Interesting Facts about Galaga from Full Sized Arcades

The 80s were among the most popular times for full size arcades. The sheer amount of variety and innovations in gameplay that they brought was staggering, and Galaga was no exception to this ideal. Indeed, this particular arcade got a great deal of attention and focus throughout the years. Despite this, there are specific facts about the game that people are unaware of and may be interested to hear about. Let’s dive into these facts to see just what they might reveal. 

Difficulty and Planning

When it comes to the actual planning of Galaga, many people may not realize this. Still, it only took the lead developer Shigeru Yokoyama two months to produce a plan for how the game was created. This situation is quite ludicrous by today’s standards, considering all of the factors in the game. Yokoyama and his fellow developers were pleased by the rapid development of the game but were worried that it would be too easy for players to beat in one sitting. Naturally, not wanting to put out an arcade that would ultimately fail in eating up players’ coins, they upped the difficulty to make it intentionally frustrating, giving a window as to their thought process when it came to development. 

A sequel

Many people may not even consider Galaga because it’s a sequel to another similar-styled game in 1979, two years before the former’s release. Few things changed to separate the arcade games and make it seem that players were trying something new, such as new ship and enemy designs and enemy types that you would need to go through to progress. 

High Score

There will always be someone who tries to break records regarding specific activities, and games are no exception. In Galaga’s case, players have attempted for hours to get the world’s high score to have their reputation etched in history. This task is not easy given the competition. Regarding the high score, the reigning champion is Armondo Gonzales, who has a staggering score of 9,525,700 after beating Mike Thompson by a large margin. 

A unique crossover

There have been some fantastic and strange combinations and crossovers in video games, and Galaga is no exception to this ideal. Coming out in 2015, you would have the opportunity to play this aptly named Galaga Tekken, which you would usually play. Instead of combatting space invaders, you would fire back at iconic Tekken characters. This part makes a rather bizarre experience. One can’t deny that this crossover stands out amongst its peers in terms of aesthetics. 

Attack Glitch

When it comes to games, especially the games of yesteryear, cheat codes were rampant for players. Players take advantage of this, including hacks, glitches, or other exploits that players could use for their end. So it should come as no surprise that players could use a bug that could render enemy attacks useless and allow progression through stages much more effortless. It is a rather underhanded tactic, but that never stopped players from using such exploits, and it certainly won’t stop them now. 

Prehistoric naming honors

Galaga has become so popular throughout the years beyond gaining worldwide recognition in pop culture. It also has the honor of having its title used to name a giant prehistoric shark, Galagadon Nordquistae. It just shows that if something is popular enough and gains enough traction in society, the imprint that it leaves behind is truly something to behold. 

Conclusion

There are quite a few exciting things about this particular arcade game. Whether it’s about development, the impact left on the players who try it out, or people who enjoy its footprint on history, there’s no denying that Galaga is a household name for full sized arcades.

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