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Space Laser
太空激光
Space Laser is a single-player action arcade game released in 1980 by GamePlan, operating under Taito. The player controls a laser cannon positioned at the bottom of the screen, tasked with shooting down waves of descending enemies. Using a joystick to move left and right and a button to fire, the player must eliminate targets before they reach the bottom. The game follows a wave-based structure, with enemy formations increasing in speed and complexity as play progresses. Space Laser draws clear inspiration from the fixed-shooter format popularized in the late 1970s, challenging players to survive escalating attack patterns while managing their position carefully to avoid enemy fire and collisions.
- Developer
- GamePlan (Taito)
- Released
- 1980
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 1P
- Rating
- 4.8 / 5 (5K)
- Last updated
Space Laser Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Space Laser 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 Laser Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Space Laser 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 Laser" Arcade longplay 1980
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Space Laser released?
Space Laser was released in 1980 for the Arcade.
Who developed Space Laser?
Space Laser was developed by GamePlan (Taito), available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Space Laser support?
Space Laser is a single-player Action game for the Arcade.
What type of game is Space Laser?
Space Laser is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Space Laser for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Space Laser runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Space Laser in the browser?
No. Space Laser streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Space Laser?
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 Laser 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 Laser this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Space Laser. 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.
