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Review: Galaga Legions

Aug. 22 6:29 PM by Terry Terrones

Galaga Legions is a visual orgasm. Geometry Wars and Rez HD? Sure they're pretty but when it comes to looks, Legions is Heidi Klum and GW and Rez are Reese Witherspoon. GL's graphics are so brilliant and frenetic you'll probably have to wear sunglasses to see it and you should only play for short bursts for fearing of having a seizure. Namco Bandai's focus on Galaga Legions appearance is obvious, but if they paid as much attention to the gameplay it would be a great game instead of just a good one.

Groundbreaking visuals aside, Galaga Legions takes its predecessors formula and gives it other modern touches. Players can now move all around the screen instead of just staying at the bottom. Gun turrets can be detached from the main ship and pointed in one of four directions. Two different game modes, the path of enemies plotted before they come on-screen and an autofire feature that saves your thumb from falling off are other new and very welcome features.

Galaga Legions is a fun game, easily good enough to stand on its own but as a successor to a legendary title it feels a bit hollow. The games two modes, Championship and Adventure, are too similar and consist of a paltry five levels. The lack of multi-player is a surprise and the absence of continues in titles of this type is a nagging annoyance. But the biggest disappointment is that Legions doesn't really look like a Galaga game. When Pac-Man C.E. was released, it still looked like Pac-Man. Galaga Legions, created by the same team, has had a makeover so significant its ties to the original game are nearly non-existent.

On its own merits, Galaga Legions is an enjoyable but short game. But for old school gamers the original title, available on XBLA for half the price, has much more to offer.

Pros: Visual presentation is first rate, autofire button long overdue

Cons: Doesn't really feel like a Galaga game, no continues, where's the multi-player?

Sound: 3.0
Controls: 3.5
Graphics: 5.0
Fun Factor: 3.5

The Info: Platform: XBLA, Publisher: Namco Bandai, Developer: Namco Bandai, ESRB: E, Players: One, Price: 800 MS Points ($10)

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