Galaga Legions DX

Galaga Legions DX
Xbox 360 cover art
Developer(s)	Namco Bandai Games
Publisher(s)	Namco Bandai Games
Director(s)	Tadashi Iguchi
Producer(s)	Toshiko Tamura
Composer(s)	Akihiko Ishikawa
Series	Galaxian
Platform(s)	Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,Windows Phone
Release	June 29, 2011 Xbox 360 WW:June 29, 2011 PlayStation 3 WW:August 4, 2011 EU:August 10, 2011 Windows Phone WW:August 28, 2012
Genre(s)	Twin-stick shooter,bullet hell
Mode(s)	Single-player

Galaga Legions DXis a 2011twin-stick shootervideo game developed and published byNamco Bandai Gamesfor theXbox 360andPlayStation 3.It is the sequel toGalaga Legions(2008), and is the fourteenth entry in theGalaxianseries. The player controls the AEf-7 "Blowneedle" starship in its efforts to wipe out the Galaga forces before they destroy all of mankind. The objective is to clear each of the game's nine stages in the quickest time possible by destroying waves of enemies. The Blowneedle has a pair of satellites that can be pointed at enemies to shoot them down. New additions have been made to the core gameplay, such as a "slowdown" effect when the player is about to collide with an enemy.

The game was developed by the same team behindPac-Man Championship Edition DX,headed by director Tadashi Iguchi and producer Toshiko Tamura. Iguchi thought the originalLegionstried too hard to be original and only appealed to a niche audience, deciding to make the game appeal towards more casual players with simple controls and a focus on frantic gameplay. The team focused heavily on high-score battles as a callback to video game tournaments from the early 1980s, and to appeal towards both veterans and newcomers to theGalaxianseries. It was the second game released under theNamco Generationslabel and was made to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the originalGalagaarcade game.

Following its release, Galaga Legions DX received mostly positive reviews from critics. The game was praised for its impressive graphics, fast-paced gameplay, and the improvements it brought compared to its predecessor. However, some reviewers criticized the game for its lack of content and perceived it as less refined than the original Galaga Legions. In addition to its initial release, a version of the game for Windows Phone was also made available in 2012. The Xbox 360 version was made available on theXbox Onein 2016 as part of the system's backward compatibility lineup. It was the only other game released under the Namco Generations label, as it was discontinued a year after the game's release in 2012.

Gameplay

InGalaga Legions DX,players control a starship named the AEf-7 Blowneedle in its mission to eradicate the hostile Galaga forces. Players traverse through ten different stages, which are divided up into four sections each and become progressively difficult.Players can begin at any level they choose. Each section consists of multiple waves of enemies, with players needing to destroy as many as they can before the time limit runs out.Player score and progress is tallied up in a bar graph displayed upon completion of each section, culminating in a final area where players must destroy a boss.

Xbox 360 version screenshot.

Gameplay ofLegions DXhas been compared to similar twin-stick shooters such asGeometry Wars.In each wave, players must destroy large formations of constantly-moving enemies while avoiding collision with them or opposing projectiles.If the Blowneedle is about to collide with an enemy or shot, a slowdown effect is applied that gives players a chance to escape before dying. The objective is to clear each section as quick as possible, with bonus points awarded for destroying enemies under a par time.Enemies fly in pre-determined patterns, indicated by blue neon lines drawn across the screen. Most formations feature large, orbular ships that explode when shot, which can be used to cause chain reactions and easily wipe out larger enemies.The Blowneedle is equipped with two satellites, which can either be pointed in any direction or fixated to the side of the player.Flying closer to enemy formations enables "Focus Fire", which increases the Blowneedle's movement and shooting speed.Destroying circular Black Hole Bombs sucks in all on-screen enemies, who join the player's side and provide additional firepower.

The game features two different play modes: Adventure, where players take on each level in a linear format, and Championship, a score-attack mode where players try to get the highest score in any stage they choose.Before each game beings, players can select a difficulty option and a cosmetic skin, which alters the game's visuals. Many of these replace the Blowneedle and enemies with sprites from otherGalaxiangames, alongside those from other olderNamcogames includingPac-Man,Mappy,Dig Dug,andRally-X.

Development

Tadashi Iguchi in 2009

After completing work onPac-Man Championship Edition DX(2010),Namco Bandai Gamesdirector Tadashi Iguchi began drafting plans for a sequel to one of his previous projects,Galaga Legions(2008). Originally released for theXbox 360,Legionswas a modernized update to Namco'sGalaxianseries ofshoot 'em ups.While the game sold well and was received favorably by publications,a common complaint was its drastic departure from the gameplay of the originalGalaxianandGalaga,both of which were fixed overhead shooters. Acknowledging the criticism, Iguchi started production of a sequel that was much more accessible to new players.

