Galaga: Destination Earth

The Good
I can't really say that there is much to like about this game. The behind-the ship segments have their moments, but there's no real fun to be had.

The Bad
I'm skeptical when it comes to modern remakes, updates, and sequels to classic gaming royalty. (If you want to see the proper way to update a game without destroying it, I suggest that you check out Asteroids.) Needless to say, the only reason I ended up with Galaga: Destination Earth is because it was packaged with a memory card (which I was in need of) and cheap.

The game starts off like a 3D remake of the original. Though not as enjoyable as the original, it's probably one of the more respectable parts of the game. Then, things start to suck.

In all honesty, the behind-the-ship segments could have been a good distraction between waves. It's a little awkward until you get used to it though. There's speed boost available, and you dodge through debris and canyons, which is almost fun in a few spots. Some of the levels in this mode will be combat, while others will be collecting things like escape pods. There are also turrets strewn about in some areas, either mounted to the surfaces or satellites, but jumping into them and firing at targets from a stationary target (assuming that you even see any) is a worthless and boring addition to the "gameplay".

The worst part about the behind-the-ship mode is when you pause mid-flight and play an unenjoyable version of the original mode from this perspective in which you can move side to side and up and down. The choice of enemies here seem to have been put in place to annoy more than to challenge. Having enemies that are impervious to your attacks for limited amounts of time in an already plodding segment of the game only serves to add to the boredom.

The other perspective in the game is a side-scrolling variant on the original vertical perspective. Something about this view really killed it. I'm all for different types of gameplay, but this was a change for change's sake. It's awkwardness is another mark against the game.

One other thing that really bugged me were the little Mission Start intros, which seemed to have been lifted almost completely from R-Type Delta.

The Bottom Line
Galaga: Destination Earth is a dish best served flambéd. The entire game is made up of ideas taken from other games and executed poorly. You'll be levels in before you start dying, and even then, you'll be racking up the extra lives too fast to be bothered and far too bored to continue. This is not the nostalgic experience that you are looking for.