******************************************************************************* Galaxian for Atari 8-bit Computers FAQ by BHodges Version 1.0 Created 12/13/09 This document Copyright 2009 by Brian Hodges. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. ******************************************************************************* Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Getting Started III. Gameplay A. Controls B. Basic Gameplay C. Strategies IV. Enemies/Scoring A. Drones (Blue) B. Emissaries (Purple) C. Hornets (Red) D. Commanders (Yellow) V. My Top Score VI. Game Review VII. Version History VIII. Contact Information ******************************************************************************* I. Introduction This is a FAQ for the Atari 8-bit Computer game Galaxian. It contains information on how to play the game and a mini-review. ******************************************************************************* II. Getting Started While on the Title Screen, press the OPTION key to toggle between a one/two player game. Use the SELECT key to choose the difficulty level (0-9 or B). The higher the number, the harder the game. In the Beginner level (B), the enemies will not shoot back until Wave 17. When you are ready to play, press START. ******************************************************************************* III. Gameplay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Controls Joystick Move you ship left/right Button Fire (can only fire one shot at a time) Spacebar Pause the game OPTION/SELECT Quit your game and return to the Title Screen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. Basic Gameplay The object of the game is to shoot as many enemies as possible. You can only fire a single shot at a time. Being shot or colliding with an enemy will cost you a life, lose all of your lives and your game is over. The game is broken up into waves. Each wave starts with four rows of enemies at the top of the screen. The enemies will then begin divebombing towards the bottom of the screen, if they make it all the way to the bottom, they'll reappear at the top of the screen and return to their original position in the formation. Once there are only a few enemies left, they'll no longer rejoin their formation and will instead continuously attack. If you manage to destroy all the enemies, you'll move onto the next wave. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Strategies - You will earn an extra life when you score 5,000 points. - I like to clear the enemies on the far right first, then make my way left. That way I can dart left, pop off a few shots, then dart right to safety. - Shooting Commanders (yellow enemies) while they are attacking will cause the rest of the enemies to cease firing for a short while. - If an enemy comes in contact with your missile while it is still attached to your ship, it will be destroyed as if you shot it. - To get really good, bump up the difficulty to 9 and play for a while. When you go back to the lower difficulty levels, the enemies will seem like they are moving in slow motion! - Game B (Beginner Mode) is perfect for little ones who want to play. ******************************************************************************* IV. Enemies/Scoring ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Drones (Blue) Drones are the blue enemies that occupy the first two rows of the Galaxian formation. Stationary 30 pts In Flight 60 pts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. Emissaries (Purple) Emissaries are the purple enemies that occupy the third row. Stationary 40 pts In Flight 80 pts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Hornets (Red) Hornets are the red enemies that occupy the fourth row. Stationary 50 pts In Flight 100 pts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. Commanders (Yellow) Commanders are the yellow enemies that occupy the top row. Commanders will usually attack with two Hornets acting as escorts. Shooting a Commander in flight will cause the other enemies to cease fire for a short time. Stationary 60 points In Flight 150 points You will earn extra points for shooting a Commander that has escorts. 1 Escort 200 points 2 Escorts 300 points Shoot both escorts then the Commander 800 points ******************************************************************************* V. My Top Scores Game B 35,060 points Game 0 9,220 points Game 1 7,580 points Game 2 7,020 points Game 3 3,230 points Game 4 6,150 points Game 5 3,850 points Game 6 3,250 points Game 7 5,530 points Game 8 3,330 points Game 9 2,960 points ******************************************************************************* VI. Game Review Galaxian may have been overshadowed by its much more successful sequel, Galaga, but it is an incredible game in its own right. Not only was it the first true RGB arcade game, it was one of the first games where strategy could be used. Due to the fact that you could only fire one shot at a time, you couldn't just fire blindly, but needed to aim at your target. Waiting until an enemy began attacking before firing yields bonus points, and taking down a Commander in mid-attack would cause the rest of the enemies to cease fire for a short while. The Atari 8-bit version of Galaxian is a fantastic port and a must-own for any fan of the Atari 8-bit Computer platform. Now if only Atari had released a port of Galaga... Pros + Excellent port of the arcade classic. + Great graphics. + Challenging. Cons - The sound effects are annoying. ******************************************************************************* VII. Version History 1.0 12/13/09 Completed FAQ. ******************************************************************************* VIII. Contact Information You can contact me at Bhodges080@aol.com I would appreciate hearing what you thought of this guide and any thoughts you have for improving it. Be sure to let me know if I have missed anything. ******************************************************************************* End