Deluxe Galaga — Gameplay

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Game Play Basics

New to the game? Start here before hitting the Secrets section. No spoilers — just the fundamentals to get you hooked.

For more information on basics and strategies for the 2026 Enhanced version of the game, see this page.

Stick & Dodge

Kill aliens without getting killed. Power up your weapon from single shot through double, triple, quad, and eventually the devastating death weapons. Alien sub-bosses specialize in lateral shots — keep out of the corners when they appear.

Recruit from the Enemy

Capture enemy ships using the Scope bonus. With two captured aliens flanking you, the Scope's powerful beams will instantly clear descending ships. Invaluable for bonus stages and dense opening waves.

Get the Money

Money is not optional — it is survival. Cash buys weapons, armour, extra lives, speed, and secrets. Pick up coins from dead aliens, grab chests in Meteor Storm, match dollars in Memory Station. There are also secret methods. The blue coin ($200) is king.

The Mini-Games

Meteor Storm

A dodge-the-rocks gauntlet of increasing speed and density. Numbered rocks give points; money chests are your payday. If you make it through, the rewards are substantial. Activate the fire button to accelerate — push through the sparse first third quickly to build reflexes for the chaos ahead.

Memory Station

Timed Concentration. Uncover boxes two at a time looking for matches. Prizes include extra lives, E-X-T-R-A letters, credits, multipliers, rank markers, and extra time. A skull ends your run immediately. Know what you're hunting before you start.

Other Elements

Catch E-X-T-R-A letters for a free ship. Grab bonus multipliers (×2, ×5) whenever possible. Collect Ship Armour — it is cumulative and saves your skin late-game. The Shield is temporary but devastating on Kamikaze levels.

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Glossary

Every item, enemy, bonus and game mechanic — defined. Items appear in all versions of the game unless otherwise stated.

Damage

Weapon Powerup

Increases the damage output of your current weapon. Stack multiple pickups for devastating firepower against tougher enemies and bosses.

Occurrence: Frequent

Version: Enhanced

Missiles

Weapon Powerup

Fires homing or straight missiles alongside your primary weapon. Significant boost to clearing dense waves and sub-bosses.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Version: Enhanced

Skulls

Game Element

Catch only. Red, blue, and green. Degrade weapon, Extra Bullet, and Speed and Damage by one level. Can be used to unlock special weapons and upgrade Continues with features. Different combos give different rewards. See the Enhanced page for more information.

Occurrence: Frequent

Version: Enhanced

Auto-Fire

Weapon Powerup

Catch or purchase ($250). Continuous fire while holding the button; concentrated bursts by tapping.

Occurrence: Frequent

Bonus Multiplier

Bonus

Catch or win in Memory Station. Multiplies scored points from alien kills for a limited time. Does not affect money.

Occurrence: Frequent

Boss

Enemy

Appears on dedicated boss levels as the sole enemy. Very dangerous. Very big. Very nasty.

Occurrence: Boss Levels

Currency

Catch only. Four coin colors: grey=$10, orange=$50, green=$100, blue=$200.

Occurrence: Frequent

Double Shot

Weapon Powerup

Catch or purchase ($100). Two side-by-side rounds per press. Fast shot speed.

Occurrence: Frequent

Drunk Mode

Ship Upgrade

Random Mystery Bonus only. Temporarily reverses player controls. Stay out of trouble until it wears off.

Occurrence: Infrequent

E-X-T-R-A

Bonus

Collect all five letters to earn an extra ship. Duplicates still give bonus points.

Occurrence: Frequent

Extra Bullet

Weapon Powerup

Catch or purchase ($75). Allows more simultaneous rounds on screen. Upgradeable multiple times.

Occurrence: Frequent

Extra Life

Bonus

Catch or purchase ($400). Shop purchase can be assigned to either player.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Extra Speed

Ship Powerup

Catch or purchase ($50). Increases ship movement speed. Upgradeable multiple times. Essential for Meteor Storm.

Occurrence: Frequent

Extra Time

Bonus

Catch or win in Memory Station. Extends level timer / Memory Station timer. Purchased Extra Time persists across rounds.

