I believe it comes from a 1980s sci-fi movie called The Last Starfighter. Aliens need a pilot to help them overcome an overwhelming enemy. They have a weapon but need someone to operate it since they can’t. They use a video game to find someone that can win the game means they find someone who can operate the weapon.
The climax is the teen hero using the ultimate weapon in a move that spins rapidly in an globe shape while continuously firing to take out the entire enemy fleet that has him surrounded on all sides. The move is called a Death Blossom.
Graphics were generated on a Cray-1.