Galaxian is a fixed shooter arcade game developed by Namco and released in 1979, initially in Japan and shortly after in North America through Midway Games. Designed to compete with Taito's Space Invaders, the game shares a space combat theme while introducing its own mechanics: the player pilots a spacecraft positioned at the bottom of the screen and fires upward at waves of alien enemies that swoop down from above. The game proved highly popular during the golden age of arcade gaming and built a competitive community that has persisted for decades. It spawned a direct sequel, Galaga, in 1981, which became equally successful, and two further follow-ups — Gaplus in 1984 and Galaga '88 in 1987. Galaxian stands as one of the defining titles of late-1970s arcade culture and an important landmark in the development of the shooter genre.
