Atarisoft Galaxian -Colecovision
Retro Gaming Review

Colecovision console Classic Retro Gaming Video Game Review

Atarisoft Galaxian for Colecovision Classic Retro Gaming Video Game Review

Title:	Galaxian
Manufacturer:	Atarisoft
Platform:	Colecovision
Release Date:	1983
Part #:	70006
Rating:	4.5 out of 5
ESRB Rating:	N/A

Rating:

Atarisoft Galaxian Screenshot:

Atarisoft Galaxian for Colecovision screenshot Classic Retro Gaming Video Game Review

As a fan of Galaga, I always thought the arcade version of Galaxian, from Midway, was a bit slow. The Colecovision version is a game-changer! The incoming aliens are fast as is your ability to shoot. Waiting for a missed shot to leave the top of the screen always frustrated me in the arcades. Galaxian on Colecovision is an awesome version with great graphics (complete with flapping wings) and crisp sound - something not usually said of early 80s 8-bit console games.

After Space Invaders set the standard for horizontal bottom shooters, Galaxian's color screen and varied alien flight patterns were a welcome challenge in arcades. This same thrill is wonderfully replicated on the Colecovision! The simplicity of Galaxian's arcade controls makes it an easy port to a variety of home consoles.

Galaxian Story Arc

A centuries-old war resulted in the loss of many planets. The Galaxian government is desperate to reclaim lost territories, but have overstepped boundaries and are taking over any planets they can. Your job is to fight off the incoming Galaxian enemies and defend your planet. Typical of many shooters of this era, you are alone and you can only hold them off for so long until you meet your demise - and have to drop in another quarter ;)

Holy shit! Check this out...
Produced for arcades by Namco in Oct. 1979, Galaxian was released in North America by Midway shortly after in December. It also spawned two arcade sequels, Galaga, in 1981, and Gaplus in 1984. It was later ported to nearly 20 different home game consoles from Apple to Nintendo.

Arcade follow-up Galaxian 3, released by Namco in 1994, is a walk-in style arcade game operating via a combo of laserdisc and arcade hardware. It uses two sync'd laserdisc players to create backgrounds

while players share a life meter and one of six stationary gunner positions defending against incoming enemy ships. Galaxian 3 was one of only two games released for Namco's "Theater 6" arcade system.

Galaxian Game Play

One or two players start with 3 lives and the ranks of the Galaxian forces descend quickly. Lowest ranked Drones are blue, Emissaries are purple, Hornets are red and Commanders are Yellow. Each class of enemies has higher point values as rank increases and points are doubled if you shoot them as they descend on you - as opposed to while they are in formation. Each wave (or level) is represented by a flag at the bottom right corner to show progress. High score wins, so start blasting.

The joystick dictates your horizontal movement while you shoot with either fire button. The # key paused the game and * will reset it. there are 6 game variations - Novice, Intermediate and Advanced in 1 and 2 player games.

Final Judgement: