Play Galaxian online

Galaxian is pure late-70s arcade: a black screen, a row of colorful aliens swaying in formation, and that moment when they peel off and come screaming down at you. Namco released it in 1979, and for a lot of kids it was the first time a space shooter looked this colorful.

At UsuArcade you can grab the controls of your Galaxip again, right in your browser, and feel that old rush of dropping a quarter in and watching the swarm come alive.

History

Namco's take on the space shooter craze had one big idea: the enemies don't just march down in a block. They break formation and dive-bomb you, alone or escorting their flagship, which made every wave feel alive.

Midway brought the game to the U.S., where it became a fixture in bars, pizza joints and arcades. Its success paved the way for Galaga, the even more famous sequel that showed up a couple of years later.

How to play

Slide your ship left and right and fire straight up. You only get one shot on screen at a time, so every miss costs you while you wait for that bullet to clear the screen.

Aliens are worth more when you hit them mid-dive than when they're sitting in formation. The big payday is taking out the flagship along with its escorts during an attack run. The deeper you get, the more aggressive the swarm becomes.

Fun facts

• The yellow flagship dives with red escorts; shoot the escorts first and the flagship bonus jumps way up.
• Your ship is called the Galaxip.
• The sequel, Galaga, added the famous tractor beam that can capture your fighter.

In the arcade

Galaxian was a take-turns game, and that's how it plays on UsuArcade, just online: invite your friend to your cabinet once they're in the lobby and trade turns, each on your own phone or PC. While one plays, the other watches live.

Nothing to install: it runs in your browser, gamepad supported, and every game starts with INSERT COIN, free. Everyone else in the lobby can watch and chat, and scores go up on the arcade's high score board.

FAQ