Based on the 1981 arcade classic, Centipede is sort of an organically enhanced version of Space Invaders. Instead of an outer space setting, Centipede takes place in an enchanted, mushroom-ridden forest. You control a magic wand that can maneuver in all directions along the bottom one-fourth of the screen. From the top of the play field, centipedes, which break into independently moving segments when you shoot them, descend toward you through the mushroom field one at a time.

When you shoot a centipede, the segment you hit turns into a mushroom. The mushrooms act as shields for you, and you can shoot them for extra points or if you just want to clear off some room on the playfield. The centipedes move horizontally, and when one of them bumps into a mushroom or the edge of the forest, it crawls down to the next row of mushrooms and continues moving horizontally.

When you destroy the entire centipede, another one takes it's place. If a centipede reaches the bottom of the forest, it begins crawling back up the bottom part of the playfield, and more centipede segments begin cluttering the screen. Other creatures you can shoot include spiders, fleas and scorpions, which create poisonous mushrooms. These poisonous mushrooms drive the centipedes loony, forcing them to quickly plunge straight down the screen. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide