# this is so embarrassing. I need help with Galaga 88 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 23, 2009, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980 "2009-07-23T08:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/1 "2009-07-23T08:53:39Z")
That’s right. Galaga 88. From the Namco disk of 20+ games that I played as a kid, and now can play on my PS2. I have done the googles, and have come up with bupkis, except for one little hint that if I can figure out how to do, would save me incredible amounts of time. OK, the problem I have is I suck at video games in general, but this one I’m not doing too badly with. Except I never have enough ships to get to the end of the game. Now, I found on a website that if I had another credit, I could hit continue, which I assume would give me more ships at the place I croaked at, and allow me to continue. Starting from the beginning is a real drag in this game, and it usually takes me 15 minutes or so before I lose, always around the same place. Can anyone help me get to the end of this game? I’m not above cheating. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![MindWanderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@MindWanderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindWanderer)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/2 "2009-07-23T10:47:09Z")
Galaga and probably Galaga 88 aren’t the kind of game they make today, where finishing the game is the goal. It’s like pacman, you’re supposed to see how far you can get and then try it again when you die, rather than try to keep going to the next level and finish it out. I think Galaga 88 does have an ending, but I’d imagine is very difficult to reach unless you are EXTREMELY good at galaga. I had the Namco games on my PS2, and I got to, I think, the fourth warp or something like that, on my best run. I’m more familiar with Galaga, which I used to play all the time on my Commodore 64 and at arcades. Once you get into the later levels there, you have to maintain extreme concentration just to weave through all the things that can hit you will destroying as much as possible. There is one thing you can do, if this is the same Namco pack that I had. You should be able to change the settings for the game and give yourself more lives. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/3 "2009-07-23T11:45:11Z")
unfortunately, the only thing you can change on this as far as I can tell is screen size, and that’s it. When the game starts, you can choose to start with a single rocket or a double rocket, and unlike Galaga, it allows you to let the two ships get captured, shoot the capturing thing, and have a triple rocket. Very handy during challenging stages, but tough to keep for long because of the junk the little galaga death invaders throw at you. I’ve learned most of this game by trial and error, since I bought it used without the instructions. But the old galaga allows you to put a bunch of credits up at the beginning (still makes you start from the beginning when you die) but this one website did give me hope that I could start from where I left off. There is an end. Believe it or not, some kid put the last 5 or so levels on youtube. It’s pretty amazing to watch him avoid all of the stuff flying at him and still kill the great galaga. There is a princess at the end. I’m not even close to this point. I’m missing something. If not, and the game is played straight up, that kid was a galaga god, and I suck worse than I thought. Maybe I’ll go back to playing poker on this fine piece of video game technology. Where is my Coleco pong game, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/4 "2009-07-23T12:06:03Z")
If you really want to beat the game, I suggest looking into MAME and using your PC. Once you get it set up you can tinker with setting and add more credits when necessary. ---
**Author:** ![MindWanderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@MindWanderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindWanderer)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/5 "2009-07-23T12:18:09Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I’m not even close to this point. I’m missing something. If not, and the game is played straight up, that kid was a galaga god, and I suck worse than I thought. Maybe I’ll go back to playing poker on this fine piece of video game technology. Maybe I can give you a few Galaga tips, I’ve been in a few top 10s on Galaga at the arcades before. I can play one quarter for quite a while. 1. Press the fire button like a mad man (or the button your controller). The twitchier you can be with that fire button the more you can kill. There is some kind of max speed the game will recognize, but its pretty high, so if you can tap your finger like a drummer doing a very fast beat that will help 🙂 2. Double is better than single. When I had the Namco, I proved this to myself. I always went further and scored better when I had doubles. Its worth it sacrificing a unit to go double. Triple may be a bit too wide, so I don’t know. I’ve only played 88 a little bit and never went triple. The idea when double is to take out a lot more of the enemies before they get into their more dangerous manuevers. Its different in 88 but you still want to wipe out as many as possible during the early parts. 3. Identify columns on the screen that match up with rows of enemies. This one may be harder to do in 88, but with practice, you can identify where you put your ship to line it up perfectly with the rows of enemies. The worst position is right between two columns of enemies. If you can find a positioning of your machine at the start of levels, it helps a lot, though less in 88 with all the crazy stuff going on. 4. Don’t stay in the corner too long. Sometimes you can get stuck in a corner weaving around the bullets. It can be tempting to stay there a bit, but you have to get out of the corner asap or you will get hit by a corner shot. Staying in the middle can be hard, but if you can avoid everything and stay in the middle, you will have more options for avoiding the next batch of bullets. 5. If you don’t have enough lives left to double up again, be sure to destroy the ships that make capturing beams before the beams show up. Sometimes you can wipe them out while the beam is being extended and be safe. If the full beam is in your way, you have a lot fewer places to move. I’m certainly not a world-class galaga player, I’m decent at it. But when I’m playing well, its almost like I’m in a trance. I don’t even think about what I’m doing when I’m playing best, its just reflexive. That can help, to be “in the zone” like that. It’s been a while since I’ve played Galaga, it certainly is an addictive game 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/6 "2009-07-26T11:54:05Z")
Thanks for all the suggestions so far, but I’m still unable to do much. I need to start where I die, or I’m afraid I have no chance to finish this damn game. I haven’t ported it to my PC, but maybe that’s the only way to give me enough lives to survive to the end. \ I can’t believe I am so terrible at video games. A 20 year old video game to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Mekhazzio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Mekhazzio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekhazzio)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/7 "2009-07-26T12:19:20Z")
> [@MindWanderer](#): > > I’m certainly not a world-class galaga player, I’m decent at it. But when I’m playing well, its almost like I’m in a trance. I don’t even think about what I’m doing when I’m playing best, its just reflexive. That can help, to be “in the zone” like that. I’d go so far as to say it doesn’t just help", it’s absolutely necessary to do well in a shmup game. I think the entire genre exists for and because of the zen state of being one with the bullet cloud. As for being “embarrased”, you shouldn’t be. Many of the old arcade classics are far more brutal than modern games tend to be. Try Defender or Sinistar for a taste of a vertical learning curve. Even the most arcane of the recent fighting games, with their hojillion moves and intricate gameplay mechanics will pretty much give you the first fight or three per game for free. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/8 "2009-08-10T13:47:49Z")
> [@MindWanderer](#): > > 1. Double is better than single. When I had the Namco, I proved this to myself. I always went further and scored better when I had doubles. Its worth it sacrificing a unit to go double. Triple may be a bit too wide, so I don’t know. I’ve only played 88 a little bit and never went triple. Wait wait wait. Hold up. Now, obviously, I know how to go Dual. But, Triple?! !? :eek: \*\* Please tell me you can’t do this in the Original Galaga game…\*\* Otherwise, you just made and ruined my day in one fell swoop. Congratulations. – I’ve only seen 88. They also made a 90 right? I have the Gamecube Namco Museum, and the PS 1 Namco Museum " M " Volume 3. How does 88 relate to Galaga Arrangement? – And, obligatory link to KLOV [Arcade Cabinets]: [Killer List of Video Games](http://www.klov.com) And the bigger Arcade Museum: [http://www.arcade-museum.com/](http://www.arcade-museum.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/9 "2009-08-10T16:59:48Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > \ I can’t believe I am so terrible at video games. A 20 year old video game to boot. Remember, arcade games were _designed_ to be impossible to beat. The idea is to get you to keep feeding money into the machine. Just because you can now play it on your computer or home console doesn’t change how it was originally designed. It’s really only with the advent of home gaming consoles that game design shifted from “play until you die” games like Pac-Man and Galaga to modern story- and goal-oriented games that are intended to be challenging but beatable. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/10 "2009-08-12T09:02:25Z")
MindWanderer - When was the last time you’ve been in an arcade? The first game with a definite endpoint was Crystal Castles, in _1983_ (followed by 1984’s Marble Madness, Paperboy, 1942, et al.). Continues date back to at least 1984 (Cheyenne was one). And games where you were assured of getting to the end if you plunked in enough coins go back to at least 1987 (e.g. Double Dragon). The last game I remember that _didnt’_ have a definite endpoint was APB, and they were _very_ passe at that point. I’m not criticizing, I’m just saying that the arcade philosophy you cite ended a lot sooner than you thought. Mekhazzio - It depends. Sinistar was a beast (if you weren’t fully loaded with bombs by the time he was finished you were _screwed_; “Run! Run! Run!”