Real Galaga 88 playing: WTF!

[Blanka]

Sometimes I search Youtube for people playing games. You can run into crazy stuff like a guy who rolls the Katamari Balls all the time with super-spins collecting almost the double amount of crap, how to finish a level on this or that game, but now I saw how phat Galaga 88 in reality is! Never had the idea there was a triple-firing plane possible!
It's my favourite Galaga, but I never got past the first level after the second Galactic Dancing. These video's show the real potential of Galaga 88 playing. This game evolves incredibly! Not like Donkey Kong looping forever. I am really really surprised by all the stuff programmers put into it!
Enjoy:

First 8 minutes

Second 8 minutes

[Blanka]

This one finishes it off on a PC-Engine:

But not as nice as the arcade version.

[Paladin]

Yea, I fell in love with that game on the TurboGrafx 16.   I play it in MAME more than the original.

[mrclean]

Cool, glad to see some Galaga 88' Fans! I just picked up the dedicated machine recently at an auction. (Slowly my collection is starting to grow) It needs some love but is functional.

 If you want to check out this thread for my restoration on Galaga 88 :

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=92163.0



The artwork for the game is being worked on. I'm surprised that joymonkey,localarcade etc no one really has those files, I was lucky to obtain a NOS Side art although only one piece and scanned it, and then was sent a loaner NOS CPO for scanning (at 400dpi). I just need them all cleaned up.

I just got a decent score a few days ago 610k didn't get a chance to really play it that much because I need to rebuild my original Atari Joystick for it. However once the restorations fully complete I'm sure it's going to be a staple part of my collection.

[SavannahLion]

If you want to check out this thread for my restoration on Galaga 88 :

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=92163.0

The artwork for the game is being worked on. I'm surprised that joymonkey,localarcade etc no one really has those files, I was lucky to obtain a NOS Side art although only one piece and scanned it, and then was sent a loaner NOS CPO for scanning (at 400dpi). I just need them all cleaned up.

Yea, I spotted that thread a couple of days ago and been following it with some interest. The game really doesn't grab my attention as much as the artwork does. There's a strange sort of appeal about it I guess. Has he completed the work yet?

[Blanka]

For me Galaga 88 is in the top 3 games ever.
It's better then the original. The graphics are a perfect example of the arcade age. The game play is fantastic. The sound effects are the best, and the short tunes with brilliant samples can be seen as a first step toward dance and electro music.

[mrclean]

It's actually pretty neat, the PCB gives you the ability to control the treb / bass as far as I know it's my only game I own that you can do that on.  Some people might agrue, however I agree with you and I think it's better then galaxian, and the original galaga (while don't get me wrong still a great game). I think the graphics, audio, and overall game play is pretty perfect as far as vertical shooters go. While I enjoy games like donpachi etc.. to me too many things are happening at once on the screen. Galaga 88' seems to capture many of my favorite game aspects.

I also like the fact that the game play does actually change depending on the "items" you get from the levels. And nothing is better then collecting one on a later stage which gives you a tripple ship which you so desperately need at that point in the game.

To be honest I was never able to find a Dedicated Galaga 88' in the wild, however because of MAME I was able to discover it. (With so many other gems)

Has he completed the work yet?

As far as I know, he is going to post it publically in that thread once he's finished. My panel is so naked without it.

[cmoses]

Galaga 88 is a game I just recently starting playing on my MAME cabinet.  I found it in one of the "good games no one knows about threads".  I do find it very fun and am getting better.  Watching that video is very mind opening.  I had no idea you could get a triple ship. 

Can someone tell me what the large canisters that go in the bottom middle of the screen are?

[mrclean]

Can someone tell me what the large canisters that go in the bottom middle of the screen are?

Sure, those are "items". For the most part if you can collect 2x of them you will get a dimension warp worth a certain amount of pts. right after the "That's Galactic dancin'" bonus section. Some items on the later stage will automatically give you a tripple ship. Another way to obtain an item is if you let certain enemies combine into one gigantic enemy most of the time it will dispense an "item" unless you already have 2. If you notice that at the end when it shows you your player stats, you can take the higher road so to speak. It does also change the pt. values as well as the actual levels.

[Level42]

Not like Donkey Kong looping forever. I am really really surprised by all the stuff programmers put into it!

