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Geometry Wars: Galaxies

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8.1 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 55 critic reviews
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Based on 17 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Sierra Entertainment

Developer: Kuju Entertainment - Bizarre Creations

Genre(s): Shooter

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: November 20, 2007

Summary

Geometry Wars: Galaxies delivers an all new mission-based campaign where players blast-off on action-paced quests across the galaxy, defending solar systems one by one, defeating waves of alien enemies on new and classic Battle Grids. The controls have been optimized for Nintendo systems, allowing gamers to use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller or DS touch screen to execute hotshot moves as never before. For the first time ever, the Geometry Wars videogame lets players battle via hot seat, co-op, simultaneous and versus in multiplayer mode. Those that own both the Nintendo DS and Wii can link the game together using Wi-Fi to unlock bonus content. Elite players can challenge the universe by posting high scores on the Wii's online leader board. Geometry Wars: Galaxies videogame also includes the full version of "Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved". [Sierra Entertainment]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Game Informer

Like "Tetris," Galaxies’ gameplay is so unbelievably fun that you can’t put it down.

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GameDaily

Geometry Wars: Galaxies takes everything good about Bizarre Creations' download hit and expands upon it.

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Games Master UK

A great game made greater by intelligent Wii-mote use and an extensive single-player mode. [Jan 2007, p.64]

Console Gameworld

An excellent casual shooter that remains intense. It isn't good for hours at a time but is damned fun for months to come.

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GotNext

A controller that takes a bit of getting used to, a few wonky levels, and a weak ending are hardly the worst problems a game can face. The journey to Geometry Wars mastery is a fun and addicting one, and each level can be considered its own game by the series's earlier standards.

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GameZone

Anyone looking for immediate entertainment and lengthy gameplay sessions should consider Galaxies as a must have game for the Wii.

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Zentendo

A wonderfully refreshing chunk of stylized retro goodness stuffed into a forty dollar box.

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NGamer UK

Magnificently smooth, slick and playable, with a good range of levels to suit all standards of player. [Feb 2008, p.46]

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Worth Playing

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is truly the next step for this humble arcade throwback.

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Pelit (Finland)

Finally, decent use for a classic controller. There is really nothing new, but everything works smoothly just like a train's toilet. Galaxies is also the most deepest and richest Geometry Wars experience made so far. [Mar 2008]

GamingTrend

Somehow Bizarre managed a way to keep the old gameplay intact while introducing new elements that make the game feel fresh.

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Console Monster

Whether you’re new to the Geometry Warsgames or not, it’s still an enormously fun and addictive classic shooter.

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Armchair Empire

Geometry Wars Galaxies is good for long and short play sessions, but it’s the latter of these that make it perfect for times when you don’t really want an extended play session.

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Play Magazine

If you like retro-style gameplay, or are hungry for shooters, or just want something that you can pop in for a few minutes at a time, it's just perfect. [Jan 2008, p.60]

Destructoid

Galaxies is as addictive as ever, and well worth the extra money for fans of arcade-style shooters looking to sink hours into breaking high scores.

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1UP

It's still an experience best enjoyed in short sittings because of its intensity, but (with the Classic Controller) it's also a remarkable one. Perhaps not a CocoaBella confection, but maybe a king-size Snickers bar...ultimately very satisfying.

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n-Revolution Magazine UK

Hugely addictive shooting action. We like. [Issue#18, p.80]

netjak

With a lack of worthwhile online capabilities and bonuses for various in-game performances, Geometry Wars Galaxies isn't a perfect evolution of a truly old-school game. However, to make up for it, it packs in plenty of excellent action that is easy to grasp and has something for all skill levels.

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Gamer 2.0

Geometry Wars Galaxies is an excellent transition from old to new with a bevy of extras that will keep fans engaged for a long time.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Galaxies is certainly a perfectly enjoyable and natural evolution for the Geometry Wars series that’ll provide hundreds of hours of fun to gamers with lightning-fast reactions, but it’s perhaps not enough to make it really worth it.

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NTSC-uk

Galaxies is a fresh take on the concept, one where all the new additions are a genuine plus for the play experience and add so much to the overall game.

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Cubed3

This is a great hardcore offering in a Wii software line-up that is looking increasingly daft. No dumb controls, no gimmicks, no Keith Chegwin. Just good old-fashioned videogaming goodness.

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N-Europe

Fast and frantic retro shooting goodness.

