Galaxian by Kimberly Keyes Stark 

Galaxian by Kimberly Keyes Stark

Galaxian Screen Shot

When I first came across Galaxian back in high school, I thought it was a very colorful Space Invaders clone. For the first few seconds after putting the quarter in, it seemed like it would be exactly like Space Invaders...until the ships started breaking formation and divebombing towards my ship.

That was Galaxian, the game that actually improved on the original Space Invaders' gameplay to become a classic of its very own. The game was also one of the first big arcade hits for Namco, the Japanese company who would later go on to release Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and many more classic games.

Not only was Galaxian more colorful than Space Invaders, the gameplay was challenging at times. At the top of the formation were some large yellow ships with red nosecones and blue wings. Those were the Galaxian flagships and they were frequently accompanied by two smaller red ships to create a tripe threat for your ship. The big secret tip is that if you knock off the red ships first then destroy the Galaxian flagship, you got a higher score than if you knock flagship first or destroy the red ships without destroying the flagship. That was easier said than done since the ships tended to divebomb towards you at a fast rate.

Once you've cleared the screen, you would have to start over again with a new formation of ships. Except that, with each passing level, the ships would divebomb at faster and faster rates until the Game Over screen appeared.

The divebombing ships not only differentiated Galaxian from Space Invaders, but Namco would go on to replicate the divebombing action in Galaga just a few years later (where you had to shoot giant bugs in outer space). The divebombing action would also be replicated in the game Phoenix (which was created by another company), included shooting giant phoenix birds in outer space.

The Galaxian flagship would later make cameo appearances in other Namco games like Pac-Man (where it pops up as a tasty treat that Pac-Man could eat for bonus points in levels 9 and 10) and Galaga (where it appears on levels 12 through 14 after being transformed from a bee-shaped alien).

Having played Galaxian recently on my Playstation 2, I can say that it is just as addicting as it was back in 1979 (the year that it was released).

DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on one person's biased opinions of which videogames should be considered to be classics and why. It is not meant to provide a complete history of the videogame industry, the latest videogame news, technical support, or hints on how to play a certain videogame. None of the videogame manufacturers or programmers mentioned here have endorsed or supported this blog in any way, shape, or form.

NOTE: If there are any errors or updates to what I have written about Galaxian, please send an e-mail to [link=mailto:kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@ero ls.com]kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com[/link] (remember to remove the capital letters from my mailing address before sending or else it will get rejected) and I'll edit this piece when time permits.

GALAXIAN GAMES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Namco Museum Vol. 1 (Dreamcast)--Includes Galaxian along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, and Dig-Dug.

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/o bidos/tg/detail/-/B00002SVF0/theunicornwithan/]Galaga/Galaxian (Game Boy)[/link]--You get two similar classic games for the price of one.

Galaxian (Game Boy Color)

Namco Museum (Game Boy Advance)--Includes Galaxian along with Ms. Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Pole Position, and Galaga.

Namco Museum (Game Cube)--Includes Galaxian along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.

Namco Museum 64 (Nintendo 64)--Includes Galaxian as well as other classic games like Galaga, Pole Position, Dig-Dug, Pac-Man, and Ms. Pac-Man.

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000 0I1BX/theunicornwithan/]Namco Museum Vol. 3 (Playstation 1)[/link]--Includes Galaxian as well as other classic games like Ms. Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Pole Position II, Phozon, and the Tower of Druaga.

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/s tores/detail/-/videogames/B00005RCQY/theunicornwithan/]Namco Museum (Playstation 2)[/link]--Includes Galaxian along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000 06I KCE/theunicornwithan/]Namco Museum (X-Box)[/link]--Includes Galaxian along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.


GALAXIAN LINKS

Galaxian by Michael Borromeo--A freeware version of Galaxian for Windows that you can download.

GameHippo.com's Galaxian Games--Here are some more freeware Galaxian games for the PC that you can download.

The Internet Movie Database's Information on Galaxian

The Killer List of Videogames' Galaxian Exhibit

My Gameroom: Galaxian--Here is one person's short story on how he installed a vintage Galaxian arcade game in his home.

N amco--The official site of the company that's responsible for Galaxian as well as a bunch of other classic games (such as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig-Dug).

RETROARCADE.COM: Galaxian and Galaga

Triplets and Us.com's Galaxian Game--Play Galaxian online for free with this version that was done in Java.

The Unofficial Galaxian Homepage--A fan site that is full of information on everything you've ever wanted to know about Galaxian (but you were afraid to ask), including a list of other games where the Galaxian flagship has made a cameo appearance as well as tidbits about Namco, the company responsible for Galaxian.<

Return to Main Page

Comments

Add Comment




On This Site

  • About this site
  • Main Page
  • Most Recent Comments
  • Complete Article List
  • Sponsors

Search This Site


Syndicate this blog site

Powered by BlogEasy


Free Blog Hosting