It was followed by a sequel in 1984, Gaplus. Galaga is also included in many Namco compilations. Several home ports were released for a multitude of platforms, including the MSX, Atari 7800 and Nintendo Entertainment System, alongside releases on digital distribution platforms such as Xbox Live Arcade. Critics applauded its gameplay, innovation, addictive nature and improvements made over its predecessor. It is widely regarded as a classic of the golden age of arcade video games and one of the greatest video games of all time. The project became immensely popular around the company, with Namco's president Masaya Nakamura even taking interest.Īlthough early location tests were unsuccessful, Galaga received critical acclaim and went on to become one of the most successful arcade games, routinely appearing on Japanese and American arcade charts through 1987. Inspiration for the dual fighter mechanic was taken from a film that Yokoyama had seen prior to development, where a ship was captured using a large circular beam. Originally developed for the Namco Galaxian arcade board, it was instead shifted to a new system as suggested by Namco's Research and Development division. Initial planning took about two months to finish. Shigeru Yokoyama led development with a small team. Some enemies can capture a player's ship via a tractor beam, which can be rescued to transform the player into a 'dual fighter' with additional firepower. Controlling a starship, the player is tasked with destroying the Galaga forces in each stage while avoiding enemies and projectiles. It is the sequel to Galaxian (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. By following these tips and tricks, you can improve your gameplay and achieve high scores.Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. Galaga is a timeless classic that gamers of all ages continue to enjoy. Focus on taking out one or two at a time and then dodging enemy fire. This will make it easier to shoot them down.ĭon't Get Greedy: It can be tempting to try and shoot down as many enemy spacecraft as possible, but this can lead to getting overwhelmed and taking damage. Watch for Patterns: The enemy spacecraft will fly in predictable patterns, so pay attention to their movements and try to anticipate where they will be next. This makes it easier to hit enemy spacecraft and score points. Use the Dual Shot Power-Up: One of the power-ups that can be collected is the Dual Shot, which allows the player's spacecraft to fire two lasers at once. The player's spacecraft is more maneuverable than the enemy spacecraft, so use this to your advantage and avoid getting hit. Tips and Tricks for Playing Galagaįocus on Dodging: One of the most important skills in Galaga is dodging enemy fire. The enemy spacecraft will sometimes drop power-ups when they are destroyed, which can be collected by the player's spacecraft to gain additional abilities. To defeat the enemy spacecraft, the player must shoot them down using their spacecraft's laser cannon. The enemy spacecraft will fly in formation at the top of the screen and periodically swoop down to attack the player's spacecraft. The game is played on a single screen, and the player controls a spacecraft that can move horizontally across the bottom of the screen.

The objective of Galaga is to score as many points as possible by shooting down enemy spacecraft. Galaga was first released in 1981 and quickly became a hit due to its simple yet addictive gameplay.

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