Galaga: Demons of Death
PUBLISHER: Bandai
DEVELOPER: Namco
RELEASE DATE: Feb. 15th, 1985 (JP), Sept. 1988 (US), Oct. 1989 (EU)
Galaga has been ported many, many times from the arcade to just about every computer, console, and mobile device known to man. The NES version is the only one that carries the heavy metal subtitle Demons of Death. So strange. Did Galaga meet Slayer and decide to collab or something? What gives?
Whether Bandai thought the “edgy” subtitle would give the NES port some selling power in the US market is unknown. Frankly, it doesn’t matter. Demons of death or otherwise, this NES port is good ol’ reliable Galaga as you’ve known her, lo these past 40+ years.
Namco didn’t change a blessed thing from the arcade. You control a starship in a fixed position at the bottom of the screen. Lines of bugs fly in and form an advancing fleet. Your goal is to shoot as many as you can while they’re flying in. Otherwise, they might dive bomb and shoot at you later. The “Boss Galaga,” a large crab-lookin’ alien, can swoop down, capture your starship, and return to the top of the screen. However, if you let him do this, then wait for him to swoop down again, you can shoot him and have two starships placed next to each other for additional firepower.
Galaga: Demons of Death was the best port of the beloved golden age arcade game when it released on the NES in September 1988. Today, it still holds up well, thanks to Galaga being an extremely simple game at its core. Every main level features the exact same gameplay, save for the bonus levels that throw aliens at you for extra points. Increased enemy speed and difficulty in the later levels really test your mettle. Eventually, your ships are depleted and you either keep playing to get a higher score or move on to deeper experiences. Your mileage may vary.
A, if you love old arcade games.
C, if you don’t.
Golgo-13: Top Secret Episode
PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER: Vic Tokai
RELEASE DATE: Mar. 26th, 1988 (JP), Sept. 1988 (US)
Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode, based on the oldest manga still in publication, might be the most ambitious NES game discussed on this Substack thus far. A bold claim, perhaps, but consider what it offers you. You’ve got first-person shooting modes including scenes where you hold a sniper rifle, zoom in on your target, and eliminate them, all while the rifle is shaking. First-person maze exploration is also on the menu, and while nothing much happens in these sections, the stilted progression and creepy atmosphere are incredibly memorable. Shoot-em-up sections, side-scrolling exploration of real-world locales interrupted by the occasional assassin and passerby with information, and some implied sex scenes. Golgo 13 has it all, whether you want it or not.
What’s more, all these seemingly disparate pieces somehow work, thanks to a brisk narrative that keeps protagonist, Duke Togo, moving from area to area. Just when you’re getting sick of walking the streets of Berlin, a gun appears from the corner of the screen, and you’re thrust into a first-person targeting mode, shooting acrobatic gunmen and helicopters that launch missiles at your face. Find the information you need and suddenly you’re in a helicopter, taking out enemy planes on your way to your next location. Whether you’re scuba-diving and hunting sharks or out for a stroll near the Parthenon, the game does an excellent job at immersing you within its world.
Golgo 13 has mood and tension for days, but it’s also a frustrating slog. Street assassins are able to duck and shoot you, but you can’t duck to shoot them. You can shoot them or kick them when they’re standing, but our boy Duke just can’t duck or crouch for whatever reason. Duke has a decent amount of life, but if you get caught between multiple enemies, good luck. The controls are clunky and Duke moves slow, so you may as well just take the death.
Like Master Higgins in Adventure Island, Duke’s life decreases even while he’s just walking around, and more so when he gets hit. Thankfully, killing enemies increases your health and adds more bullets every time, so if you’re running low, shoot ‘em up, bang bang. Dispatching gunners in first-person targeting sections nets you considerably more life as well, but their aim is better than your everyday street thug. Always trade-offs in Duke’s forever dangerous line of work.
Ancient games that try too hard and don’t quite stick the landing are still more interesting than your run-of-the-mill soulless platformer. For that reason, Golgo 13 should be experienced today. Appreciate its vast scope, if not its wobbly foundation.
B-
Jackal
PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER: Konami
RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1988 (US)
All respect to SNK’s Iron Tank: The Invasion of Normandy. It’s hard, it’s slow, but it packs a mean wallop, even if its aim is questionable. Still, if you’re gonna play just one top-down vehicular shooter from 1988, make it Jackal. Instead of a tank, you drive a jeep, which initially feels like a power downgrade. Less force, perhaps, but Jackal’s jeep aims better, drives faster, and all around feels better to control. You can also stash like 17 rescued soldiers in there. How do they all fit? Who cares! ‘Murica!
The jeep is piloted by two healthy Green Berets. Lt. Bob guns it up, and Sgt. Quint steers the wheel. Bob is equipped with a standard machine gun, unlimited ammo, and as many grenades as he can throw. Sgt. Quint has a doctorate in five-speed, perfect for navigating the vast complex of enemy territory. Their mission: rescue as many POWs as possible, while destroying/avoiding a myriad of enemy soldiers, tanks, cannons and copters.
Bob and Quint drive through deserts, a shipyard, Grecian ruins, a swamp, among other areas, all supposedly a part of Cambodia. Video game logic at its finest, baby. The level design is solid, a nice mix of wide-open spaces and tight, narrow corridors. Jackal doesn’t overload you with challenge either, at least for the first three (of six) levels. As long as you’re alert and shooting/lobbing anything that moves, you likely won’t lose any lives; particularly if you’re a shooter veteran. The jeep handles any challenge like a champ, of course. Those TSK-21 Panthers and Shark Attack subs won’t know what’s coming.
Now, you don’t have to rescue the POWs. All they give you are a bunch of bonus points at the end of the level and a weapon upgrade (grenades to long-range bazookas, totally worth it). But if you do choose to be a humanitarian and go after them, you’ll have to destroy their holding cells, wait patiently until they all file into the jeep, then eventually drop them off at the copter landing site. You’ll know it when you see it. A chopper, surrounded by lights and enemies, waiting patiently for you. Disposing of the enemies is a must but waste them quickly. Otherwise, the chopper will leave, and your clown jeep full of weary veterans will become even that much more uncomfortable.
Jackal is a blast, a pure pick-up-and-play burst of adrenaline. There is no depth to be found here, no overcomplicated story or mechanics. Blow crap up, rescue your fellow soldiers (if you want), and feel incredible doing it. A party well worth attending.
B
The box art for Galaga: Demons of Death is phenomenal! The ship looks like the Yar from Yar's Revenge turned evil and joined the Qotile.
I grew up with Galaga but admittedly didn’t get very far. Starts off simple enough but the difficulty falls off a cliff soon afterwards.
Jackal remains a great (and still affordable for the collectors) 2 player NES game. Easy game to pick up and play and a great soundtrack to boot.
Never played Golgo 13 but the different types of gameplay you mention are intriguing! I’ll have to give that one a try. Thanks for covering this one.