Galaga -

The name isn't just a cool-sounding space word; it’s a deliberate mashup of its predecessor, Galaxian , and the Japanese word for moth, "ga" (蛾) . The developers wanted something that felt related to the original but hinted at the new insect-like enemies.

: On modern "Reunion" arcade cabinets, you can unlock a "Fast Shoot" version by entering the code Left, Right, Left, Right, Up, Up, Up, Fire on the game selection screen. You'll hear a sound from Pac-Man if you get it right. How to properly pronounce Galaga - Jason Eckert Galaga

: You can technically achieve a "better than perfect" hit-miss ratio. If you fire only one shot at the start of the game and time it so that it hits two overlapping enemies, you can end the game with a 200% hit ratio . The name isn't just a cool-sounding space word;

: While most people say GAL-a-ga , the original Midway distributors and arcade operators pronounced it ga-LAG-a to match the emphasis of its predecessor, ga-LAX-i-an . You'll hear a sound from Pac-Man if you get it right

: Like many 8-bit classics, Galaga has a limit. After completing level 255, the game "rolls over" to Stage 0 , causing the machine to lock up or crash.

: One specific enemy spaceship in the game is designed as a direct reference to the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek .

Here are some of the most interesting "texts" and hidden details found within the game's history and code: