Machine Guides

Game History

Phoenix is a fixed shooter arcade game developed in Japan and released by Taito in December 1980. The game was distributed in the United States by Centuri under a licensing agreement with Amstar Electronics, with the U.S. release occurring in January 1981.

The game was notable for its innovative features for the time, including five distinct stages and continuing music pieces during gameplay—elements that were uncommon in early arcade games. Phoenix is particularly recognized for featuring one of the first boss battles in video game history during its fifth stage, where players fought against a large enemy spaceship with a tiny alien pilot at its core.

Phoenix was a commercial success, becoming one of Centuri's most profitable titles and helping the company recover from previous financial losses. 

How to Play

Objective

The main goal of Phoenix is to survive through five distinct waves of enemy attacks and destroy as many enemy ships as possible to achieve a high score. You must eliminate all enemies in each wave to advance to the next one. The ultimate objective is to progress through all five waves and defeat the final boss ship to complete the cycle, which then repeats with increased difficulty.

Controls

• Joystick: Use the joystick to move your spaceship left and right at the bottom of the screen
• Fire Button: Press to shoot your laser at enemy ships
• Shield Button: Press to activate your protective shield for a limited duration

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Press the Start Button to begin your space battle.

• Wave Progression: Navigate through five distinct waves of enemies, each with different patterns and challenges:

  • Waves 1-2: Enemy birds that fly in formation and attack your ship
  • Waves 3-4: Eggs that hatch into more aggressive enemy birds
  • Wave 5: Boss battle against a large enemy ship with a protected alien pilot

• Combat Mechanics: Move your ship horizontally and shoot at enemy ships while avoiding their projectiles and attacks.

• Shield Usage: Activate your shield temporarily to protect yourself from enemy fire. The shield has limited duration and must be used strategically.

• Enemy Patterns: Each wave features different enemy movement patterns and attack strategies that you must learn and adapt to.

• Score System: Earn points for destroying enemy ships, with higher values awarded for more difficult enemies and waves.

• Wave Completion: Successfully destroy all enemies in each wave to advance to the next one.

• Boss Battle: In Wave 5, you must destroy the outer layers of the boss ship to expose and defeat the alien pilot inside.

• Game Loop: After completing all five waves, the game restarts with increased difficulty and faster enemy patterns.