In Attack from Mars, Martians began to invade the Earth, and it is up to the player to destroy the Martian fleet, save all the major cities, and then head off to Mars to destroy the Martian empire and planet Mars.

Notable features on the playfield include four mechanized Martian figures, a strobe light (for Strobe Multiball), and several flying saucers mounted above the ramps/loops. The largest of these, placed above a set of targets at the top center of the playfield, can shake and flash in time with the player’s success in defeating Martian forces.