Not a really fair comparison eh....DK=1981, Galaga 88= 1987, an eternity in game hard and software development. They could have created a brilliant DK with loads of levels in 1987 if Nintendo would have had the interest....

[Blanka]

Sure DK is a great achievement for 1981, but Galaga is a better achievement for 1987. Guess the extra ROM-space gave it some sort of optimum room for one of the best "classic" arcade feels available. DK is IMO still a premature game, the concept was beyond what was capable in hardware. You see how the programmers struggled with playability. DK is for example very picky on when you can climb up a ladder. Later games allowed to climb the ladder from a jump, or in a position 1 or 2 pixels off the perfect position. Galaga 88 just gives me that perfect arcade feel.

[leapinlew]

Galaga 88 just gives me that perfect arcade feel.

Galaga for me is that.

I think it might depend on age. My brother is 6 years older than me, and he loves Galaxian and my dad loves Space Invaders.

[RayB]

I think it might depend on age. My brother is 6 years older than me, and he loves Galaxian and my dad loves Space Invaders.

Tainted memories, or are they still playing?

[leapinlew]

I think it might depend on age. My brother is 6 years older than me, and he loves Galaxian and my dad loves Space Invaders.

Tainted memories, or are they still playing?

Tainted memories? Unsure what you mean.

My dad thought Galaxian was too hectic and Galaga had too much going on. My brother plays Galaga but prefers Galaxian.

[Level42]

Blanka, I cannot more disagree with you on this.
DK has everything that made one of the most brilliant games (and start of countless Mario sequels) ever.

If you are not able to push the joystick up to move up the ladder at the right time it's your inability to control the game, not a design fault. They PURPOSELY made it that way to make the game more challenging and it's simply an essential "game-rule".
Of course jumping them up would be easier but that was not the goal. There wouldn't be much programming necessary to make Jumpman jump up a ladder it has nothing to do with more ram space or otherwise more capable hardware. The creators just wanted it to be that way. It's like when they enabled Pac Man to jump over the ghosts in one of the (3D) sequels. It takes something very essential out of the gameplay (and a challenge).

Of course Galaga 88 can be your favorite game but it's nothing compared to DK.
DK was ground-braking. It was something that simply didn't exist before. The platform game genre was _created_ by DK. Galaga was just another top-down shooter, done a zillion times ever after SI.

Nobody had dared to put a simple character like a plumber (or carpenter, what he still was then) in the role of super-hero. And because of this people (kids) related to that character much easier. "Hey the guy next door can defeat the bad-guy"....that was, and still is, the key to the succes of the Kong/Mario series of games. That combined with simple to learn rules, but hard to master.

Also, for the very first time there were intermission screens. Nobody would have wanted to "waste" precious (and costly at the time!) ROM/RAM space for this, but it was another key for it's succes. I remember seeing them the first time and I was baffled by it. It made you connect to the"story" of the game even more and.......they were fun.

Galaga 88 maybe a good shooter in itself, but it was something that had been done countless times already ever since Galaxian. In fact it was already a retro-game when it was released.

It was also a demonstration of the lack of inspiration for new game ideas that had set in by that time.

[Grasshopper]

Also, for the very first time there were intermission screens. Nobody would have wanted to "waste" precious (and costly at the time!) ROM/RAM space for this, but it was another key for it's succes. I remember seeing them the first time and I was baffled by it. It made you connect to the"story" of the game even more and.......they were fun.

I though Pacman was the first game to do that.

[Level42]

You're correct. My bad. I'm pretty sure it was the first game _I_ saw the intermissions on though.

[Blanka]

If you are not able to push the joystick up to move up the ladder at the right time it's your inability to control the game, not a design fault. They PURPOSELY made it that way to make the game more challenging and it's simply an essential "game-rule".

That's the most stupid I hear about DK. If that was the purpose, why is it that only games from the early eighties SUFFER from this, and all newer platformers became more tolerant of this?
It just was too hard to program it smoother. Sure, I admit mastering dealing with this FLAW makes DK one of the hardest games, and their masters having GOD status, but it is the main reason its very rude to the accidental player. I bet Nintendo would have made smoother operation on DK if they COULD, and turn over more dollars on these machines. You only have to look at the Wii to see how much they give about games being challenging on purpose!

