is a 2011 twin-stick shooter video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is the sequel to Galaga Legions (2008), and is the fourteenth entry in the Galaxian series. The player controls the AEf-7 "Blowneedle" starship in its efforts to wipe out the Galaga forces before they destroy all of mankind. The objective is to clear each of the game's nine stages in the quickest time possible by destroying waves of enemies. The Blowneedle has a pair of satellites that can be pointed at enemies to shoot them down. New additions have been made to the core gameplay, such as a "slowdown" effect when the player is about to collide with an enemy.
The game was developed by the same team behind Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, headed by director Tadashi Iguchi and producer Toshiko Tamura. Iguchi thought the original Legions tried too hard to be original and only appealed to a niche audience, deciding to make the game appeal towards more casual players with simple controls and a focus on frantic gameplay. The team focused heavily on high-score battles as a callback to video game tournaments from the early 1980s, and to appeal towards both veterans and newcomers to the Galaxian series. It was the second game released under the Namco Generations label and was made to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the original Galaga arcade game.
Following its release, Galaga Legions DX received mostly positive reviews from critics. The game was praised for its impressive graphics, fast-paced gameplay, and the improvements it brought compared to its predecessor. However, some reviewers criticized the game for its lack of content and perceived it as less refined than the original Galaga Legions. In addition to its initial release, a version of the game for Windows Phone was also made available in 2012. The Xbox 360 version was made available on the Xbox One in 2016 as part of the system's backward compatibility lineup. It was the only other game released under the Namco Generations label, as it was discontinued a year after the game's release in 2012.
Gameplay
In Galaga Legions DX, players control a starship named the AEf-7 Blowneedle in its mission to eradicate the hostile Galaga forces. Players traverse through ten different stages, which are divided up into four sections each and become progressively difficult. Players can begin at any level they choose. Each section consists of multiple waves of enemies, with players needing to destroy as many as they can before the time limit runs out. Player score and progress is tallied up in a bar graph displayed upon completion of each section, culminating in a final area where players must destroy a boss.
Gameplay of Legions DX has been compared to similar twin-stick shooters such as Geometry Wars. In each wave, players must destroy large formations of constantly-moving enemies while avoiding collision with them or opposing projectiles. If the Blowneedle is about to collide with an enemy or shot, a slowdown effect is applied that gives players a chance to escape before dying. The objective is to clear each section as quick as possible, with bonus points awarded for destroying enemies under a par time. Enemies fly in pre-determined patterns, indicated by blue neon lines drawn across the screen. Most formations feature large, orbular ships that explode when shot, which can be used to cause chain reactions and easily wipe out larger enemies. The Blowneedle is equipped with two satellites, which can either be pointed in any direction or fixated to the side of the player. Flying closer to enemy formations enables "Focus Fire", which increases the Blowneedle's movement and shooting speed. Destroying circular Black Hole Bombs sucks in all on-screen enemies, who join the player's side and provide additional firepower.
The game features two different play modes: Adventure, where players take on each level in a linear format, and Championship, a score-attack mode where players try to get the highest score in any stage they choose. Before each game beings, players can select a difficulty option and a cosmetic skin, which alters the game's visuals. Many of these replace the Blowneedle and enemies with sprites from other Galaxian games, alongside those from other older Namco games including Pac-Man, Mappy, Dig Dug, and Rally-X.