Galaxian was the first video game to use full-color graphics. The game was originally developed by Namco and released in Japan. Midway began working with Namco- the former Atari distributor- after Taito's Space Invader success allowed them to create their own U.S. division. Midway released Galaxian in America in 1979. It became one of the most successful games at the time, but did not come near to the success of Space Invaders.
Galaxian was based on Space Invaders, but with several modifications that increased the difficulty of the game. The objective was the same: destroy attacking aliens before they destroyed you. The major innovation of Galaxian was how the aliens attacked. Instead of only attacking from their neat rows, enemy ships would occasionally break formation and swoop down upon your ship. This was the first game to use attack formations- a feature that would be used in many games thereafter.
The colors of the game brought it alive; the multi-colored aliens, the background of colorful stars, and the iconic Galaxian flagship created a stunning visual array. Galaxian has been ported to a great number of home games systems. It also appears as bonus levels in other games, such as Midway's Mortal Kombat 3 and Namco's Ridge Racer.
Galaxian introduced new graphics and game play to the video game industry. It was also another success for Midway. Midway was beginning to challenge Atari for the spotlight in the video arcade game industry.
Interested in Natural history?
Get updates with your personalized Culture Weekly
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.