Galaga

 
Galaga is an absolute classic. Upgrading the formula and gameplay from its predecessor Galaxian, this space-shooter has an almost perfect feeling of simplicity to tie its more complex mechanics together. I always leaned towards Galaxian amongst the two, mostly because I was the most familiar with it. However, it is clear that Galaga is an improvement in almost every way. Although the main gameplay mechanics of this title were popularized by the legendary Space Invaders, I believe that this is the definitive alien-blasting arcade experience.

Galaga tasks you with taking down as many fleets of bug-like aliens as possible, while dodging them as they fly by and avoiding any of their return fire. This title also introduces the possibility of losing a ship to an enemy tractor beam. If you get caught, you'll lose a life, but rescuing the lost ally let's you pilot the two ships together and wreak serious havok. Galaga also introduces bonus rounds that test your ability to hit moving targets, giving you a chance to boost your score and hopefully earn an additional life. All of that comes together for a feeling of difficulty, but not unfairness. When I lose, I don't feel like the game is out to get me, I just think that I need more practice. That kind of thing can be pretty hard to come by in classic arcade games.

Galaga offers a straightforward arcade experience, but it also provides huge opportunities for growth as you learn the game's mechanics and patterns. It's also super satisfying to take out waves of aliens, so that's a plus. I would consider this game the definitive title of it's genre, at least as far as I've played. I'm sure I'll still play Galaxian for the nostalgia factor, but Galaga is easily the better of the two.

The game is available on Steam here (as of 11/12/20): https://store.steampowered.com/app/403430/ARCADE_GAME_SERIES_GALAGA/
The game is available for Switch here (as of 11/12/20): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/namco-museum-switch/
The game is available for Xbox One here (as of 11/12/20): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/arcade-game-series-galaga/bx2cs20zvl3l

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