Museum of the Game ®

International Arcade Museum® — Killer List of Videogames®

Gaplus

Description

Another shooting game where you can capture the enemies and make them work for you if you hit the queen ship when it dives. This game is not widely known because it was released during the video game crash.

Gaplus was produced by Namco in 1984.

Namco released 310 machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1977. Namco was based in Japan.

Other machines made by Namco during the time period Gaplus was produced include: Phozon, Pac-Man & Chomp Chomp, Pac & Pal, Mappy, Libble Rabble, Dragon Buster, Galaga 3, Grobda, Shoot Away, and Super Xevious

Specs

Name	Gaplus
Developer	Namco (Japan)
Year	1984
Type	Videogame
KLOV/MOG #	7911
Class	Wide Release
Genre	Shooter
Monitor	Orientation: Vertical Type: Raster: Standard Resolution Color: Color
Conversion Class	Namco Galaga
Game Specific	Gaplus Pinout
Dipswitch Settings	Gaplus Dipswitch Settings (user contributed)
# Simultaneous Players	1
# Maximum Players	2
Game Play	Alternating
Control Panel Layout	Single Player
Controls	Joystick: 8-way Buttons: 1 - Fire
Sound	Amplified Mono (one channel)
Cabinet Styles	Upright/Standard Cocktail
PCB	Gaplus PCB Image

Game Introduction

The game has the same look and feel as the original Galaga. The "bees" were redesigned to look a little more modern. A possible contributing factor to the game's lack of success in the arcades is that it becomes extremely difficult after Parsec 4 or 5. Games end quickly!

Gaplus KLOV/IAM 5 Point User Score: 3.81 (2 votes)

Fun Factor: 4.00

Overall Like	4.50
Fun (Social)	3.00
Fun (Solo)	4.00
Collector Desire	4.00

Technical Rating: 3.63

Gameplay	4.50
Graphics	3.50
Originality	3.50
Sound/Music	3.00

Personal Impressions and Technical Impressions each account for half of the total score. Within the Personal Impressions category, Like carries a little more weight than the other factors.

Images

Trivia

Apparently, dedicated Gaplus machines were shipped to or manufactured in the US. Even though this occurred during the video game crash time period, it was thought that lack of name recognition contributed to its poor earnings. Therefore, an upgrade kit was distributed to operators that included a Galaga 3 marquee and new ROMs. It appears as though the new ROMs were only a title screen hack, as the name Gaplus still appears during gameplay in one of the challenge stages.

Cabinet Information

An attractive dedicated cabinet with a basic black background and colorful rainbow stripes that run from the sides converging in a "V" shape on the front panel. The game has matching sideart with a Gaplus logo and a scene of a space ranger pointing at a Gaplus "bee" ala Starship Troopers film. The cabinet has red T-molding and its control panel overlay is generic with no labeling or logos.

Miscellaneous

COPY OF: Galaga 3 renamed for the USA

VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Gaplus Census

There are 15,264 members of the Video Arcade Preservation Society / Vintage Arcade Preservation Society, 9,669 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 166,973 machines (7,000 unique titles).

Very Common - There are 143 known instances of this machine owned by Gaplus collectors who are active members. Of these, 66 of them are original dedicated machines. 6 of them are conversions in which game circuit boards (and possibly cabinet graphics) have been placed in (and on) another game cabinet. 71 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

For Sale - There are 4 active VAPS members with a Gaplus machines for sale. There are 4 active VAPS members with a Gaplus circuit boards for sale.

Wanted - There are 9 active VAPS members currently looking for Gaplus.

This game ranks a 31 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records.

This game ranks a 10 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census want list records.

Rarity and Popularity independently are not necessarily indications of value. [More Information]

Flyers

Technical

The game uses three 6809 microprocessors and a Namco 8-channel PSG for sounds.

Legacy

Manuals

Preliminary Owner/Operator's Manual - Gaplus Manual — **Preliminary Owner/Operator's Manual**
(20 pages, 3.2 MB File)

Foto-Finder® (Books)

The Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 187; Color photo Price guide: No
The Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: C4; Color photo Price guide: No
Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 187; Color photo

Additional References (logged in members often see more)

3D Model (External): Upright (5f7143aec7ffe0629938207d9cf379ee)

eBay Listings

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