Galaxian
Galaxian — frequently asked questions
- Is Galaxian on Steam?
- No. Galaxian is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is Galaxian on?
- Galaxian is available on Arcade, Atari 2600, Bally Astrocade, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, IBM PC, Sharp MZ, PC-8801, ColecoVision, VIC-20, Apple II, Commodore 64, Famicom, MSX, Sharp X1, ZX Spectrum, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy, Sharp Zaurus, mobile phone.
- When did Galaxian release?
- Galaxian was first released on September 15, 1979.
About Galaxian
Galaxian is a shooter arcade game developed by Namco in 1979. It was released by Namco in Japan and a few months later by Midway Games in North America. The game was developed to compete with Taito Corporation's Space Invaders, released a year earlier, and featured a similar space theme. The player controls a space ship in the bottom part of the screen and shoots at enemies descending from the top of the screen. The game was received very well by the public and has continued to be a game with a competitive community to this day. It was followed by a successful sequel called Galaga in 1981 and two less known sequels called Gaplus in 1984 and Galaga '88 in 1987. Galaxian was one of the most popular games in the golden age of arcade video games.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Atari 2600, Bally Astrocade, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, IBM PC, Sharp MZ, PC-8801, ColecoVision, VIC-20, Apple II, Commodore 64, Famicom, MSX, Sharp X1, ZX Spectrum, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy, Sharp Zaurus, mobile phone
- Developer
- Namco
- Publisher
- Midway
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Science fiction
- Series
- Galaxian
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Built by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atari 2600 | 1983 | $9 | $20 | $25 | 2 reviews | GCC (designed by Mark Ackerman / Glen Parker / Tom Calderwood) |
Also released on: Arcade · Bally Astrocade · Atari 5200 · Atari 8-bit · IBM PC · Sharp MZ · PC-8801 · ColecoVision · VIC-20 · Apple II · Commodore 64 · Famicom · MSX · Sharp X1 · ZX Spectrum · Famicom Disk System · Game Boy · Sharp Zaurus · mobile phone. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Atari | Silver | CX2684 | Common+ |
Also released in South America by Digimax, Polygram, Polyvox.
Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1983
- Controller
- Atari Joystick
- Players
- 1
- Authenticity
- Low
A well-reviewed 2600 conversion of Namco's arcade shooter, common, cheap and on Atari 50.
Namco's 1979 arcade Galaxian was the company's answer to Space Invaders, with aliens that break formation and dive at the player. Atari published the 2600 conversion in 1983. General Computer Corporation developed it, with Mark Ackerman, Glen Parker and Tom Calderwood credited as designers.
The VCS version reviewed well: Computer and Video Games scored it 15/20 and 78%, and Video Games Player gave it a B+. It is on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.
How it was made
Developed by General Computer Corporation (Mark Ackerman, Glen Parker and Tom Calderwood) and published by Atari in April 1983, with a PAL release the same year.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 2 No. 2 | May 1983 | Graphics ★★★★ · Play-Action ★★★★ |
| Video Games Player Vol. 2 No. 1 | August-September 1983 | B+ |
“The graphics of this version are just as colorful and crisp as you could possibly want them to be, and game play is remarkably faithful to the oiginal arcade game.”
“A remarkably faithful adaptation of the arcade hit. The game is a cross between Space Invaders and Demon Attack. … Fans of the arcade game will not be disappointed.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. Video Games Player graded games like a report card, A+ down to C-.
Cartridge & preservation record
Program size 8 KB, measured from the preserved dump.
Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · Bally Astrocade · Atari 5200 · Atari 8-bit · IBM PC · Sharp MZ · PC-8801 · ColecoVision · VIC-20 · Apple II · Commodore 64 · Famicom · MSX · Sharp X1 · ZX Spectrum · Famicom Disk System · Game Boy · Sharp Zaurus · mobile phone
| Atari 2600 | GCC (designed by Mark Ackerman / Glen Parker / Tom Calderwood) |
- Bally Astrocade. The Astrocade version, later renamed Galactic Invasion, had weaker graphics than the arcade game, but Video magazine called its play magnificent compared with other console versions; it earned an Arkie Certificate of Merit for arcade-to-home translation.
- ZX Spectrum. Home Computing Weekly called the Spectrum version well written, with fast but flickery graphics.
- Atari 8-bit. Softline said the Atari 8-bit version becomes tedious very quickly.
Before you buy
Low risk; this is a common Atari cart. Loose, boxed and sealed copies are all inexpensive. Check that the end label matches the front label and that the cart is the 2600 version, not the Atari 5200 cartridge.
Galaxian screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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