Galactic Protector

[grolt]

The lady and I played through this game a fair bit this morning, and being part of the Opa-Opa canon it has some big shoes to fill, but I think Galactic Protector more than holds its own. It's a One-Mega game, and like many of the others from that distinction, it's a really short play. There are only four different levels before the game loops with no noticeable impact in difficulty. That sucks, especially considering it's such a simple premise and there aren't many bad guys or sprites that would take up much space. In many ways it feels like a rushed catalog pad, just another game in the lineup, and one that would make the paddle controller seem like less of a bust than it really was. But that's it.

The thing is, though, the gameplay is really, really good. It's beyond simple, moving your little ship around a planet shooting all incoming asteroids and attackers, but it really plays great. Alex Kidd: BMX Trials always controlled a little weird with the paddle controller, almost as if the controller was forced onto the game. This game, though, feels built exactly for it, and of all the paddle games I've played (I still haven't gotten my hands on a Woody Pop) this is by far the best handling of the turn-knob. So even if it is simple, so entirely short and devoid of any story or Opa-Opa-isms, it plays so well that it definitely deserves a mention among the unique gaming experiences on the Master System.

I hardly found any posts on this game in searches, has anyone else had a chance to crack this out with the paddle controller?

[Stan]

I was pretty happy with it the first time I gave it a go. I did it mainly just to see if everything worked, but I was happy with it. From what I've heard, though, the major gripe people have with this game is it's length. I like how it's a reverse, essentially, of Gyruss, which was always one of my favorite shooters and arcade conversions.