-ning would only delay the inevitable). Kicker, a.k.a. Shao-Lin Road, was a cakewalk. Sharpshooter is a romp and perfectly suited for kids. Not so much Rambo. I maintain that it’s not the time period, it’s the _company_ (and to a lesser extent when they made the game; compare the early days of Capcom to Street Fighter 4, for example). Oh, and what you say about trance states and bullet clouds is even more true of the _modern_ shmups, particularly Cave’s monstrosities. Most of them were never release in America; the closest thing we have is probably Giga Wing. It still does get intense, especially the final level. Meeko - You can’t get triple in the original game. '90, IIRC, is the same game on console, so named because that’s how long it took to get to console. Oh, before I forget… Stink Fish Pot - My advice? Get the game on emulator, and get a good cheat file. Either infinite lives or invinciblity (preferably the latter) will do. Don’t worry, there’s no honor in classic shmups. As far as I know. That’s just Namco for you. No matter what the era, you can always count on two things 1. groundbreaking innovation and 2. difficulty out the wazoo. The only non-driving game of theirs I’ve _ever_ played that I’ll classify as easy is Time Crisis 2, and even that took me an average of about 5 credits to get to the end. Some of them are downright painful (if Galaga '88 is your idea of impossible, don’t even _look_ at Dragon Spirit or either Rolling Thunder). BTW, there are three other endings. :eek:😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mekhazzio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Mekhazzio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekhazzio)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/11 "2009-08-13T14:40:39Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > Oh, and what you say about trance states and bullet clouds is even more true of the _modern_ shmups, particularly Cave’s monstrosities. Most of them were never release in America; the closest thing we have is probably Giga Wing. It still does get intense, especially the final level. Yeah, through the wonder of emulators I’ve been dabbling in the genre. I’m still fond of Cave’s Dodonpachi and Batrider & Dimahoo from Raizing. I gotta say, though, for sheer beauty of **ridiculous** bullet clouds, they don’t hold a candle to the homebrew Shrine Maiden games ([Here’s a taste](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epKT3XdiOK4&feature=related))…which are inexplicably stuffed full of cute little girls in the process. The Japanese are just insane or something. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/12 "2009-08-13T15:00:38Z")
There’s no end to the game. Once you get to Level 99, it cycles back to 1. > [@Meeko](#): > > **Please tell me you can’t do this in the Original Galaga game…** You can go quadruple if you have enough lives, but it’s virtually impossible to pull off, since if you go triple you’ll lose your third ship quickly every time. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/13 "2009-08-14T08:07:58Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There’s no end to the game. Once you get to Level 99, it cycles back to 1. Maybe on original Galaga, but Galaga '88 has an ending, with a princess and the strong suggestion that she wants to go back to your place and bone you, so don’t let anyone tell you it’s not worth the effort. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/14 "2009-08-14T11:50:55Z")
Reciently I enoughtered an honest to god Galaga cabinet. Dropped a quarter in and ROCKED. I’d NEVER been that good as a kid. Something about the intervening years of FPS’s and the alignment of the planets, I dunno, but I played for a good 10-15 minutes. Lost my last guy and was just amazed at how well I could play it. About 5 minutes after that my forearms started aching, I may be able to play better than I used to, but there’s a toll in getting old. OW. Spent the rest of the afternoon stretching out my arms. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/15 "2009-08-14T17:20:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There’s no end to the game. Once you get to Level 99, it cycles back to 1. > > You can go quadruple if you have enough lives, but it’s virtually impossible to pull off, since if you go triple you’ll lose your third ship quickly every time. Again, you just made and ruined my day. all those games played, and I could have done soo much more… Then again, I consider it a good game if I can get to level 8. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/16 "2009-08-15T12:46:51Z")
In the original Galaga (and on MAME), you could leave one of the right-most yellow guys flying around for about 15 minutes, avoiding his fire. When the bug goes through three passes without shooting at you, kill it. For the rest of the game, the bugs lose the ability to shoot. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/17 "2009-08-17T16:47:21Z")
RNATB - Eh? I’ve watched all kinds of original Galaga games, and I’m positive that anything beyond double is impossible. Maybe you’re thinking of Gaplus (tractor beam that snags enemies and puts them next to your ship)? Harvey - Good luck. That is the best ending (of four, as I mentioned earlier), which you get if and only if you reach the Dimension 5. And get to the final boss and beat it, which is hard enough on any level. Aw, heck with it. Anyone want me to just give them all right here? I’ll use spoiler boxes. (Personally, I thought the second one was pretty cool, not to mention just a little bit too close to home.) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-so-embarrassing-i-need-help-with-galaga-88/503980/18 "2009-08-17T16:56:44Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > RNATB - Eh? I’ve watched all kinds of original Galaga games, and I’m positive that anything beyond double is impossible. Maybe you’re thinking of Gaplus (tractor beam that snags enemies and puts them next to your ship)? You’re right- I was thinking of _Galaga '88_.