Iguchi directed development ofGalaga Legions DX.The majority of the developers behindPac-Man Championship Edition DXassisted him in production, such as producer Toshiko Tamura.The project goal was to create a game that was intuitive and welcoming to both newcomers and franchise veterans, and to find a balance between simplicity and complexity in its gameplay.With the originalGalaga Legions,Iguchi felt that it trying to be original instead distanced it from previousGalaxiangames, resulting in a niche target audience.Iguchi's experience with developingPac-Man Championship Edition DX,a well-received update to the originalPac-Man,provided him with a basic idea of howGalaga Legions DXshould be designed. The game's design was themed around the word "crush", referring to the destruction of large hordes of enemies in the original.Simplicity was a focal point for the project, as the development team didn't wish to create something too easy it lacked difficulty or something too complex it confused players.

A number of changes were made to the gameplay structure ofLegionsto accommodate the team's design goals. The level progression system, a linear series of stages in the originalLegions,was omitted and instead allows players to select whichever stage they choose. Iguchi didn't enjoy the first game's progression for having only one specific way to clear stage formations, believing the new non-linear structure allowed for variations within each level to accommodate different playstyles: "We want it to be both intuitive and flexible. There shouldn't be one specific way of clearing the game or obtaining a high-score."The controls were also simplified so that players were able to focus on the gameplay.

Among the new design choices forLegions DXwas its heavy focus on earning high scores and competing with other players, as the team believed part of the rise in popularity of the shooter genre came from high-score tournaments.Iguchi in particular suggested it would ignite a "competitive spirit" within players, fueling them to compete against others for the highest-score possible on leaderboards.Other additions include improved visuals, reworked enemy patterns, and a slowdown feature that takes effect when the player is about to collide with an enemy. LikePac-Man Championship Edition DX,the development team hoped to make the game "more exhilarating and satisfying" than before, and to feel like a proper evolution of its arcade game predecessors.The game was described as an "enemy curtain shooter", as the way enemy formations closed in on players resembled the movement of curtains.Composer Akihiko Ishikawa, whose works includeNinja AssaultandThe Idolmasterseries, scored the soundtrack.

Release

Namco Bandai Games teasedGalaga Legions DXon November 16, 2010. The company revealed that the game would be the second title released under itsNamco Generationsseries of classic game updates, which includedPac-Man Championship Edition DXand the later-cancelledAero-Cross.Namco Bandai released a teaser trailer in April 2011, where it announced the game would coincide with the 30th anniversary of the originalGalaga.A playable demo was demonstrated atE3 2011.

Galaga Legions DXwas released for theXbox 360on June 29, 2011 worldwide through theXbox Liveservice.ThePlayStation 3version was released for thePlayStation Networkon August 3, 2011 in North America and Japan,and on August 10 in Europe.To commemorate its release, an update for bothTaiko no Tatsujin 14andTaiko no Tatsujin Plusincluded one of the game's songs, "Doom Noiz", as a playable track.A version forWindows Phonewas released on September 4, 2012, which uses touch-screen thumbsticks for movement.On April 27, 2016, the Xbox 360 version ofGalaga Legions DXwas re-released throughXbox One's backwards comparability lineup.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	74/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
Destructoid	8/10
Game Informer	8.5/10
GameSpot	8/10
GamesRadar+
IGN	6.5/10
Push Square
Retro Gamer	82%

By the end of 2011,Galaga Legions DXsold 19,755 units on the Xbox 360, significantly less than its predecessor.The game itself was received favorably, holding a 74/100 on the review aggregator websiteMetacritic.

David Wolinsky ofGamesRadar+praised it for being more approachable than to the originalLegions,saying that it was much faster and it made the player "feel like a badass" while destroying large waves of enemies.He concluded by stating the game is a "mighty fine diversion worth sinking your teeth into." Jim Sterling ofDestructoidsaid the game appealed to both hardcore and casual fans for its addictive gameplay and content, heavily praising the game's puzzle-solving techniques, easy approach and graphics.Carolyn Petit ofGameSpotcalled it "a worthy bearer of the Galaga title", applauding the game's lowered difficulty, graphical style and addictive gameplay.Daemon Hatfield ofIGNpraised its graphics and selectable game skins, and for its strategy-based gameplay,while Sammy Barker ofPush Squareapplauded the "fantastic" presentation and its "risk-and-reward" mechanic.

Despite its praise, many would argue the game was not as refined as its predecessor and still lacked in content. Hatfield was the most critical, saying that the game's content left with little to offer for its price point, expressing disappointment towards its lack of replay value and for bearing little resemblance to the originalGalaga.He went on to say the game was not much of an improvement over the firstGalaga Legionsand that only one playthrough showed off all it has to offer. Barker stated it was not as refined asPac-Man Championship Edition DXand disliked its large emphasis on pattern memorization, saying that it led to repetition,while Wolinsky criticized the game's lack of extra content.Sterling suggested that the game could have used more gameplay modes and longer levels, feeling it has room for improvement.