Joining the growing multitude of Xbox Live Arcade games is another classic from the past, Galaga features wave after wave of unpredictably descending insectoid invaders that twirl and shoot at your weakly armed starfighter. It's up to you to blast the creeps into nothingness using only two bullets at a time (you have to wait until your shots leave the screen before you can fire again). Intensely frustrating, this game represents the epitome of the old school arcade concept of never allowing the player even a second to blink - or win, for that matter. But as any old-school gamer will tell you, it's not about winning - it's about surviving.
A nearly perfect replica of the original coin-op title, this version of Galaga comes with one new wrinkle never seen in the gloom of a murky arcade. Offering you the ability to continue from the last stage you reached ensures that you're guaranteed a serious challenge every time you start the game. Of course, it also helps for gathering up those hard-to-get Achievements, so while beginning from level 6 might seem like cheating, you'll probably end up doing it anyway to bypass the earlier stages.
While it's probably not the most sought after title for the younger 360 owner, older video game fans can rejoice in the nostalgia and controller-throw-inducing challenge. Unfortunately, Galaga suffers a little due to the 360 controller, which doesn't seem responsive enough for the kind of reflexes required for this twitch title (similar to the gripes with Pac-Man ). We can only hope that Microsoft will bestow upon us an arcade stick worthy of the now-sizable library of classic games. But the software is solid, and we're hoping we hear a firm release date soon.
