Galaga Legions

How do you take a concept that is over 20 years old and drag it into the next generation? It's a hurdle many developers are scratching their heads over, but no one does it better than the very smart folk at Namco Bandai.

Galaga Legions uses the standard space shoot-'em-up format, but makes it harder and snazzier, setting the whole thing on top of a killer soundtrack. There are two main game modes — championship, which is basically a score attack where you can choose any of the five stages from the start. Adventure tasks you with starting at level one and surviving all the way through to the end.

Gameplay consists of basically holding down the right trigger to fire and the left stick to move. Using the right stick, you can detach the sides of your ship, or "satellites" and strategically place them around the stage to help repel oncoming enemies. This adds a level of tactical decision-making to the game, because with hundreds of enemies swarming on screen at any one time, you are going to need to use your brain as well as quick reactions.

You are given a heads-up as to where the next burst of Galaga are going to appear, in the form of bright glowing lines twirling across the stage. It's a helpful system and is mesmerising, but it can still prove to be insanely confusing when set on top of the bright backgrounds.

This is a good game, but it is marred by a sharp learning curve, kicking in at about the mid-way point. The addition of the satellite turrets is a neat inclusion and really gets your mind working in overdrive, frantically planning your next move before the next fight begins. As a way of lending new life to an old concept, this is a success, but will prove to be a hard sell for newcomers. Try the trial first.