Gyruss

Combining the gameplay of Namco's Galaga with the perspective of Atari's Tempest, Gyruss ends up feeling like a perfect evolution of both. Since most of my early-childhood arcade experience was actually through various iterations of Namco Museum, games like this didn't just pass me by, they virtually didn't exist. If this game wasn't on the list of 1001 Games to Play Before You Die, I probably wouldn't have ever played it, and that's a huge shame. With the Galaga series being some of my favorite arcade titles, Gyruss fits snuggly as a favorite as well.

You've probably guessed already, but if you're familiar with Galaga, you'll likely be pretty comfortable with Gyruss. Practically everything is recreated here, from the way enemies fly on screen in formation, giving you a chance to take out a few before they fall in line with the rest of their crew, to the bonus stages that give you a chance to earn some extra points without threatening your lives. The only major difference that I noticed was that upgrading your firepower is done by destroying close-range weaponized satellites instead of saving abducted ships from tractor beams. However, Gyruss really set itself apart thanks to its perspective.

Where Galaga put you on a 2d plane and limited your movement to the horizontal length of the screen, Gyruss took a page out of Tempest's book and expanded your maneuverability with a pseudo-3d effect. Since your opponents are placed at the center of the screen, rather than the top, you don't need to stop moving in one direction or the other just because you hit the fabricated edge of your combat zone. This, along with the fact that your opponents actually take advantage of all three dimensions in their formation, makes Gyruss feel like a more realistic depiction of what space combat could be like, and makes movement feel just as important as shooting.

If you didn't pick up on it yet, I really like Gyruss. It takes everything I like about Galaga and tweaks it enough to feel like a proper evolution while still feeling familiar. I'll still play Galaga, probably even more than Gyruss thanks to nostalgia, but I have to admit that I think the latter makes a better game. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find this game on any modern consoles, so it won't be easy to play, but if you are given the opportunity, I'd say it's worth it.

Although the game is no longer being distributed, you can learn more about it here (as of 7/8/21): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyruss