The screen lights up bright, showing only green and white. I press the start button and the game begins with a loud beep. I aim my finger at the left joystick, moving it to the right as aliens drop from the top of the screen. They are small and fast, shooting down lasers that crackle across the bottom. I dodge them carefully, trying not to hit the wall on either side.

The score flashes up to 1200, then quickly leaps past 3000. The aliens get faster now, more aggressive. My hands start to sweat as they approach me. I flick the joystick back and forth, aiming for the big alien in the middle row. It fires a powerful laser that almost hits my ship.

I manage to hit it just before it can fire again, earning 300 points. The screen shows 5700 now. My fingers move faster as the aliens change patterns, making them harder to predict. I see other players getting their scores up around me, some passing 6000.

I focus on dodging and shooting, trying not to miss. Suddenly, one of the aliens is right in my path and I can’t react quick enough. It hits me and I lose a life. The score goes down from 5700 to 4300.

But I quickly get back into it, determined to beat my own high score. The aliens keep coming but I’m faster now, more confident. By the time they reach their lowest level, I’ve hit 8200. I pause for a moment, watching as the score counts up. Then I press start again, ready to try even higher.

The screen blinks off and on as I wait, hoping maybe I can top it this time. But when I look back at my score, it’s still just 8200. Sighing, I turn the machine off with a thump and head home, knowing tomorrow is another chance to get that perfect score.