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Gameplayer

A brilliant shooter.

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Gamestyle

Overall Geometry Wars Galaxies is a tight and fast paced shooter that is guaranteed to get the pulse flowing.

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NintendoWorldReport

Geometry Wars: Galaxies will appeal to fans of arcade-style gameplay. It keeps its action simple, but intense.

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GamePro

The Wii version of Geometry Wars is a great port and the developers overcame the one potential hurdle--the controls.

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Kombo

With 64 different levels, new enemies, the new drone buddy system, multiplayer modes and online leader boards, it's hard not to like Galaxies – especially if you're a Geometry Wars fans. Unfortunately, the Wii IR controls don't work as well as the original dual analog controls.

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IGN

Geometry Wars Galaxies is about as hardcore of a game as you can get.

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Games Radar (in-house)

With all the new bells and whistles, there's no way that fans of Retro Evolved could go wrong with this one. But even strangers to the series should give Geometry Wars: Galaxies a shot as they'd be hard pressed to find a more satisfying 2D shooter out there.

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Thunderbolt

The floodgates have finally been opened and we are starting to see what the console is good for.

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Nintendo Power

Wii fans envious of their Xbox Live Arcade-playing cousins finally have something to crow about thanks to Geometry Wars: Galaxies. [Dec 2007, p.82]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

With 64 levels, versus and co-op, and Retro-Evolved included, Galaxies has tons to love, even if the standard control's busted. [Holiday 2007, p.57]

AceGamez

Whether or not you're a hardcore gamer or a casual one, you will find some form of entertainment from Geometry Wars: Galaxies.

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Video Game Talk

Twitch gamers will eat this up, and Galaxies is an easy game to go back to every now and then to unlock new planets or try to break those high score records that you set.

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VideoGamer

There's been enough alterations and inclusions to justify a purchase by Retro Evolved fans (it certainly feels like more of a fleshed out game now) and its simple, unique and easy to get into gameplay should keep the more casual among us engaged for hours on end.

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Eurogamer

Tons to do and a well-designed new control system for people who aren't busy forming high-score cults.

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GameTap

Overall, this is a great game that no true Geometry Wars fan will want to miss—just be sure you have a classic controller on hand for true enjoyment.

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AtomicGamer

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is about as good a sequel as we can get to what originally was a bonus mini-game in Project Gotham Racing and then eventually a downloadable $5 game.

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Play.tm

There is plenty here to justify the purchase. Provided you haven't splashed out for the Xbox Live game and you already have a Classic Controller for the Wii (guess that leaves a good five of you!) then this is well worth the mullah.

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IGN AU

The value of the game is really dependent on your passion and commitment.

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PTGamers

Most likely won’t appeal to owners of other iterations, but is an almost compulsory title for high score addicted players.

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Gaming Age

Geometry Wars may have expanded into the reaches of Galaxies, but the game never meant to offer more than a little ship shooting to save its life, and if that doesn't groove with you then it's not time to join the collective just yet.

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Game Revolution

If you play a lot at home go with the Wii since the graphics are better than the DS, and you’ll have the option of taking a basic version on the go. If most of your gameplay is done in the streets, grab a DS copy. Either way there’s hours of old-school arcade fun to be had.

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GameSpot

Galaxies adds a great deal of depth to an already intense shooter.

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Cheat Code Central

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is a game for the old school hardcore gamer that loves to push himself to the limits. It is a game that is best served in short doses, but each dosage is an incredible experience of psychedelic gameplay that is both frenetic and engaging.

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Official Nintendo Magazine UK

Fiendishly addictive. [Jan 2008, p.83]

Edge Magazine

At its worst, however, Galaxies has some big problems. The biggest is that it is remarkably fond of spawning enemies behind your ship too quickly for you to move away... It can be incredibly annoying – enough, in fact, to slightly taint the whole experience. [Feb 2008, p.92]

Total Video Games

Galaxies is Geometry Wars for the masses, though whether the 'masses' will be happy to part with their cold hard cash for what is essentially a bulked up game released for seven quid two years ago, remains questionable.

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Gamer.nl

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is a fun new version of a very addicting game. The addition of the higher price, however, might be too much for the extra content that is added in the game compared to the Arcade-version. It doesn't mean Geometry Wars isn't worth some money, because even though the concept is simple, it remains one of the most fun games of recent years.

