In the older days of gaming, back when arcades were the best way to experience it, Galaxian was a great game for its time. Although it couldn't hope to top the amazing success of Space Invaders, which caused a yen shortage in Japan, it was very successful. It set a new standard for arcade games of the time to shoot for, with its colorful graphics and complex gameplay, but has it held up after 37 years?

The graphics are surprisingly good for Atari standards, and resemble the arcade version very well. All of the animation is there, and every enemy type is just as vibrant and distinct as the arcade version. Aside from the ugly border around the action, there are very few complaints to be made here. The colors aren't quite as saturated in this version, but they're still there all the same, and it's still impressive that they look as good as they do. Rating: B+

The sound is exactly as you would expect from an Atari game, although it does a good job of replicating the arcade version's sound on far inferior hardware. The background noise isn't as clear and there's no theme song, but it's very serviceable otherwise. The sound effects from the original game did a very good job of popping at the player, and these fit the bill perfectly. Rating: A-

The gameplay is built off of the same formula that Space Invaders established two years earlier, but with a bit of added complexity - instead of having to destroy the aliens before they reach the surface while using shields as cover, you'll have to rely on dodging and good reflexes to survive the alien wave without having to worry about them touching down. It's much faster and more action-based than Space Invaders, and it really does feel like a huge improvement. Every enemy has their own preferred method of attack, and shooting them while they're attacking adds extra points, giving the game just a little bit more strategy for players obsessed with score. With how fast the action is and how quickly the difficulty ramps up, it's hard to get bored of this one. Rating: A+

Overall, this is a very worthwhile addition to the Atari 2600 library, and it helps to show that the console is perfectly capable of living up to the spirit of the arcade. It's hard to find very many flaws with the game, and it's an excellent idea to pick it up if you're looking to expand your Atari collection. Overall Rating: A

Nice review of a nice game! It's one that I've played for several years.

There isn't much to talk about for a basic game like this one but you still managed to go in depth with each section, that's impressive! I liked that you asked a rhetorical question at the end of your intro which made me interested in reading the review.

Galaxian has always provided a great challenge for me even though I'm used to playing it. In Galaga I can make it to stage 29, but in Galaxian I've only reached level 4. I'll likely be playing this again soon because I have an arcade controller (shaped like a Pac-Man!) that features this game on it.

NovemberJoy : You are a great reviewer, keep up the good work!