80s video games - when you are really good

Factual Questions
1

Simple question. Does Galaga ever end? I have gotten to level 28 or something… does it go on forever? The only reason I suspect it might have an end is because the bonus stages are all unique as far as I have gotten.

And while we are at it, what about Packman or Ms. Pacman?

2

All about Galaga

3

From that link:

Looks like you’ve got a ways to go!!

4

Someone who can roll the Galaga score checking in…
The real trick to Galaga is to stop at 999,990. A few thousand points before the million mark, start losing your extra shipsthen, with your last ship, try to hit a bee or butterfly while only its point value from your target. The trick is that an enemy that hits you will also be destroyed and you are awarded their point values.

5

How long does this take you? Also, does it get significantly harder, or is it more of an endurance challenge… and do the challenge stages keep changing everytime, or do they repeat?

6

Also, is the expert’s take that you should go with the two ship technique or fly solo?

7

Personally, I fly solo but I know a few people who can win with the twin-fighters. The problem with the twins is that eventually, you’ll start encountering situations where one ship will inevitably blow up. There’s no situation where one ship can’t survive.

8
      • The way I am remembering it, Galaga did not end, it just kept rolling over. There are about seven or eight “bonus” stages, and after that (around stage 91 or something is the “highest” one) they roll over again as well. Beyond about level 120 or so it doesn’t get any faster, you just have to be able to get your “linked” guns attached and when the enemy ships roll in, fireawholelottashotsrealfast so that basically, none ever get the chance to come around again and fire a second time. Back in the day I could kill 3/4ths of the ships during their roll-ins, and I can remember getting up to levels 300-500, I’m pretty sure. 449 is the highest level that seems familiar–I used to play Galaga a lot, and I know I’m not mistaking it for Galaxian, because at the time everybody who liked Galaga hated Galaxian, because in Galaxian your firing was too damn slow.

…In Galaga you can get eight bonus ships as well (I seem to remember this as 12 or 13 ships???), and after that, any extras you earn–you hear the “bonus ship award” sound, but when you suffer a death, you see one of the ships displayed on-screen disappear as another one appears for play–so you can never have more than that visible amount of extra ships in reserve, it won’t let you. And after you lose your triple guns in the higher stages, it is darn difficult to get them back–because the lead ship wouldn’t come down and try to tractor-beam you unless you let most of the ships roll all the way in, and get into formation–whereafter they would begin raining shots down on you. So you know, one would play all the way up into the hundreds of levels, and then lose their extra cannon ships, and then boom-boom-boom-boom, constant death, because it was hard to get another bonus ship taken, and then get it back at those high levels.
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