Galaxian

Galaxian is a fixed-screen shoot ’em up in which the player controls a spacecraft moving horizontally along the bottom of the screen. Above it is a formation of alien ships divided into several classes, including Drones, Emissaries, Hornets, and Commanders. The objective is to destroy the entire formation while avoiding enemy fire and collisions.

Individual enemies periodically break formation and dive toward the player along curved or zigzagging paths, firing projectiles and sometimes attempting to collide with the ship. Surviving attackers generally return to the formation after leaving the bottom of the screen. Commanders may dive alongside one or two Hornet escorts, creating more dangerous attacks but offering larger scoring opportunities. Destroying both escorts before shooting the Commander awards an additional bonus.

The player may have only one shot on the screen at a time, making accuracy and timing important; a missed shot prevents another from being fired until it leaves the playfield. Enemies are worth more points when destroyed during an attack run than while remaining in formation, with higher-ranking ships awarding the greatest scores.