My Arcade Pocket Galaga Review
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I recently purchased the My Arcade Galaga pocket gaming machine. It not only features one of my favorite classic video games of all time, Galaga, but it also packs in its predecessor Galaxian and Xevious. I can’t tell you how many quarters I have spent playing the original arcade machines packaged on this little game, but it exceeds the ~$30 purchase price hundreds of times over. :)
Let’s Get the Specs Out of the Way
The product dimensions are about 5 inches wide, 2 inches tall, and 3/4 inch thick. The full-color display is about 2.75 inches diagonal. It runs on 4 AAA batteries, which I haven’t replaced in a month of periodic play. It is super lightweight and it is easily carried without notice in my day pack. It has a headphone jack, volume control, a four-direction pad, and two control buttons. It can also be powered by an optional micro USB cable, which is not included with the game system. There’s a handy matching wrist strap which is actually useful to prevent the game from flying away during high-action gameplay.
The Fun
This thing is a blast for retro gaming fans. The gameplay and behavior are exactly the way you remember the famous arcade game versions. The controls are responsive enough (maybe not truly as fast as higher-end gaming machines) to be fun, and there was no noticeable lag. When I play at home I connect it with a pair of external speakers for louder, more immersive fun, but the built-in speakers are great for gaming on the go. And, being able to turn them down or off should please most parents.
Galaga is an excellent version. This micro arcade really returns the game to its original level of fun. The screen is large enough to recreate the arcade experience, and unlike some of the Nintendo attempts at the game, the aspect ratio is maintained, so you get roughly the same time and distance when the attack runs are in progress as in the arcade. I always hated the shortened response time that many of the Nintendo versions created for the player due to the shrunken screen size and odd aspect ratios.
Galaxian feels and plays like the original. Again, the aspect ratio makes this a perfect copy. The sounds are exactly as you recall and the game speed is dead on. The controls are tight and responsive, so you…
