Sinistar
1982 · Shooter · Arcade
Overview
Sinistar is a 1983 multidirectional shooter arcade video game developed and manufactured by Williams Electronics. It was created by Sam Dicker, Jack Haeger, Noah Falstein, RJ Mical, Python Anghelo, and Richard Witt. Players control a space pilot who battles the eponymous Sinistar, a giant, anthropomorphic spacecraft.
Deep Dive
Sinistar is a 1983 multidirectional shooter arcade video game developed and manufactured by Williams Electronics. It was created by Sam Dicker, Jack Haeger, Noah Falstein, RJ Mical, Python Anghelo, and Richard Witt. Players control a space pilot who battles the eponymous Sinistar, a giant, anthropomorphic spacecraft. The game is known for its use of digitized speech and high difficulty level.
Developer Story
Sinistar was designed by Sam Dicker, Jack Haeger, Noah Falstein, and RJ Mical at Williams Electronics in 1982. The game featured an enormous boss character — Sinistar — that players had to defeat using bombs collected by mining asteroids, while the boss was simultaneously being constructed by worker ships. The booming synthesised voice of Sinistar ("BEWARE, I LIVE!") became one of gaming's most memorable audio moments.
Did You Know?
- "BEWARE, I LIVE!" — Sinistar's taunting speech was delivered in a deep, synthesised voice that players found genuinely intimidating.
- Sinistar was built by worker ships in real time — if players didn't destroy workers fast enough, the boss completed construction sooner.
- Players had to mine asteroids for crystals, then craft sinibombs — a resource-gathering loop inside an action game.
- The game featured a zoom effect as Sinistar approached — the closer the boss, the more screen space it occupied.
- "RUN, COWARD!" was another Sinistar voice line, equally memorable and panic-inducing.
