Millipede

Defend your patch of mushrooms in Atari’s Millipede, a frantic shooter where you control the Archer, maneuvering it with a trackball to fend off a relentless swarm of insects. The primary threat is the Millipede itself – a segmented creature that snakes across the screen, changing direction when encountering obstacles like flowers, DDT bombs, and the mushrooms you've cultivated. Destroying segments causes them to sprout new mushrooms, but also breaks the Millipede into smaller pieces, multiplying the challenge. Beyond the titular insect, players must contend with spiders, earwigs, dragonflies, mosquitoes, beetles, and bees – each presenting unique movement patterns and behaviors that require quick reflexes and strategic arrow placement. DDT bombs offer a powerful explosive option, capable of clearing large areas but also carrying risk if mishandled. As you progress, the game introduces escalating challenges including speeding insects, screen-scrolling sequences, and increasingly complex insect raiding parties. Millipede is a two-player experience playable with a trackball for movement and a single fire button to launch arrows upward, requiring precision and foresight as you navigate a constantly evolving landscape of obstacles and attackers.