"The shoot-em-up original."

Introduction- Galaga is Namco's classic space shooter for the arcade that gained popularity along with Pac-Man. Much superior to Galaxian, Galaga had side-to-side movement that was responsive, tight, and somewhat restrictive. Similar to Space Invaders, Galaga's enemies kept in formation as you blast them into oblivion, but with their superior numbers, they can easily overwhelm you with multiple swarms and a hail of gunfire. It's your job to defeat these enemies for as long as you can... at least until your wallet's empty.

Gameplay- You control a simple fighter ship, capable of firing several shots in rapid-fire. Enemies will begin to swarm the screen in formations, until every one of them is settled into their position. Once the enemies settle, they will begin a flurry of attacks on you until you either eliminate them or you get destroyed yourself. If there are only a few enemies onscreen left, they will begin to increase speed, making them hard to hit, or even kamikaze into your ship, taking you with it! There are also special enemies, called the Galagas, which take 2 hits to be killed, and have the ability to "brainwash" your ship, costing you a life. If your ship is "brainwashed", on your next life it will begin to attack you! If you're good enough to defeat your ship's squadron without destroying your old ship, it will join your ship and create a double craft which is capable of firing 2 shots at once! This also means you can survive one shot from an enemy at the expense of one of the ships, since it is a bigger target. There are also bonus stages, where you usually are safe from enemy fire and start to clear out massive swarms for extra points.

Play Time- This is a very addicting shooter and will surely keep you occupied until your pockets are empty. It is very easy to spend more than an hour or so at the arcade just playing this game. If you're going to play for a long time, be sure to have enough cash!

Recommendation- You must play this game. This is one of those classics that can never be forgotten. You won't be disappointed at this game at all, and you may end up being glued to its screen for a considerable amount of time! Play it at your local arcade now!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/14/06