Gaplus
1984 · Fixed Shooter · Arcade
Overview
Gaplus (1984) is Namco's sequel to Galaga and the third Galaxian game, in which the player's ship can also move up the screen and capture enemies with a tractor beam.
Deep Dive
The player fights waves of diving enemies through levels called Parsecs, and, unlike in Galaga, the ship can move up and down as well as sideways. Some enemies drop power-ups: a tractor beam that captures enemies, a large drill, and effects that slow enemies or cancel their shots. Collecting parts builds a new ship for an extra life. In the Challenging Stages, the player juggles enemies by hitting them as many times as possible.
Developer Story
Namco released the game in Japan in April 1984, with Bally Midway distributing it in North America that September. It was the only game besides Phozon to run on Namco's Phozon hardware.
Did You Know?
- North American operators could convert it with a kit that renamed it Galaga 3.
- It was the most successful table arcade unit in Japan in May 1984, according to Game Machine.
Sources & further reading
- Gaplus — Wikipedia
