Uploaded November 2015 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Part of Atari's 1983 "Reach For Atari" series of TV commercials. This one illustrates the 5200 SuperSystem Centipede game and also notes the VCS/2600 version.
The VCS/2600 version is a decent port of Atari's original arcade game by Ed Logg and Donna Bailey. It was done by General Computer Corp (GCC) (with graphics by Patty Goodson), considering the original used a trackball. The programmer tried to take that into account, by allowing the shooter to have a little variable speed in its movement. Planned for a March 1983 release, according to a news blurb in the April 1983 issue of Videogaming Illustrated (pg. 10). Packaged along with a Centipede mini-comic and a poster for the CX22 Trak-Ball controller. The 1985 release has an unusual label condition: unlike all of the other titles released around this time, the end label has the title in orange lettering instead of red. The origin of this was a rare misprint that was released in 1985 with the same label style used for the Colecovision version.
The 5200 version is a fantastic support, and one of the many games that is trak-ball compatible. There is also a prototype version that has been dubbed "Killer Centipede" due to the frantic pace at which the game plays. The centipedes fly down the screen at you and the spiders have smarter AI with much faster movement. First mentioned at the Summer 1982 CES show in Chicago. According to the V1N5 issue of Atari Age, this was to be available in January 1983. Original retail price: $39.95.
You can find a copy of the Atari Age and Videogaming Illustrated magazines on the Atari Compendium website:
ataricompendium.com/archives/magazines/magazines.html
Part of Atari's 1983 "Reach For Atari" series of TV commercials. This one illustrates the 5200 SuperSystem Centipede game and also notes the VCS/2600 version.
The VCS/2600 version is a decent port of Atari's original arcade game by Ed Logg and Donna Bailey. It was done by General Computer Corp (GCC) (with graphics by Patty Goodson), considering the original used a trackball. The programmer tried to take that into account, by allowing the shooter to have a little variable speed in its movement. Planned for a March 1983 release, according to a news blurb in the April 1983 issue of Videogaming Illustrated (pg. 10). Packaged along with a Centipede mini-comic and a poster for the CX22 Trak-Ball controller. The 1985 release has an unusual label condition: unlike all of the other titles released around this time, the end label has the title in orange lettering instead of red. The origin of this was a rare misprint that was released in 1985 with the same label style used for the Colecovision version.
The 5200 version is a fantastic support, and one of the many games that is trak-ball compatible. There is also a prototype version that has been dubbed "Killer Centipede" due to the frantic pace at which the game plays. The centipedes fly down the screen at you and the spiders have smarter AI with much faster movement. First mentioned at the Summer 1982 CES show in Chicago. According to the V1N5 issue of Atari Age, this was to be available in January 1983. Original retail price: $39.95.
You can find a copy of the Atari Age and Videogaming Illustrated magazines on the Atari Compendium website:
ataricompendium.com/archives/magazines/magazines.html
