Galaga was the first arcade game I ever loved, and it remains to this day the only arcade game I've ever achieved the high score for. I didn't expect much from Microsoft at E3 this year in terms of their Xbox Live Arcade games, but that was before Galaga Legions popped up onto the screen and stole my heart, relighting the fires of my childhood. Galaga Legions isn't a simple retelling of the franchise with better graphics either, as the game is almost completely new in every single way, while still retaining the heart and soul of the original.

The core mechanics of Galaga Legions remains the same as the original arcade classic, whereas the player plays as a ship, flying through space, and blasting away a horde of alien insect invaders more prevalent than those in the Starship Troopers films. In order to be successful in the original, it was vitally important to remember the flight pattern of the enemies. Galaga Legions plays up this mechanic even more in the new installment, as your flight systems will actually project the flight patterns of the upcoming wave of enemies, allowing the player to plan their attacks ahead of time and know where to setup their defenses.

Enemies come in waves that move about in a number of different patterns, including hovering above the stage like some of the levels from the original, flying in from the sides in giant circling swoops, and zigzagging in crisscrossing flybys as well. You would think the visible flight patterns would make the game too easy, but the fact is there are way too many enemies to plan for at one time, and you simply can't take them all down easily without some careful memorization and quick dodges. Besides, the enemies are so numerous and quite large at times, it's easy for the screen's real-estate to be filled with nothing but enemies and a little patch of safety.

Galaga Legions

Beyond the mechanic of dealing with enemies throughout a series of waves and patterns, almost nothing is the same when comparing Galaga and Galaga Legions. Instead of being stuck at the bottom of the screen and only being able to move left and right, players can now fly across the whole screen and in any direction they want. Instead of being able to grab a second ship to help you combat the foes, your ship now comes with two satellites that you're able to freely position as you see fit in order to help you clear the level. In order to place the two satellites, you simply use the right thumbstick and press in the direction you want to place the first one and then press again to position the second one. Players can press left and then right in order to have your blaster fire cover your left and right flanks, or you can double tap in one direction to quickly have both satellites fire in one stream and in one direction. Learning to properly use the satellites is actually a huge mechanic of the game, and will be the single most important thing that will determine if you'll be any good at the game or not.

In terms of gameplay, you'll also be able to trigger wormholes, which will gather you a force of Galaga to wield as your own, giving you essentially a mini fleet at your disposal. The Galaga are attached to your satellite positions and will shoot Galaga projections at your enemies to destroy them. Another important feature are the enemies that will explode, which are usually attached to each approaching wave. By destroying the exploding enemies, players will be able to set a train reaction off to quickly eliminate all the enemies on the same flight pattern. Properly utilizing the exploding foes is the only way to clear some waves without being killed in the process, and are a skill you'll need to master in order to do well in the game.

Graphically the game looks great, letting the player choose what skin they want to use during their playtime, which comes in original, vintage, and ancient, each one getting closer and closer to the original style as seen in the arcade. The effects of Galaga popping to life on the screen, explosions ripping apart various waves, and the effects of your own weapons are all a visceral visual wonderland experience. The game also has some great sound effects, even including a remixed version of the classic Galaga music, and a few enemy noises that sound like enhanced versions of the ones heard in the original game.

The game includes a single-player adventure that has you trying to make your way through several different areas, all composed of several levels, and with each level consisting of several waves of enemies. Besides tackling the single-player adventure, you can also try to go for high scores in each individual area, and see how you place in the Leaderboards. The single-player adventure also has its own Leaderboards for those who want to be ranked number one in that mode too.

Though the game is fun, it does feel a little on the short side and as if it could become tedious and boring after some time, as everything follows the same patterns and motions each time you play the game. Despite that flaw, however, the game is still a fun and pleasant surprise. It isn't as good as the remake they did for Pac-man, but it gets the job done for bringing Galaga into the world of next-gen consoles.

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