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Boomtown

Geo Wars offers you the same, basic and fun gameplay but with the added twist of a level structure. However, it really is all about shooting and avoiding getting shot. After a few hours play I found I was just stuck in the same groove and the game doesn’t offer much in the way of variety.

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PALGN

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is a fantastic game and easily the best Geometry Wars title yet. Any shooter fans should have no hesitation in picking this title up.

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DailyGame

Wii owners may want to play the once only-on-Xbox-360 franchise, but a combination of horrible controls and hard-to-follow multiplayer options manages to kill any fun that might otherwise be had.

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GameSpy

If you can say that you're looking forward to having ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a week than this might be a great title for you. Other than that very particular market, it's tough to see Galaxies being worth the recommended price.

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The Wiire

For those who are bored with scores, "lives", and theoretically infinite game stages, skip this shooter and tuck the forty bucks safely away for something else.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 17 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Nathan L. gave it a6:
I was wondering why it was so popular so I picked up a copy knowing nothing about it. I found it really entertaining at first, but then realized that the gameplay does not change at all. What you see is what you get. If you're not enthralled in the first 5 minutes you're done for. Not great for replay, but, not terrible.

Steve C. gave it a7:
Great fun if you're a fan of old school shoot-em-ups and essential if you like to maintain a balanced collection of games since there's nothing else like it for the Wii right now. On the down side the two player mode doesn't work particularly well and once you've supersized all the drones there's little variation. In summary lots of fun but lacking in depth therefore only scored a 7.

[Anonymous] gave it a9:
I think many are used to play Geometry Wars with control sticks on other platforms and for them nunchuck + remote control scheme feels inadequate, at least at first. I've only played with nunchuck + remote and after few hours my scores were usually on top 50. That works for me.

Jay Y. gave it a9:
Very intense game! I am big fan of the original arcade classic, Asteroids, and was persuaded to try this game because many reviewers compared it to Asteroids. In terms of the game being about controlling a simple spaceship, there being so much happening on the screen sometimes that you can hardly keep track of it all, and the simple vector graphics style, the games are comparable, but there are notable differences in control. In Asteroids there are 5 controls: rotate ship clockwise, rotate ship counter-clockwise, thrust, fire, and hyperspace. You could only fire, and thrust, in the direction your ship was facing and you'd continue to move even though weren't applying thrust, so slowing down or stopping was accomplished by applying thrust oppsite the direction you're traveling. In Geometry Wars, you can fire in any direction regardless of which direction your ship is facing and movement is simpler, push the joystick in the direction you want to move, if you want to remain stationary leave the joystick in the neutral position. There's no hyperspace in Geometry Wars, but you can get out of tight spots with occasional use of a bomb to clear all enemies. I say occasional use because you get a limited supply of bombs and you get no points for enemies you destroy using one. There have been lots of reviews complaining about using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk for controlling the aiming and ship movement, and that the original twin-stick control (obtained on the Wii through the use of a $20 Classic Controller) is much better. It may be that the reviewers have played the Xbox Live Arcade version and have become accustomed to the twin-stick controls and had trouble learning a new control scheme, because I tried both and found I played much better with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck instead of the Classic Controller.

Robb H. gave it a10:
An excellent conversion (and upgrade) of an already outstanding bit of arcade style fun.

Nathan H. gave it an8:
Addicting, for a little while. Then its not the game you will want to play on every sitting. Its fun, but not worth the same price of games like metroid 3, legend of zelda etc.

Simon G. gave it an8:
Wow! I must agree with something that has been said a few times already. Geometry Wars is Asteroids on steroids! For arcade fan boys like me, it’s an adrenaline rush I didn’t felt in a long time… way too long! I personally prefer the Remote / Nunchuk combination, but I’ve tried the classic controller and it works just as good. I definitely think it’s worth the extra bucks if compared to the XBLA version. The geoms and drone systems are nice additions that really feel natural. Plus the game comes with Retro Evolved as well. Online play would’ve been nice, but online leaderboard is good enough, nonetheless. NOTE: The DS version is pretty solid too. Both the buttons and touch controls work well. However, the lack of special effects is a great miss since being a visual symphony is a huge part of what makes Geometry Wars a master piece. I would recommend you buy the Wii version than use its Connectivity feature to upload Retro Evolved from the Wii to your DS… if you’re an addict, it’s great to take it on the go!!!

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Geometry Wars: Galaxies

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