The game was soo far ahead of its time and really pushed the Beeb. It had everything, gameplay, lots of sprites, colorful graphics, smooth animation and amazing music.
One thing I just recently noticed about Galaforce is how smooth and flicker free the animation is! I revisited Zalaga on the Beeb recently and it's just a choppy, character jumping mess! Galaforce in comparison is amazing!
Galaforce is very smooth indeed, I agree! Regarding Zalaga, were you using an emulator or a physical Beeb? If I recall correctly, Zalaga has some frame rate problems on emulation which exaggerates the choppiness; it behaves better on real hardware. Galaforce is a better game overall, though (I would say that, wouldn't I? 😆)
I've not played the Electron version myself, but I am sure Kevin must have squeezed every last ounce of power out of it to make it run as fast and smoothly as it does on the Beeb! There are definite similarities with Galaga, another great game, but Galaforce is my favourite of the two.
@@ColinHoad The first time I encountered it, I was seriously intimidated and yet spectacularly impressed at how smooth and slick the execution was. Thank you Kevin Edwards for making the fastest game for the BBC Micro
@@ColinHoad Yeah, some 12 machines with Cube monitor were delivered for MISIS university, along with "teacher's workplace" which came with hard drive unit. All Beebs were connected to a network so, having some credentials, students could use that hard drive for accessing games, educational software, etc. Of course, syntaxes was *. Surely those Beebs were obsolete for UK, but for us, it was absolute technology cutting age. And there was a wall ad poster with Acorn Archimedes A400 which was something from Star Wars universe. Later on, I think it was 2017, I purchased Beeb rev6 almost mint for my collection, with many Superior software games.
Feels appropriate to be watching this on fireworks night. Very vibrant and flowing like Zalaga, but also reminds me of a game called Microbe, raucous with big blobby foes.
Yes, I realised as I was uploading this - and hearing fireworks going off outside - that it's rather appropriate today! I've not come across Microbe before, will have to give that a go - thanks 😀
Well, no complaints about this being placed where it is. Had a lot of fun with this when I was younger, and of course the music is fantastic, easily the best ever written for the BBC Micro. I never got this far, so I'm happy to finally get some answers about what happens if you complete more zones.... The competition for the remaining places intensifies ;)
It's a solid game with so much in its favour, yes - and Martin Galway's music elevates it even more! Thanks for following and enjoying the series so far, I hope the remaining entries continue to meet with your approval 😁
Awesome! One of my favourites this, great music.. I had it on one of the Play It Again Sam tape compilations. I was always jealous of Sam on the cover, with his amazing 4 screen Beeb 👍
Yes, my friend also had it on a PIAS compilation, which is how I first got to see and then play it - very fond memories! Totally with you about Sam, he was a trailblazer for the multi-monitor generation to come 😅
I think you where reading my mind when you said you could not believe how much is going on in the screen - truly amazing. This is another game I never owned but extremely impressed with what I am seeing. If this is #10 I can't imagine what #9 - #1 are going to be like. All the best and thanks for another great video. Cheers...Jim
Note that it's very often the same sprite repeated lots of times. That's much quicker to write to the screen than lots of different sprites with complex animation.
I remember on Galaforce 2, it was one of the games that had the annoying string of multiple zeros in front of your score. I set myself the challenge of making my high score one which filled all the available numbers. I acheived it.
Graphics were not as good as the original though. This was a beautiful shoot'em'up for the time. I remember making it to sbout level 14 I think, at which point I ran into the snaker formation once too often
@@ColinHoad Galaforce 2 fixed so many missing components that I couldn't squeeze into the original due to lack of memory. It's faster and processes more aliens too. Sadly, it came out too late as the BBC Micro was in decline so many people missed it. It was released on a compilation too which wasn't what I really wanted. Thanks for the great review.
Ahh damn, I bet on #10 being Starship Command. I'm now worried that's not in your top 85 haha! Galaforce was a game I've not played I think I'd sold my Beeb by 86 ..yes terrible I know, I do own one now though! Watching this I'm impressed, it smooth and very fast! Excellent. If I was the coder making this game, I'd troll the players.. I'd have it that you lose a life when you shoot that mothership that's like your ship. haha!
