As aliens were destroyed, the 1970s processor had fewer objects to render, causing the game loop to naturally speed up. Tomohiro Nishikado kept this as a feature.

While the 100-yen coin shortage myth is false, it stems from the game's immense popularity and the genuine boom in dedicated arcades opening across Japan.

While earlier games simply displayed a player's current points, Space Invaders recorded the top overall score to encourage competitive replays.

The iconic four-note bass loop accelerates in tandem with the descending aliens, subconsciously matching a rising pulse to induce panic in the player.