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Developed by the same team that handled an immense and spectacular Pac-Man sequel to the Live Arcade, the sophomore outing has a lot to live up to. Galaga Legions is unquestionably a fantastic shooter, but it’s not to Galaga as Pac-Man Championship Edition was to Pac-Man. This is a radically new game that happens to share some of the original assets.

The biggest change is that enemies no longer move in a Space Invaders style from the top of the screen. They come from everywhere, and in masses so large is can be hard to even see what you’re shooting. It’s like a plague of locusts has dropped onto the player and its their job to pick them all off.

A bright blue line streaks across the screen to indicate the path of the incoming aliens, and it’s the only chance you have to plan ahead. Galaga Legions gives the player two satellite ships to command. Using the right analog stick, the ships can be rapidly shot around the screen in one of four basic directions to act as turrets. They stay in their assigned position until picked up or moved again.

The amount of strategy this brings to the game is startling. That blue line used to indicate enemy movement is the critical piece to the puzzle, and to your survival. Proper satellite placement can mean the difference between life or death… and death is common.

Enemy patterns are amazingly varied to keep out any sense of repetition. At times, the chaos on screen is beautiful in an odd way. Just the flow and rock solid frame rate combined is enough to make this art in motion. Multiple skins, including the awesome retro themed one, keep the visual splendor high.

Galaga Legions is unrelenting in its difficulty, perfect for those looking for true honor on top of the leaderboards. Reach anywhere near the top of the score pack and you’re one of an elite few. It’s all the competition you’ll have though, as there are no multi-player options. All you can do is upload your score.

Two modes will keep the replay value high. The five-stage adventure mode is the core piece for non-score fanatics, giving the player no continues and only a few lives to make it through. The Challenge mode is set up purely for scoring big, and each stage can be selected individually, even if you have yet to reach them in the adventure.

While Galaga purists may scoff at the hefty changes made, there’s little question that the development team has a second hit on their hands. At $10, the money isn’t even worth a consideration. If you have it, spending it on Galaga Legions is money well spent.