Don't worry, I sold mine to raise funds for a PC back in the early 90s... I have since bought one again, though! Emulation is good, but nothing quite beats the real thing 😁 As for Starship Command.... my lips are sealed 🤐😉
I had so much fun with Starship Command. I used to do the left and right and fire controls, my best mate did shields on/off and acceration / deceleration. To progress, you need to use the shield controls manually. We used to team up on 'Free Fall' as well, remember that one? Loads of keys to press at once sometimes.
@@MajorT0m loved freefall. I always tried to capture the bomb and then throw it into the aliens just before it exploded only to have it bounce back and kill you instead. Hehe. Fun times.
Great choice of game, Colin 👌. With regards to the Stardot Forums' HSC, I won with a score of 37760 and perished at the hands of the "snake formation" on level 11. I found that it's quite a bit harder than the Electron version that I grew up with, due to the speed. I'm not sure what level I got to on the Electron, back in the day, but one go on the Electron version during the competition saw me get to level 13.
Glad you approve! 😁 Very impressive to get that far without any save states 👏 I've not played the Electron version, is it much slower or just fractionally so?
@@ColinHoad I'd have to have a quick go on both versions as I've forgotten. It was around two and a half years ago when the round was played. What I do remember though is that although the formations are the same, there are some differences with the enemy types between the versions. P.S. I forgot to mention that one of my three picks for this season is Galaforce 2.
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
![Arcade Longplay [319] Final Star Force](/img/n.gif)
The game was soo far ahead of its time and really pushed the Beeb. It had everything, gameplay, lots of sprites, colorful graphics, smooth animation and amazing music.
Yes, everything comes together perfectly - can't fault it! 😀
One thing I just recently noticed about Galaforce is how smooth and flicker free the animation is! I revisited Zalaga on the Beeb recently and it's just a choppy, character jumping mess! Galaforce in comparison is amazing!
Galaforce is very smooth indeed, I agree! Regarding Zalaga, were you using an emulator or a physical Beeb? If I recall correctly, Zalaga has some frame rate problems on emulation which exaggerates the choppiness; it behaves better on real hardware. Galaforce is a better game overall, though (I would say that, wouldn't I? 😆)
I am amazed by the smoothness and speed of this game, an outstanding bit of programming. I must give it a try.
Yes, Kevin Edwards is a 6502 wizard!
I really enjoyed this on my Electron, brilliant game. I always think of the movie WarGames when I see Galaforce, with it being very similar to Galaga.
I've not played the Electron version myself, but I am sure Kevin must have squeezed every last ounce of power out of it to make it run as fast and smoothly as it does on the Beeb! There are definite similarities with Galaga, another great game, but Galaforce is my favourite of the two.
The infamous Serpent formation in Zone 11 always got to me.
That's what's so great about Galaforce, even 11 zones in to the game and it still keeps upping the challenge!
@@ColinHoad The first time I encountered it, I was seriously intimidated and yet spectacularly impressed at how smooth and slick the execution was. Thank you Kevin Edwards for making the fastest game for the BBC Micro
Perfect review!
Galaforce (alongside with Labyrinth) were two of my very first games back in 1988, in USSR Moscow!
Thank you! And also, wow - I had no idea the BBC Micro and its games made it all the way to Moscow back in the 1980s...! That's really cool 😀
@@ColinHoad Yeah, some 12 machines with Cube monitor were delivered for MISIS university, along with "teacher's workplace" which came with hard drive unit. All Beebs were connected to a network so, having some credentials, students could use that hard drive for accessing games, educational software, etc. Of course, syntaxes was *.
Surely those Beebs were obsolete for UK, but for us, it was absolute technology cutting age. And there was a wall ad poster with Acorn Archimedes A400 which was something from Star Wars universe.
Later on, I think it was 2017, I purchased Beeb rev6 almost mint for my collection, with many Superior software games.
Came here to hear the theme tune again after many years!
Haha the music for Galaforce is great, isn't it? Another Martin Galway gem 😀
I'd almost forgot about this one, what a game! This was another one where I had to listen to the music for ages before and after plays, great tune!
Yes, the music is superb 👌 Glad to have brought it back to your attention 😀
Feels appropriate to be watching this on fireworks night. Very vibrant and flowing like Zalaga, but also reminds me of a game called Microbe, raucous with big blobby foes.
Yes, I realised as I was uploading this - and hearing fireworks going off outside - that it's rather appropriate today! I've not come across Microbe before, will have to give that a go - thanks 😀
Reminds me of a game called "Raiders," by Century Electronics that was very similar to it and which came out at the back end of 1983.
