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Space Beam
Space Beam is an action arcade game released by Irem in 1979. Players control a spacecraft and must shoot down waves of enemy ships while avoiding incoming fire. The game supports two players, allowing a second player to join the action simultaneously or in alternating turns. Controls typically involve moving the ship horizontally across the screen and firing a beam weapon upward at descending enemies. The game follows a wave-based structure, with enemy formations growing progressively more aggressive as play continues. Space Beam is one of Irem's early arcade entries, predating the company's later well-known titles, and reflects the fixed-shooter style popular in arcades during that era.
- Developer
- Irem
- Released
- 1979
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 2P
- Rating
- 4.9 / 5 (3.5K)
- Last updated
Space Beam Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Space Beam on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Space Beam Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Space Beam on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Space Beam" Arcade longplay 1979
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Space Beam released?
Space Beam was released in 1979 for the Arcade.
Who developed Space Beam?
Space Beam was developed by Irem, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Space Beam support?
Space Beam supports up to 2 players, ideal for couch co-op or competitive sessions on the Arcade.
What type of game is Space Beam?
Space Beam is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Space Beam for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Space Beam runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Space Beam in the browser?
No. Space Beam streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Space Beam?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Space Beam work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Space Beam this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Space Beam. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
