▁highest - g ross ing ▁video ▁game ▁of ▁all ▁time . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁▁ ▁An ▁urban ▁legend ▁states ▁that ▁Space ▁Inv aders ' ▁popular ity ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁short age ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 - yen ▁co ins ▁in ▁Japan . ▁In ▁actual ity , ▁ 1 0 0 - yen ▁coin ▁production ▁was ▁lower ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁than ▁in ▁previous ▁or ▁subsequent ▁years . ▁Additionally , ▁ar cade ▁operators ▁would ▁have ▁em pt ied ▁their ▁machines ▁and ▁taken ▁the ▁money ▁to ▁the ▁bank , ▁thus ▁keeping ▁the ▁co ins ▁in ▁circul ation . ▁Re ports ▁from ▁those ▁living ▁in ▁Japan ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁indicate ▁" nothing ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁ordinary ▁... ▁during ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁Space ▁Inv aders ▁invasion ". ▁ ▁As ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁shooting ▁games , ▁Space ▁Inv aders ▁set ▁preced ents ▁and ▁helped ▁p ave ▁the ▁way ▁for ▁future ▁titles ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁shooting ▁genre . ▁Space ▁Inv aders ▁popular ized ▁a ▁more ▁interactive ▁style ▁of ▁game play , ▁with ▁the ▁enemies ▁respond ing ▁to ▁the ▁player - control led ▁can non ' s ▁movement , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁video ▁game ▁to ▁popular ize ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁ach ieving ▁a ▁high ▁score , ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁save ▁the ▁player ' s ▁score . ▁While ▁earlier ▁shooting ▁games ▁allowed ▁the ▁player ▁to ▁shoot ▁at ▁targets , ▁Space ▁Inv aders ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁which ▁targets ▁could ▁fire ▁back ▁at ▁the ▁player . ▁It ▁was ▁also