Space Panic
1980 · Platform · Arcade
Overview
Space Panic (1980) is Universal's arcade game of ladders and floors, often called the first platform game: dig holes to trap aliens, then knock them through.
Deep Dive
Space Panic's hero cannot jump. Instead he climbs ladders between layered floors, digs holes for the pursuing aliens to fall into, and fills them in to drop the trapped enemies through before they climb out. Released a year before Donkey Kong, it is widely credited as the first platform game — the first to build its play around characters moving across stacked platforms — though its limited release outside Japan left Donkey Kong with most of the credit.
Developer Story
Space Panic was developed by Universal in 1980 and is considered the first platform game — predating Donkey Kong by a year. Players dug holes in platforms to trap and eliminate aliens. While Donkey Kong introduced jumping and the running left-right format, Space Panic established the core concept of characters navigating layered platforms. It was influential but commercially overshadowed by Donkey Kong.
Did You Know?
- Space Panic is widely considered the first platform game, establishing layered platforms as a gameplay environment before Donkey Kong.
- Unlike Donkey Kong, the player could not jump — they navigated between platforms using ladders only.
- The hole-digging mechanic was a genuine innovation: creating traps for enemies rather than shooting them directly.
- The game was a commercial success in Japan but had limited North American distribution, partly explaining why Donkey Kong received more historical credit as the "first" platformer.
Sources & further reading
- Space Panic — Wikipedia
