Atari Centipede is a classic arcade game designed by Dona Bailey and Ed Logg. It was first published in 1980 by Atari, and became a huge commercial success in the early years of the golden age of arcade games. The player controls the Bug Blaster that can move across the bottom of the screen. From the top of the screen, a giant centipede is crawling through the mushroom field. To avoid being eaten, the player must shoot the centipede. Hitting the centipede will make it split into two shorter centipedes, however. Other creatures, such as fleas, scorpions, and spiders, will also appear in the mushroom field. Each of these creatures has its own way of making things more difficult for the player.