I've not come across that one before, was it an arcade cabinet game?
@@ColinHoad Raiders was an arcade cabinet game. Galaforce was one programmed only for the BBC Micro
Well, no complaints about this being placed where it is. Had a lot of fun with this when I was younger, and of course the music is fantastic, easily the best ever written for the BBC Micro. I never got this far, so I'm happy to finally get some answers about what happens if you complete more zones....
The competition for the remaining places intensifies ;)
It's a solid game with so much in its favour, yes - and Martin Galway's music elevates it even more! Thanks for following and enjoying the series so far, I hope the remaining entries continue to meet with your approval 😁
Awesome! One of my favourites this, great music.. I had it on one of the Play It Again Sam tape compilations. I was always jealous of Sam on the cover, with his amazing 4 screen Beeb 👍
Yes, my friend also had it on a PIAS compilation, which is how I first got to see and then play it - very fond memories! Totally with you about Sam, he was a trailblazer for the multi-monitor generation to come 😅
Some of the arcade conversions and arcade style games are amazing for the beeb.
Never a truer word spoken! 😀
I think you where reading my mind when you said you could not believe how much is going on in the screen - truly amazing. This is another game I never owned but extremely impressed with what I am seeing. If this is #10 I can't imagine what #9 - #1 are going to be like. All the best and thanks for another great video.
Cheers...Jim
Thanks very much! Yes, lots to admire here - I hope you'll give it a try, it's well worth it 😀
Note that it's very often the same sprite repeated lots of times. That's much quicker to write to the screen than lots of different sprites with complex animation.
I remember on Galaforce 2, it was one of the games that had the annoying string of multiple zeros in front of your score. I set myself the challenge of making my high score one which filled all the available numbers. I acheived it.
Graphics were not as good as the original though. This was a beautiful shoot'em'up for the time. I remember making it to sbout level 14 I think, at which point I ran into the snaker formation once too often
The snake is formidable! I must get round to trying Galaforce 2 at some point, but I think the original will always be the definitive game for me 😀
@@ColinHoad Galaforce 2 fixed so many missing components that I couldn't squeeze into the original due to lack of memory. It's faster and processes more aliens too. Sadly, it came out too late as the BBC Micro was in decline so many people missed it. It was released on a compilation too which wasn't what I really wanted. Thanks for the great review.
@KevinEdwardsRetro Thank you for another excellent game! I will be sure to try Galaforce 2 and hopefully review that too one day soon 😀
Ahh damn, I bet on #10 being Starship Command. I'm now worried that's not in your top 85 haha! Galaforce was a game I've not played I think I'd sold my Beeb by 86 ..yes terrible I know, I do own one now though! Watching this I'm impressed, it smooth and very fast! Excellent. If I was the coder making this game, I'd troll the players.. I'd have it that you lose a life when you shoot that mothership that's like your ship. haha!
Don't worry, I sold mine to raise funds for a PC back in the early 90s... I have since bought one again, though! Emulation is good, but nothing quite beats the real thing 😁 As for Starship Command.... my lips are sealed 🤐😉
I had so much fun with Starship Command. I used to do the left and right and fire controls, my best mate did shields on/off and acceration / deceleration. To progress, you need to use the shield controls manually.
We used to team up on 'Free Fall' as well, remember that one? Loads of keys to press at once sometimes.
@@MajorT0m loved freefall. I always tried to capture the bomb and then throw it into the aliens just before it exploded only to have it bounce back and kill you instead. Hehe. Fun times.
Great choice of game, Colin 👌. With regards to the Stardot Forums' HSC, I won with a score of 37760 and perished at the hands of the "snake formation" on level 11. I found that it's quite a bit harder than the Electron version that I grew up with, due to the speed. I'm not sure what level I got to on the Electron, back in the day, but one go on the Electron version during the competition saw me get to level 13.
Glad you approve! 😁 Very impressive to get that far without any save states 👏 I've not played the Electron version, is it much slower or just fractionally so?
@@ColinHoad I'd have to have a quick go on both versions as I've forgotten. It was around two and a half years ago when the round was played. What I do remember though is that although the formations are the same, there are some differences with the enemy types between the versions.
P.S. I forgot to mention that one of my three picks for this season is Galaforce 2.