LAUNCHED in Japan in June 1978 – 40 years ago this month – Space Invaders can justly claim to be the computer game which gave arms, legs (and pixelated antennae) to the nascent gaming industry.

Sure, there had been arcade games produced earlier in the decade, such as Computer Space, Gunfight, Tank, Breakout and Pong. But none has been as influential or remained as relevant as the one developed by Tomohiro Nishikado for video game company the Taito Corporation.

“I had no idea that games would come this far and people would still be playing Space Invaders even now,” he told Forbes magazine in an interview published last month, adding: “Humans actually animated smoothly, but shooting at humans didn’t resonate well at the time, so we settled on aliens.”

Gamers and game developers have no such qualms these days. Humans, aliens, angels, sheep, anything goes. Here we look at some of the other landmark titles in what is now a multi-billion pound industry with a global reach – and one of the major drivers of popular culture in the early 21st century.

Tetris (1984)

Differently shaped bricks fall from the sky and you have to stack then neatly. The fact that it’s endlessly pleasing and also far more difficult than it sounds accounts for its massive (and continued) popularity across various platforms. The fact that after 1989 it came bundled with every Game Boy helped too. Beautiful, simple and elegant, it was created by Soviet computer engineer Alexey Pajitnov, who had to wait until 1996 before he saw any cash for his troubles.

DOOM (1993)

This game wasn’t the first “first-person shooter” (FPS), but it’s the most influential. Players adopt the role of “Doomguy”, a space marine posted to Mars who spends his time blasting a rogue’s gallery of demons and ghouls back to whichever portal of Hell they came from.

Fortnite (2017)

The obsession of the moment for British teens, this free-to-play co-operative online survival game blends gory Japanese film Battle Royale (a dystopian reality show satire) with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – and adds rabbit costumes and dance moves for good measure. It’s such a phenomenon among young people that old people are starting to notice. Parents, for instance. And BBC arts correspondent Will Gompertz, who went on the Today programme last week to explain it all to a bemused John Humphrys.

Call Of Duty (2003)

Now on its 15th iteration, Call Of Duty (COD) began as a second world war FPS and then spawned similarly carnage-riddled versions for other theatres of war such as a civil conflict in modern-day Russia, the Cold War, the Middle East in the near-future and a dust-up in outer-space. COD has proved such a lasting phenomenon that a documentary has even been made made about it.

Pac-Man (1980)

Another one for arcade nostalgists, this involved navigating a thoroughly low-tech eight-bit maze, eating dots and trying to avoid the four chasing ghosts. Eccentric, addictive and as much of a pop cultural lodestone as Space Invaders. Fun fact: it was called Puck Man in Japan because the main character was shaped like an ice-hockey puck, but was changed for the US launch over worries that vandals could change the P to an F. Get it?

World Of Warcraft (2004)

World Of Warcraft (WOW) is actually the fourth release in the Warcraft series which launched in 1994 but it’s probably the most popular and certainly the most influential. Set in the fantasy world of Azeroth, it sees players battle for control using character avatars and is what’s known as an MMORPG – basically a role-playing game (RPG) in which massive numbers of users can play together online (that’s the MMO bit). The similarities between WOW and George RR Martin’s A Song Of Fire And Ice books have been noted, though for the record Martin was (probably) the first one out of the blocks: although it wasn’t published until 1996, he began writing Game Of Thrones, the first in the series, in 1991.

Minecraft (2011)

Known in the jargon as a “sandbox” game because it’s non-linear and it’s up to the player what they do, this was designed by Swede Markus Persson and published by Swedish company Mojang. Offering various modes, it allows players to build structures using what look like digital Lego bricks, either on their own or collaboratively. It’s the second-highest grossing game of all time after Tetris, according to Forbes magazine.

Final Fantasy (1987)

An RPG developed by Japanese designer Hironobu Sakaguchi, Final Fantasy presented a series of stand-alone fantasy stories – think wizards, elves, mermaids etc – through various iterations. But it was Final Fantasy VII, the first to use 3D graphics and the first to be released in Europe, which cemented its reputation as one of the greats.

Super Mario Bros. (1985)

Actually a sequel to Mario Bros., which appeared in 1983, this Nintendo game is one of the biggest-selling ever and its amiability (and theme music) are its main appeal. Known in the jargon as a “side-scrolling platformer”, it involves Mario, a plumber, navigating various obstacles in the so-called Mushroom Kingdom. Along the way he’ll meet characters such as Bowser, Princess Toadstool and the turtle-like Koopa Troopas.

FIFA (1993)

One of the biggest-selling games of all time, this football series arrives newly-minted every season and allows players to take on a vast array of teams – as long as the league they play in has licensed its rights to Electronic Arts, which owns the FIFA franchise. Many do, so if you’re a fan of Mexican club Tijuana, South Korean team Pohang Steelers or boring old Barcelona FC, you’ll find them here. There are international versions available as well: FIFA 18 World Cup was released last week, though sadly you won’t find Scotland in it.