When Galaxian© came out in 1979, it was the coolest thing my friends and I had ever seen. It was one of the first arcade machines to have RGB colour graphics, and the video hardware was paired with a silky smooth joystick and fire button that made this game seem next generation (at the time). It took the Space Invaders craze to the next level, and raised the bar with an impeccable fit and finish. Galaxian also led to several other games, like Galaga© and Gaplus©, and Galaga88© and now a remixing of all these classics is out for iOS.

In celebration of Galaga's 30th Anniversary, Namco Bandai has released a rebooted collection on the App Store. itunes.apple.com/ca/app/galaga-30th-collection/id413616338 I played the iPhone version, which consists of a no-strings- attached copy of Galaxian and the option to buy any of the other games in-app. The price is a bit steep at 3 bucks each or £5.99 (CDN$7.99) for the set of three but for a true fan it won't break the bank. It's a free app to try so you've got nothing to lose. Overall the game is great with a slightly modern rendition of the original, but there are some problems with the controls. Playing on an iPhone with "screen only" buttons makes the game frustratingly difficult. You try different config schemes but ultimately this becomes the weak link in the game and prevents it from being a classic once again. Regardless, the app has provided me with plenty of entertainment on long train rides, and is still a standard choice for long line ups and bus stops. Hint: Try and shoot your enemies as close to the ground as possible for maximum score.