Parents' Guide to

Centipede: Origins

By Chris Morris, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

New take on old classic includes aggressive purchase push.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Arcade Games
Centipede: Origins Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Centipede: Origins App: Screenshot #1
  • Centipede: Origins App: Screenshot #2
  • Centipede: Origins App: Screenshot #3

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What’s It About?

Centipede: Origins players try to stop the descent of a centipede by shooting it, but every time they hit a segment, it turns into a mushroom, which blocks the remaining parts, letting the insect approach in a very zigzag fashion, making it hard to hit. While this goes on, other bugs, such as a beetle, march down the path, placing more mushrooms. Players can buy power-ups, such as bombs to clear mushrooms out of an area or a rapid-fire option for their gun.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

While the tacked-on story and polished graphics aren't a real draw, Centipede: Origins remains true to the original arcade game and should be a fun trip down memory lane for people who fondly remember the quarter gobbler. While the aggressive push of in-app currency is annoying (and unnecessary), nothing being sold is essential. And, in fact, it's more fun to play the game without power-ups and remain true to its heritage.

Adding gnomes to create a bare-bones background story really does nothing for the game, though. And in the rush to make Centipede pretty, developers actually made it a bit harder. And given that the original was one of the hardest arcade games out there, that's saying something.

App Details

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