[Ummon]

What intermission screens are there in DK?  And DK ain't hard to maneuver if you have a decent stick. What are you using B?

Anyways, of course it was/is a remarkable game. In a different manner, so is Galaga '88. I was of the 'age' when Galaxian and then Galaga came out. I've never been of the 'mechanical vs electro-mechanical pinball' type of mentality with respect to vids, yet at the same time I realize hallmarks of the genre. Space Invaders set the stage - but it was clunky. Galaxian was the mature form, but it was a little clunky, too. Galaga was the most mature. Then you had an evolution - Gaplus. Galaga '88 was a sort of return and homage to Galaga, with some very classy styling.

You know, you can start with two ships and avoid that first step in the top vid. Also, if you don't shoot anything or move at all in the bonus rounds, you get ten grand anyway!

[Blanka]

And DK ain't hard to maneuver if you have a decent stick. What are you using B?

Keyboard (mama)
I have to say, it played slight better in real at Bruno's Lair, but for me DK is more a great icon for the champions league of Steve en Billy.
It's not the game I put up for some fun.

[Level42]

Why is it that mature people start using words like "stupid" as soon as I simply say I do not agree with them ? Why can't we keep this civil ?

The fact that you play it with a keyboard explains a lot...

Bruno's  cab is Mame too. Although close, it's not the original thing. And it doesn't have the original joystick. It's a beautiful cab though before I start getting flames about that too....

[patrickl]

Why is it that mature people start using words like "stupid" as soon as I simply say I do not agree with them ? Why can't we keep this civil ?

I took it that he meant that the game was stupid for having that bit of "difficult controls" as a designed feature. ie a stupid thing about the game and not about you.

[mrclean]

Maybe this is going to sound crazy, but out of all the donkey kongs I happen to like Donkey Kong 3 the best.

[TOK]

Maybe this is going to sound crazy, but out of all the donkey kongs I happen to like Donkey Kong 3 the best.

[Blanka]

Maybe this is going to sound crazy, but out of all the donkey kongs I happen to like Donkey Kong 3 the best.

Not to me. I think it's the first one with good controls.

[Level42]

And so.......I rest my case.

[RayB]

Yeah, the ladders are very "precise" and Nintendo joysticks are kind of horrible. But hey, they invented the "climb n jump" and rarely does the first iteration of a new game concept nail everything right (especially in an era where games were supposed to give you less than 2 minutes play on one quarter).

[Spyridon]

I've never played Galaga '88.  I'm going to have to fire it up and try it out.  Looks pretty cool.

[Ummon]

Maybe this is going to sound crazy, but out of all the donkey kongs I happen to like Donkey Kong 3 the best.

Hahahhaah. I don't agree, though I do like the game. The controls scheme ain't any different than DK. Still same old 4-way. ??

[mrclean]

figured i'd bump this thread.. started to play a little bit more on my dedicated machine and beat the game! Some chick at the end wanted to make out with me. I got a final score of 1,201,040. I was on my LAST ship with about 800,000 against the last boss and squirming left and right fearing I would die.. miraculously I beat the boss with only one ship(no doubles or tripples). Needless to say I'm very happy. The final boss gave me an extra 400,000 pts. I noticed that on twin galaxies both the MAME version and the Dedicated record which is around the same 1.5mil does the final boss give you more pts. if you have more / other ships remaining  or perhaps it depends on your ratio (My Hit-Miss Ratio was  85.9%)

Any ways pic attached!

PS: I think BASS! is working on the CPO but if you have a NOS one to sell and side art please drop me a PM.

[Blanka]

You genius!
What would the score be if you take the lower route? Less? Or even more?

[Donkey_Kong]

Would you like my opinion in the DK vs Galaga debate? 

[Ummon]

You genius!
What would the score be if you take the lower route? Less? Or even more?

Probably less, as you get more points for vertical warps.

[RayB]

What?! The game has branching paths?!?! 
Wow, shows how much I played this one. I sold my board last year.

Oh well. Congrats on your "meraculous" score.

[mrclean]

You genius!
What would the score be if you take the lower route? Less? Or even more?

I would imagine that if you take the bottom one your score would be less. I'm pretty sure the warps aren't worth as many pts. I wish someone knew about the remaining ships at the end or ratio.