The biggest commodity of games in arcades has been then and still is
shooters. From their wonderfully quaint and simple graphical nature to
the pleasant concept of trying to get the best score, shooters have
always been there to challenge us. Now how many of us today have heard
of Galaga? Well, if you have been around for a while, you would know
that it goes back a long way, especially in the arcades. Ah, the
memories, I remember spending quarter after quarter, hoping to finally
beat my friend’s high score, only to have him kick my ass afterwards.
After all these years it was intriguing to pick up the game again on my
dusty old NES, and to my surprise was still as enjoyable to play.
Though it is a classic treasure, there are a few things that drag it
down a bit, and it pertains to simplicity.
Short attention spans need not sign up; it takes a quick witted brain
and steady hands to overcome the constant swarm of aliens that try to
drown you in gunfire. Your mission is to evade the enemy attack and
continue to try to upgrade your ship, while just trying to stay alive.
Speaking of upgrades, there aren’t many, but getting increased
firepower and endurance is just some of what you will be fighting for.
It is definitely a quick paced game on the surface, but the sluggish
feel of the ship and cheap deaths can really frustrate you. It is
possible to get used to the pattern of those hellish insect like
creatures, but only after about a hundred tries, which surprisingly is
not that much, as the addiction is there. Trying to get to those bonus
levels and having your friends screaming behind you to get that high
score just adds to the nostalgia value.
Speaking for myself and for others, losing again and again, trying to
progress further, you will find yourself frustratingly drawn in to its
web. In this case it is sort of like a carnival ride at a local park;
now that monstrous contraption may look inviting, but in the end you
could come out sick to your stomach. However, what you get here,
instead of nausea, is a sense of intuitive disappointment. Though it is
amusingly exciting at times, it lacks any real depth or variety, which
most of the game’s genre counterparts are capable of bringing to the
table. The lack of any real distinction between most of the enemies,
and with a very slow building difficulty to boot, most folks will
likely decide to just quit playing after the first few stages. However,
this game rewards the patient, and is not for the younger inexperienced
pilots out there.
Eh, what happened here? There is a major flaw in the game design that
seems to be an issue with most people, and that is its lack of an
internal saving feature. Now, though you may have worked hard and put
in a lot of time to get that high score, the problem is that after you
turn the game off, it disappears. So, basically when you are done, haul
your ass over to your desk for that pen or just take the essential
screen-shot, or you can bet your entertainment system, that your
friends will not believe you, when you tell them you got those
“150,000” points. It is this lack of an important game design function
that is kind of bothersome, and one that the designers should have
assessed before putting the game out.
There is one thing that makes old Galaga seem outdated and that was its
visual standard. There are plenty of other, more interactive NES games
that had not only more depth, but better presentation capabilities.
Gradius, definitely comes to mind here, but more on that game another
time. Other than the insects fluttering around on the screen, you’ve
got your empty black screen with the scrolling little lights in the
background. It would have been nice to see some more lighting effects
or perhaps some more distinction behind the curtain, but honestly there
is nothing to see here really. However, there is something to hear, and
that is the great classic musical theme. There are plenty of blasting
noises and tiny explosions that are fun to play along to, and the bonus
theme is one of my favorite little bits. It is all basically atmosphere
letting your mind wander back to the “beeps” and “zaps” of the old
arcade version.
While it does have some redeeming nostalgic value in the arcade, Galaga
just cannot tackle the bigger powerhouses on the console. Little things
such as the lack of record saving features, slow controls, and just a
generic simplistic feel keep it from being legendary. However, if you
are a softy for old arcade gems like I am, then this number is worth a
test drive at least. It is a worthy transition from the arcade, and if
shooters are your thing, then by all means grab a friend and throw
down. I mean come on; it can’t be anymore than two bucks at your local
gaming store. Man, and to think of all the coinage I used up playing
this game; ah the memories.
