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From our classic games collection

Galaga

Space Invaders aliens marching in rows? No way! This rework of THE gaming classic has diving, swooping, mean spirited invaders from space! (Original copyright Hasbro Interactive)

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Galaga artwork
Galaga

A little internet history

When games arrived in the browser.

1995
Java applets helped turn web pages into places you could play, with games running inside the browser.
The plug-in era ends
Browsers gradually stopped supporting Java plug-ins. Java 11 removed the browser deployment tools; the Java language itself continues.
Today
This original game runs through our browser emulator. You don’t need to install the old Java plug-in.

Our part in that early web

Our Java games began on Smilie.com in the 1990s, before Matica followed. A surviving Smilie archive from 1 June 1997 refers to Mirkin’s Darts; Matica appears in the archive from 11 November 1998.

These games are part of that first wave of web play. We’re keeping them accessible, along with their original pages and history.

Read more: Java’s early tutorial history · Oracle’s applet deployment notes

Left/Right to move; Space to start and fire; P to pause or resume. Sound starts off. High scores are shared between Matica and SmilieGames.

Play Galaga

Original game notes

Click within the applet Shoot the waves of aliens and avoid their fire! Watch out -- menacing aliens enter the game from all sides, and can swoop down to get you at any minute!

Use the Left and Right cursor keys to move the ship. Press the space bar to shoot. Collect the double-laser pickup, and the sheild pick-up. Press S to turn the sound effects on or off, press M to turn the music on or off

If you shoot well enough, you might just make it into the Galaga Top Ten High Score Table, reserved for only the most skillful pilots!

Good luck - and be careful out there...

Press P to pause or resume, or use the Pause button below the game.

Galaga through the years

This restored edition carries a 2000 Smilie copyright and credits Mike Manning, Damian Slee and David Golding. It keeps the preserved game artwork and audio, with shared high scores for Matica and SmilieGames.

Our earlier Web Galaga copy carries a 1999 Edison Interactive credit and names M. Manning as its programmer. It uses different controls and an older score system. Smilie Stylee gives the JEG edition a playful cast of heads while using the same game code.

Other editions to play

These alternate editions are offered for their history and artwork. Score saving is currently available on the main edition only. The history above comes from the credits in our preserved game files.