '1979'
params:
  image: /media/museum/software/fairchild_channelf_alien-invasion_s1.png
  specs:
  - label: year of release
    value: '1979'
  - label: companies
    value: Zircon International Inc.
  - label: type
    value: game
  - label: media
    value: cartridge
  - label: systems
    value: Fairchild Channel F
  - label: number of players
    value: 1 player, 2 players (alternate), 2 players (cooperative)
  - label: staff
    value: Brad Reid-Selth
  screenshots:
  - title: 1 player game
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/fairchild_channelf_alien-invasion_s1.png
  - title: destroy the mother ship!
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/fairchild_channelf_alien-invasion_s3.png
  - title: 2 players game
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/fairchild_channelf_alien-invasion_s2.png
  - title: easter egg - programmer's name!
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/fairchild_channelf_programmer_ss.png
  - title: 'easter egg #2 - mother ship is now a duck!'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/fairchild_channelf_duck_ss.png
  - title: cartridge
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/fairchild_channelf_alien-invasion_cart.jpg
  machines:
  - /museum/fairchild-channel-f
  company: /companies/fairchild
  oc_id: 71
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230529193248/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/software_detail.asp?id=71
    date: '2023-05-29'
---

"You are responsible for defending the Earth against an army of alien invaders. The task is not easy. The attackers relentlessly descend toward the Earth as they fire their missile salvos in an attempt to destroy you."

Alien Invasion is an obvious illegal clone of arcade hit Space Invaders from Taito (1978). It is apparently the first adaptation of Space Invaders on a home video game system. And not a bad one considering the system possibilities and the early date.

This version offers some interesting variations from the Arcade version: the 10 options let you specify the number of alien missiles fired at the same time (2 or 4), the number of missiles fired at the same time by the players (1 or 2) and number of players (1 player, 2 players alternate, 2 players cooperative). This last mode, 2 players playing at the same time, is quite innovtaive.

Alien Invasion was the last cartridge produced for the system (Channel F II at the time), by Zircon. It was apparently sold only through mail-order, and was possibly the most complicated game for the console.

Alien Invasion is also known as one of the first games to feature easter eggs (along with other 1978 games, the very first being the Fairchild Channel F demo cart released in 1976!).