Galaxian

Galaxian is a classic arcade game released by Namco in 1979, and it is considered one of the earliest shoot ’em up games. It shares many similarities with Galaga, but there are also some key differences.

In Galaxian, players control a spaceship and must defeat waves of alien enemies that fly in formations and attack in different patterns. Unlike in Galaga, however, the enemies in Galaxian do not capture the player’s ship.

One notable feature of Galaxian is the “Galaxian Flagship,” which appears sporadically and moves quickly across the screen. If the player can defeat the flagship, they are awarded bonus points.

Another difference from Galaga is that the player’s ship in Galaxian only has a single shot, and it cannot be upgraded to a double shot. However, the player can move their ship left and right and can also perform a “dive bomb” attack that allows them to temporarily become invulnerable and destroy any enemy ships in their path.

Overall, Galaxian is another classic shoot ’em up game that helped pave the way for the genre. Its simple yet challenging gameplay, along with its colorful graphics and catchy sound effects, have made it a favorite among gamers for over four decades.