Atari’s 1980 arcade game Centipede famously used a trackball for precise movement.
The player controls a small shooter called the Bugblaster in the lower portion of the screen. Rolling the trackball moves the character rapidly in multiple directions, while a separate button fires at the centipede and other enemies. The control scheme made quick horizontal and vertical adjustments feel natural.
Centipede was designed by Ed Logg and Dona Bailey and became one of Atari’s major arcade successes. Dona Bailey was one of the earliest female coin-operated video-game designers, and the game’s colorful insect theme helped distinguish it from space shooters.
Centipede is sometimes confused with joystick-controlled shooters such as Space Invaders. Its trackball is an important part of its identity because it supports fast, fluid aiming and movement rather than fixed directional steps.