A strange little side quest
If Jewel Dozer sends you down a curiosity rabbit hole, start here. Space Invaders, released in 1978, helped push video games into mainstream popular culture. The surprising part is how quickly the next milestone followed. Pac-Man went on sale in 1980, and its creator Toru Iwatani famously linked the character's shape to a pizza with a slice missing. That history is one reason familiar mechanics can still feel new when they are recombined well.