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Alien Invasion

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Title Screen

Alien Invasion

Developer: Fairchild
Publisher: Fairchild
Platform: Fairchild Channel F
Released in US: 1981


SourceIcon.png This game has uncompiled source code.
CopyrightIcon.png This game has hidden developer credits.


Alien Invasion is notable for being the last title ever released officially on the Channel F. As you can imagine, this is indeed a Space Invaders clone.

Easter Egg

To activate this Easter Egg, the game must be started on Game 5. When the game starts, Player 1 (blue) must be killed by an alien bullet without firing any bullets in return. Then, Player 2 (green) must shoot only the lowest enemy in each column. After this, both players must lose the rest of their ships without Player 1 firing their weapon. After the game ends, it must be started again on Game 5. If all of this is done correctly, programmer Brad Reid-Selth's last name will appear at the top of the screen each time the players' ships appear, before the aliens start to move:

AlienInvasion ChannelF EasterEggCredit.png

In addition, the sprite for the special bonus UFO will be replaced with a duck:

AlienInvasion ChannelF EasterEggDuck.png

Both effects will last as long as Player 1 does not fire a shot.


(Source: http://www.digitpress.com/eastereggs/cfalieninvasion.htm)

Source Code

A couple of small tidbits were left behind in the game.

At offset 0xC77:

*************  BEGINNING  
****************SCREENST
****************     OF
****************,PUTLIST

****************   PROGRAM
****************,PUTLIST

*        DC    H'0080'173'MUSICEUTMISL,PUTDOT,PUTLIST
*        DC    H'4040'D80'MUSICEUTMISL,PUTDOT,PUTLIST

And at offset 0xF35:

                                         TDOT,PUTLIST
*****    DC    H'0140'953'MUSICEUTMISL,PUTDOT,PUTLIST
*        DC    H'FF01'500'MUSICEUTMISL,PUTDOT,PUTLIST