Occurrence: Very Infrequent

Fire Balls

Weapon Powerup

Purchase only ($750). Giant single-round fireballs. Fast. Powerful. Best shop value for firepower.

Occurrence: Shop Only

Game Secrets

Game Element

Purchase ($1,000). Reveals the 14 secrets of the game in-game. Worth every dollar.

Occurrence: Shop Only

Gem Bomb

Bonus

Catch only. Destroys all weak aliens; they release waves of gems with significant point value.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Hurry Up Ship

Enemy

Appears when you stall on a level. Releases semi-guided missiles. Killable; drops a Rank Marker and reduces missile intensity.

Occurrence: Frequent

Kamikaze Level

Game Element

Level where the alien set sends tight, rapid waves. Destroy all waves for escalating point bonuses.

Occurrence: Frequent

Laser Ship

Enemy

Rare visitor that sweeps across the screen shooting lethal laser bolts. Difficult to kill — requires Fireballs or better with Auto-Fire.

Occurrence: Very Infrequent

Memory Station

Game Element

Timed Concentration mini-game. Match boxes to win bonuses. Skull = instant exit. No life at risk.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Meteor Storm

Game Element

Dodge-the-rocks mini-game with increasing difficulty. Complete it for 100,000 points and $1,000. Two players can participate. No life at risk.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Mirror Mode

Ship Upgrade

Catch only. Creates a mirrored copy of your ship. Impervious to attack. Easy to lose track of your real ship.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Money Bomb

Bonus

Catch only. Destroys weak aliens; they release waves of coins. Prioritize blue coins ($200) during the shower.

Occurrence: Very Infrequent

Money Ship

Enemy

Appears under a specific condition (see Secrets). Drops ~$2,000 in coins when destroyed. Cannot harm the player.

Occurrence: Special

Mystery Bonus

Bonus

Catch only. Gives a random bonus — often Drunk Mode, but can be almost anything catchable including money and powerups.

Occurrence: Frequent

Quad Shot

Weapon Upgrade

Catch only. Four rounds in a slight spread pattern, straight up. Slow shot speed. Best in Warp Malfunction levels.

Occurrence: Very Infrequent

Rank Marker

Game Element

Catch, purchase ($300), or win. Six colored orbs — collect all six to advance rank. Higher rank = bigger end-game bonus. Admiral rank + extra purchase = 1,000,000 points.

Occurrence: Frequent

Ship Armour

Ship Upgrade

Catch or purchase ($600). Cumulative up to four. Each absorbs a single hit plus grants a brief invulnerability window.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Single Shot

Weapon Upgrade

Catch only. Default weapon. Single round, medium speed.

Occurrence: Frequent

Skulls

Ship Upgrade

Catch only. Red, blue, and green. Degrade weapon, Extra Bullet, and Speed by one level each. But see Secret #6…

Occurrence: Frequent

Sub-Boss

Enemy

Larger aliens in Warp Malfunctions and regular levels. Lateral-shooting specialists — death drops a Rank Marker.

Occurrence: Special

Super Weapon

Weapon Powerup

Purchase only ($500). Similar to Triple Shot but more powerful bullets and faster rate of fire.

Occurrence: Shop Only

Thief Ship

Enemy

Random appearance. Steals all carried money instantly. Can be killed with a high-level weapon. Cannot take your life.

Occurrence: Very Infrequent

Triple Shot

Weapon Powerup

Catch or purchase ($200). Three rounds: one straight up, two at 45° angles. Slow shot speed.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Warp

Game Element

Triggered by catching a warp icon or game event every few levels. Takes you to the shop.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Warp Malfunction

Game Element

Randomly occurs during a Warp. Drops you into a sub-boss arena. Can chain up to 4 consecutive malfunctions.

Occurrence: Infrequent

xC (Extra Credit)

Currency

Win in Memory Station only. Grants an additional Continue option for future game-over screens.

Occurrence: Infrequent

Egg Gem

Bonus

Catch only. Worth $1,000 — drops only when you kill the Laser Ship.

Occurrence: Special