When you’re really walking around an arcade with some of the pre-Pac-man titles you start seeing how one verb mostly can capture the whole essence of a game for better and worse.

While Galaga is a game with “SHOOT” as the main verb, what sets it apart and makes it stand next to Pac-man in my opinion is how it adds the mind games of dog-fighting with maneuvering your vehicle to avoid bullets and other vehicles and having your shooting be timed properly. When you suddenly have enemy ships maneuvering at you, the game takes off the training wheels and more surprises come from strange new ships.

It is indeed galaga