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Galaga

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Galaga is a vertical arcade shooter from Namco. You control a space fighter at the bottom of the screen, scrolling left and right in order to avoid oncoming bombs and kamikaze attacks from alien invaders--and to fire your own missiles to fight back! There are an infinite number of stages to pr...

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Developer
Namco

Released on
1981

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Galaga is a vertical arcade shooter from Namco. You control a space fighter at the bottom of the screen, scrolling left and right in order to avoid oncoming bombs and kamikaze attacks from alien invaders–and to fire your own missiles to fight back!

There are an infinite number of stages to progress through. Every third level is a “challenge stage” in which you have a free chance to shoot as many aliens as possible and rack up bonus points.

Certain aliens have tractor beams they can use to capture one of your ships. If that wasn’t your last “life,” you can try to shoot that alien down and recapture your ship, giving you two ships at once and doubling your firepower.

A summary screen appears when the game is over, giving you both your final score and you final “hit ratio”–the number of missiles fired, enemies destroyed, and the percentage of targets hit.

Galaga

Overview & History

Released by Namco in September 1981, Galaga stands as a monumental pillar of the golden age of arcade gaming, serving as the critically acclaimed sequel to 1979's Galaxian. Set in the distant reaches of deep space, the storyline is wonderfully minimalist yet urgent: humanity's star fleet is under relentless attack by the aggressive insectoid alien race known as the Galaga. Operating on strict hardware constraints of the Namco Galaxian custom arcade board, the game introduced vibrant, distinctly colored sprite designs and a booming, iconic chiptune soundtrack that immediately captured players' imaginations in smoky arcades worldwide. Its massive commercial success spawned numerous ports and cemented its status as an enduring pop-culture artifact, influencing the shoot-'em-up genre for decades to come.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike its predecessor, Galaga introduced groundbreaking tactical mechanics that elevated it from a simple target shooter into a game of high-risk strategy. The most defining feature is the Boss Galaga enemy, which possesses a mesmerizing tractor beam. If this beam captures your fighter, you enter a tense rescue mission: you must subsequently shoot down the diving Boss Galaga without destroying your own captured ship. Successfully doing so recovers your fighter, fusing them side-by-side to create a powerful Dual Fighter with double the firepower. Furthermore, the game features exhilarating, non-shooting Challenge Stages every few rounds, rewarding players with bonus points for executing precise, consecutive formations of diving alien insects without missing a shot.